The Hemet/San Jacinto Student of the Month program held its final recognition breakfast of 2025 at the Maze Stone at Soboba Springs Golf Course on Dec. 18. Six local high school seniors were recognized and honored for their character, love of learning and commitment to academics in addition to their involvement in school and community activities and their ability and resiliency in overcoming difficult life challenges. And they do all this in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise. Students are nominated by teachers or other school personnel for making a difference in their homes, schools and communities.
Local program founder and Student of the Month Committee member Karena Zermeno-Leon emceed the event. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past and/or current 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.
December’s students of the month from Hemet Unified School District are Jose Barajas, Kinsley Draganza Dialio, Lola Elzy, Savannah Garcia and Blessing Sele. Shawna Rivera from Noli Indian School was also honored.
Hemet Unified School District
Jose Barajas
Hamilton High School Principal Kari Sanchez introduced Jose as mature beyond his years. The school’s Mental Health Professional Conrad Akins said, “I proudly nominated Jose because he’s an incredible young man who has overcome great challenges with unwavering resilience. No matter what life throws at him, he remains one of the most polite, well-mannered and positive students I have ever met.” Jose said the responsibilities of living and working on a 10-acre ranch can be exhausting but the experience has taught him leadership, discipline and hard work. He plans to work in the construction industry, earn his contractor’s license and have his own business one day. “One of the hardest obstacles I had to overcome was growing up with a drug-addicted mother,” Jose said. He and his younger brother were very young when they were taken away from her and placed in the foster care system. His biological father was in jail. “Because of all that was going on, I didn’t learn how to read and write until almost fifth grade and later I found out I had a learning disability,” he said. Eventually, his aunt and uncle took the boys in and adopted them. “Moving from Los Angeles to a ranch full of animals was a huge adjustment but I immediately fell in love with the life,” Jose said. “That ranch became more than a home; it was a place where I learned responsibility, work ethic and the importance of family. The most important lesson I’ve learned in life is that it’s not what you go through that defines you but how you grow from it. I could have chosen anger or giving up but instead I chose to keep going.”
Kinsley Draganza Dialio
Academy of Innovation Principal John Bradshaw and nominating teacher April Boggess were pleased to recognize Kinsley as Student of the Month for December. “When I switched to AOI, it was probably the best choice I ever made,” the outstanding senior said. “I went to a few schools before this, and it was nothing like where I’m at now. I wasn’t able to be myself and I was always anxious about going to school. My grades would be slipping, and I didn’t like to talk.” She said things were really hard and she didn’t think there was going to be a way that she would ever look forward to going to school, especially with her poor grades. Kinsley didn’t feel like there was any way she could recover from her grades slipping so far, plus her attendance was not the best. Then she enrolled at the Academy of Innovation. “I feel really supported here and can do my best,” she said. “They gave me a reason to keep going and help people.” Kinsley plans to pursue a career in either children’s behavioral health or as a dermatology nurse practitioner. Her mother thanked the organizers and sponsors of the Student of the Month program. “Any support we can give our kids is one of the most valuable things we can do in our community,” she said.
Lola Elzy
Hemet High School Principal Jeff Franks said Lola is an outstanding student who is a leader in the AVID program and a multisport athlete. “Her hard work, dedication and perseverance in everything she does is absolutely amazing and helped us win a League title for our very first girls flag football team,” Franks said. College and Career Counselor Lauren Lloyd said Lola has been through some difficult things but instead of making excuses she chose to propel herself forward. “She just radiates positivity and is always kind,” Lloyd said. Lola was only nine years old when her father died, and she saw the toll it took on her mother who fell back into substance abuse. Child Protective Services removed her from the home, and she went to live with her grandmother. Three years later, she moved in with her aunt and uncle. A few months later, her grandmother passed away. “As I began high school, I started to rebel and had no care for my academics anymore, and overall, I turned into someone that I wasn’t,” Lola said. She was able to turn her life around in her sophomore year and continued to grow in her junior year by joining clubs and sports. “I came to the realization that academics would be what healed me,” she said. “My academic journey provided me with a newfound happiness and faith in myself.” She plans to major in biology with the goal of pursuing a career in women’s health, research and psychology, or possibly as a surgical technician.
