The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since the 1992-1993 school year, held its final awards breakfast of the 2024-2025 school year on April 10 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. Sally Myers, of BMW Management and founder of the nonprofit, welcomed everyone and shared the mission of the local high school recognition program which sets the criteria for the students who are chosen.
Supported by the community, college or vocational/trade school bound seniors are acknowledged and honored for their character, their love of learning and their willingness to participate in numerous activities such as campus events, athletics and community service or the ability to persevere and overcome difficult life circumstances. They accomplish all this in a setting that honors God, country, community, family and free enterprise.
Duffle bags filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and much more were donated by the program’s sponsors to the award recipients. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.
April’s students of the month are Chaparral High School’s Benjamin Gibbs, Great Oak’s Diego Bugarin, Linfield Christian’s Xavier Cox, Rancho Vista’s Anne Maru Mateo, Susan H. Nelson High School’s Avery Paterson, and Temecula Valley’s Dominick Alfaro.
Benjamin Gibbs
Chaparral High School Principal Tina Miller said Benjamin “embodies the heart and spirit of our school community.” He is involved with theater arts at Chaparral and in the community and has been accepted at UC, San Diego as a theater arts major. He said the most significant life lesson he will take with him is to “always shoot for your Plan A.” Benjamin said that goals and aspirations will constantly change throughout life and that’s okay. “What’s important is that you stay inspired, committed and passionate,” he said. “I don’t make a Plan B or a Plan C because a dedicated person will take their dreams, run with them, and make it work. At the end of the day, everything in life might be a competition but it only matters what YOU call winning.”
Diego Bugarin
Great Oak High School Principal Amber Lane said since arriving at the campus as a sophomore, Diego has made a significant impression at Great Oak. He takes Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes and is a member of the Cybersecurity Club. His U.S. History teacher from last year said Diego is the kindest, most creative, most dedicated student that he’s ever had the opportunity to teach, and that he puts genuine effort into everything he does. The most significant lesson Diego said he has learned through his friends is that success isn’t just about achieving goals but about the journey that takes you there. “The hard work and sacrifice that goes into every step is what counts,” Diego said. He thanked family members for all their support and encouragement. He plans to attend Palomar College to major in mechanical engineering. When he first enrolled at Great Oak, Ryan Horton was his English Language Development teacher for a couple of weeks before he tested out of the class. Horton said, “Diego is such a quiet leader and so ready to give praise to others.”
Xavier Cox
Linfield Christian High School Principal Ty Nichols said, “Xavier has the ability to lead in the midst of struggle.” The honored senior shared that one of the most challenging things he’s had to go through was watching his older brother excel in basketball and hoping he could measure up. His brother helped the team win Linfield’s first CIF championship ever, was the MVP and captain of that team and a first team all-state player. Xavier said when he was a freshman at Linfield a year later, no one thought he could ever achieve the success his brother had on the court. He said he didn’t blame them because he wasn’t the best player growing up but when he made the varsity team in his freshman year he thought he had finally broken free from his brother’s shadow to make a name for himself. But by the end of the season, he had only played for five minutes total, and it crushed him. A quote from Roman philosopher Seneca changed his outlook: “While we wait for life, life passes.” Xavier took it upon himself to work hard for a year between seasons and in his sophomore year he earned a starting spot on the team and was awarded Most Improved Player. He was named team captain and Defensive Player of the Year in his junior and senior years. “I learned that no one is just going to hand me anything,” Xavier said. “I had to earn my moment, especially when no one was watching.” He will attend USC to study real estate finance and development.
Anne Maru Mateo
Rancho Vista High School Assistant Principal Stephanie Webb was happy to introduce Anne Maru who is part of the Newcomer Academy program which Webb started at the school. It is designed for students in 11th and 12th grades who are new to the country. Anne Maru arrived in the United States 10 months ago from The Philippines. A significant life lesson she has learned is to live in the present moment. Because she didn’t get past seventh grade in her home country, she worried about how she would do when she enrolled at Rancho Vista. Constantly worrying about her future blinded her to the opportunities that were available to her in the present. She changed her focus and was able to overcome challenges to achieve her goals. She plans to attend Mt. San Jacinto College to study pre-law to eventually become an attorney. Christine Kelly, an ELD teacher and Newcomer Academy Coordinator, said Anne Maru has a strong intrinsic drive to succeed. On her own, while a member of ASB, she created and maintains the school’s first spreadsheet to coordinate items for sale at the student store and online.
Avery Paterson
Susan H. Nelson High School Assistant Principal Stephanie Webb said independent learning takes a lot of determination and is not for everyone. “Avery has excelled so much that she’s graduating a year early in an independent study high school program because she gets to learn at her own pace,” Webb said. Avery was homeschooled from kindergarten through eighth grade and then began her high school career at Temecula Valley. After spending more than two years there, she transferred to Susan H. Nelson seven months ago. “A lesson I learned and will take with me to college is to take risks,” Avery said. “The risk I took was transferring to Susan H. Nelson mid-semester of my junior year when I decided to accelerate my learning.” She will be attending Grand Canyon University to study nursing. She said when she was five years old she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease and was in and out of the hospital for treatment through the years. Avery was treated by some very compassionate nurses and she wants to be that for others someday.
Dominick Alfaro
Temecula Valley High School Principal Donna Lione said the three words friends and family would use to describe Dominick are funny, thoughtful and busy. He talked about being a team member rather than a team player and the importance of uplifting his teammates. He also shared the importance of being part of a team to strive for excellence and overcome obstacles. His words of wisdom for incoming freshmen would be, “do your homework, because 99% of the time it’s going to be on the test.” Dominick said a challenge he’s overcome is learning how to balance his time as a varsity athlete, an AP student and a part-time employee. He said being an athlete taught him what it is like to win and lose and if the latter happens, it’s important to pick yourself up and move on. He applies this to all areas of his life and has found a good balance. His mother said, “Dominick is a young man who leads with his heart in everything he does.”
For more information, please contact Program Chair Amber Poncy at 951-676-5090 or http://temecula.org/student-of-the-month.
