The Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce held their November Student of the Month breakfast at the Perris Sizzler, 91 West Nuevo Road on Nov. 12. Sally Myers of BMW Management/Sizzler Restaurants founded the program that started including the Perris Union High School District schools in 1998.
She emceed the event, sharing the mission of her nonprofit organization that partners with the local Chambers. The program acknowledges and honors college or trade school bound seniors for their character, love of learning and commitment to academics, in addition to participation in athletics, school activities and community service. It also commends those who have persevered through challenging life circumstances, all in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise.
Large tote bags filled with gifts, certificates of recognition, and 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.
November’s students of the month are California Military Institute’s Adewunmi Oderinde, Heritage High School’s Maylin Sanders, Liberty High’s Olivia Carlon, Paloma Valley’s Gabriela Sevilla, and Perris High School’s Gisselle Rodriguez DeLaTorre.
California Military Institute Principal Michael Dodson described Adewunmi Oderinde as a strong leader. “We develop leaders at CMI,” he said. “Leaders aren’t defined by their collar devices, their shoulder patches, or their title. They’re defined by the way they present themselves day in and day out and this young lady presents herself as a leader among all leaders.” Adewunmi said, “One of the biggest life lessons I have learned is the importance of speaking up and voicing my opinions. For as long as I can remember, if I felt uncomfortable with something or if I didn’t like the way things were going, I would often stay quiet out of fear of creating problems.” Eventually, she realized if she never expressed her feelings they would never be understood. “This lesson showed me my voice has power and deserves to be heard,” Adewunmi said. “This simple change of mindset has helped me grow and become more confident in myself.” She plans to earn a marketing degree and eventually become a corporate lawyer.
Heritage High School Principal Jose Topete introduced Maylin Sanders as someone who was overwhelmingly nominated for Student of the Month when she became a senior this year. Maylin, who has been dancing since she was very young, joined the school’s dance team in her freshman year. She said that the opportunities she has embraced in the past three years have led to her choreographing for the dance team and creating an award-winning film that covers many aspects of mental health. “All of these amazing possibilities have taught me that faith and confidence are key, not only in myself but in what others see in me,” Maylin said. “I want to pursue a career in dance and major in film at UCLA. I know the path I intend to take is hard and uncertain, but I will continue down it wherever it guides me and continue to do what I love, no matter what.” Her dance teacher and coach Hope Burns said, “When she performs, she is dynamic; she commands your attention. She is the entire package.”
Olivia Carlon is Liberty High School’s November Student of the Month and Principal Erika Rojas said her leadership has set her apart from many of her peers. “She leads with a quiet confidence,” Rojas said. “Her energy and passion is like something I’ve never seen.” Olivia admits she had no intention of joining any clubs or sports when she entered high school until a staff member encouraged her to attend Distribution Education Clubs of America events. DECA is an international association that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in career areas of business through competitive events. “You compete in various business-related events in different categories like hospitality, finance, marketing and entrepreneurship,” she said. Olivia has served as an officer for the past three years and is president of Liberty’s chapter this year. She is proud of the growth from five members to 60 members since she got involved. “My passion for business has grown,” she said. Advisor Alex Serrato said Olivia has led the club in competitions at the district, state and international levels.
Paloma Valley High School’s Gabriela Sevilla was singled out for recognition this month. Principal Thomas LaRochelle said that as part of the cross-country team, others look up to her and follow her lead. Gabriela said her time in high school has been a time of discovery for her—figuring out what she was passionate about and what interests she wants to pursue in the future. She has found a sense of community in running. “My biggest contribution has been to keep an optimistic attitude and having a positive mindset,” Gabriela said. “I try to lift others up whenever I can.” One of the most important lessons she said she has learned is to be forgiving toward herself. “I realized that mistakes are just part of learning,” she said. “Not every day is going to go perfectly and that’s perfectly okay. Every setback is just a chance to grow and do better next time.” Her dream is to attend UC, Davis and study environmental education, after being inspired by her junior year AP Environmental Science teacher Maria Schmidt.
Gisselle Rodriguez DeLaTorre is Perris High School’s choice for Student of the Month for November. Principal Ricardo Garcia described her as very active as part of ASB and president of one of the largest FFA chapters. “As a leader, she is a visionary,” he said, adding that she is reliable and serves as a mentor for younger FFA members. “She serves with pride and compassion. Overall, she personifies Panther Pride,” Garcia said. Gisselle said she arrived at high school without a plan to be involved in anything outside her academics. “I wanted to be a regular student, getting to school at 8:30 and coming out at 3:30; but things have changed,” she said. “I now leave at 5:30 or 6, depending how long the meetings go. But I’m glad I chose FFA. It really brought me out of my comfort zone, taught me how to be a leader and how to grow.” She has served as president for two years.
Closing remarks
Sally Myers shared special words to each student and then played a “Minute with Maxwell” recording from John Maxwell, an American author, motivational speaker, and pastor who has written books primarily focused on leadership. The word was execute. He said if you wait until you are really good at something to start, you will never start. You can’t always be getting ready to get ready; the goal in life is to carry out your plan or course of action—to execute.
To learn more about the Student of the Month Program, please contact founder Sally Myers at 951-506-8024.