Savannah Garcia
Tahquitz High School Principal Andrew Holmes said Savannah is a talented singer and writer. Choral Director Christyl Thiessen said Savannah is one of a kind. She is part of the Polynesian dance team, a member of the Chamber singers, and is in the choir. “I believe that my greatest contribution to my school is when I help guide my peers, clarify their questions and help them achieve their goals, whether it be school-related or personal,” Savannah said. Her grandfather passed away when she was in 7th grade, and he was the one person she looked up to the most. “He was the strongest and smartest person I’d ever known,” she said. “After my grandpa passed, I fell into a deep depression. All my grades turned to Fs and I watched the world pass me by. I felt stuck in a hole that just kept digging itself deeper when more family members were passing away every two months.” Savannah was able to get back on track at the end of her freshman year but at the start of her junior year, her favorite teacher at the time, her choir teacher, died. “She was my biggest encouragement to follow my dreams and then she was gone. I was angry at the world and didn’t want anyone to get close to me in case I got my heart broken by that pain again.” When the new choir teacher came, she said she wanted to help. “So, I thank you, Mrs. Thiessen for helping to heal my heart,” Savannah said the most significant lesson she has learned is that even if the sky is falling and your whole world is crumbling beneath your feet, it is you who has the power of how to react to it and choose to overcome it.
Blessing Sele
West Valley High School Principal Cynthia Leon said, “Blessing is involved in sports, clubs and all types of events. She does everything with grace and is a true role model.” Math teacher Brock Blair has known the outstanding senior since her freshman year and said, “She is exactly how her name is—she is a blessing to everyone.” Blessing said she contributes to her school through her extracurricular activities. She is editor-in-chief of yearbook, part of the Leadership team for Mustang Empire, is serving her second year as Christian Club president and is captain of the golf team. She is also part of the competitive dance team, theater, sewing club, basketball and was on the debate team last year. A personal goal she has is to become a real estate agent and go to school to major in business and finance. “I want to find something that I’m passionate about that also provides for myself and my family,” Blessing said. “There is more to college than just a major.” She said her parents came to this country from Nigeria and have worked hard to get her to where she is today. “I grew up in a Christian home so the morals to be a decent person were already built into my life,” she said. “A significant life lesson I will take with me to college is that the way I treat others can have a lasting impact, even when I don’t realize it. Small actions, offering kindness, listening without judgment, or showing respect can make someone feel valued and supported, especially in a new and stressful environment like college. I’ve learned that my words and behavior can either uplift others or discourage them; responsibility matters.”
Noli Indian School
Shawna Rivera
Noli Indian School Principal Donovan Post said Shawna is “an outstanding young woman and a joy to have in the school.” Her mother, Tanya Briones-Rivera, is an employee of the school and Post praised her for hard work. He said Shawna is one of many students he has been lucky enough to have where children from the same family come through the Noli school system. “I’ve had four from her family so far,” Post said. “You get to see the differences between the siblings—how they become their own person. Shawna is on her way to becoming this year’s valedictorian.” Andrea Duran teaches Spanish and AVID at the school and has known Shawna since she started at the school in sixth grade and joined AVID in seventh. “I’ve watched her grow into a role model with strong values, responsibilities and determination,” Duran said. “In addition to her academic achievements, she has been actively involved in ASB, serving as president for the past two years, where she leads with confidence, an open mind and responsibility. She inspires others and has become a strong role model for younger students.” Shawna said some of the most challenging times she has faced throughout her high school career were when she lost three close family members within two years. “During this time, I found it was very difficult to stay focused on my education or even be motivated to stay in school,” Shawna said. “It was a constant struggle to deal with grief year after year. I felt like school was irrelevant and my goals weren’t important.” With support her parents provided, she was able to learn how to process her grief and more than anything, she wants to concentrate on making her parents proud and being a strong role model for her younger siblings. “Giving back to my community is important,” Shawna said. “As a Native woman, I was taught to honor our traditions and pass them on to the next generation.” She plans to study nursing, focusing on diagnostic medical sonography.
For more information, www.studentofthemonth.net.
