The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since the 1992-1993 school year, held its awards breakfast on Dec. 11 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd.
Holly Wilson, Director of Admissions at Linfield Christian School, emceed the event for Sally Myers who founded the nonprofit program that partners with the Chamber. Wilson 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.
Backpacks 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.
December’s students of the month are Chaparral High School’s Sophia Lopez, Great Oak’s Abigail Huth, Linfield Christian’s Crystal Augustine, Rancho Vista’s Tony Joel Merida Figueroa, Susan H. Nelson High School’s Emilyn Mayares Mora, and Temecula Valley’s Kaitlyn R. McGuire.
Sophia Lopez
Chaparral High School Assistant Principal Ingrid Taylor introduced Sophia as a “dedicated four-year AVID student and proud member of our girls’ basketball team.” Sophia serves as a peer leader and is active in the Hispanic National Honor Society and founded a craft club on campus. She spearheaded the launch of Temecula Valley Unified School District’s DECA program for a new business CTE pathway and created the CHS Business Club. Sophia said a lesson she has learned from all her teachers, coaches and friends who have supported her throughout high school is to take a step back and breathe. “This is a lesson I’m taking with me to college and beyond,” she said. “These are simple words that changed me for the better. High school has been filled with pressure due to grades, responsibilities, expectations, and the fear of making a mistake.” She said she has learned the importance of patience, resilience and has come to trust herself because she took the time to slow down. AVID teacher Joseph Gilleland said, “Sophia demonstrates empathy far beyond her years. She manages to find time for everyone else and is still prepared to move forward for her own success. Her tenacity is admirable.”
Abigail “Abby” Huth
Great Oak High School Assistant Principal Alicia Brennan said Abby is an incredible student and athlete who leads with kindness, lifts others up and includes everyone. “She’s the first to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, and she makes our school a better place simply by being in it.” Abby said she never imagined the impact of having a sister with Down Syndrome would have on her life. “I watched her face adversity and prove to others how capable she is,” Abby said. “Imparting key lessons like the importance of inclusion, the value of empowering others through lifting up other people’s voices and the meaning of resilience, Jocelyn has been the most impactful and inspiring teacher.” Using all the lessons she learned from her sister about the positive impact of inclusion, Abby became coach for the Great Oak Unified track and field team and quickly learned that participation in sports wasn’t just about medals, about the little breakthroughs and moments of connection and sense of belonging that matter most. Abby will be attending the University of San Diego where she will be running cross country and track and hopes to continue onto medical school in the future.
Crystal Augustine
Linfield Christian High School Principal Ty Nichols said Crystal excels academically, captained the debate team, served as a student ambassador and is a leader in campus activities such as ASB, Chapel Band and yearbook. “Her deep commitment led her to found the Be the Change Club and serve with a humble heart on the Costa Rica mission trip,” Nichols said. “Through her integrity and leadership, she makes Linfield a better place.” Crystal said a significant life lesson she has learned is the power of speech. “Being part of the debate team and as captain, I have learned how to articulately defend my beliefs in front of a judge and how to change my tone based on who I was talking to. But it all boils down to just how powerful and how immensely weighted our words actually are. As it even says in the Bible, words can either bring a person up or it can tear them down and quite frankly I believe our words should be used to bring people up.” English teacher Melissa Blades said, “Crystal is brilliant, perceptive and internally motivated to pursue excellence in everything she does. She’s someone who walks in integrity and serves others selflessly.”
Tony Joel Merida Figueroa
Rancho Vista High School Principal David Schlottman introduced Tony as a member of the school’s Newcomer Academy, which is for junior and senior students who are new to the United States and are just starting to learn English. “Many of the new students who arrive in this country have limited or interrupted formal education so they not only learn English, but they have to pick up on the learning where they left off in their home country,” Schlottman said. “Tony is making a lot of progress.” In Guatemala, he left school after sixth grade to work full time on the farm with his parents. “I am grateful for this educational opportunity,” Tony said. “This recognition will help me to keep going and give my best.” He continued his speech in Spanish and said it was good that he has many relatives in Temecula and their love and care for him helps him feel better about his life. “I believe that all that happened in Guatemala has made me stronger and my family here more united,” Tony said. His goal is to become a medical assistant, and he will begin his higher education at Mt. San Jacinto College.
Emilyn Mayares Mora
Susan H. Nelson High School Principal David Schlottman introduced Emilyn as someone who has big dreams and lots of determination to make them happen. About herself, she says she is independent, focused and faithful to herself. A quote that she said would describe herself is, “Guard your heart above all else for everything you do flows from it.” She told Principal Schlottman that to her it means she has to protect her beliefs, her goals and her ideas and that doing so makes her genuine and helps her to stay on track. “The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that strength doesn’t come from having an easy path; it comes from choosing to keep going even when things get difficult,” Emilyn said. “These past few years have brought challenges that have pushed me academically, emotionally and personally. I had moments where balancing school, work, family responsibilities and my future felt really overwhelming but every obstacle taught me that discipline and perseverance are choices I have to make daily. I learned that success isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being consistent.” She plans to study nursing and become a registered anesthesiologist. “Thank you Sally Myers and the sponsors for creating opportunities like this that remind students like me that our hard work matters and our future is worth investing in,” Emilyn said.
Kaitlyn R. McGuire
Temecula Valley High School Principal Donna Lione introduced Kaitlyn as someone who is heavily involved in music and is a member of the San Diego Junior Symphony. She plans to enlist in the U.S. Army upon high school graduation and become a combat medic. “They are there to take care of their fellow man and this is something Kaitlyn has been doing in her work in nursing homes where she got her CAN license and found her passion for this.” After serving in the military, she wants to attend NYU to earn her degree in nursing. “The lesson I learned is that you really have to have your heart in something,” said Kaitlyn, who spent the summer working at a nursing home. “This facility did not have a lot of staff or a lot of money, but they had a lot of residents,” she said. “I thought us students would be shadowing a CNA taking vitals and stuff, but they gave us our own patients, and I spent a lot of time with hospice patients. It’s so important that you don’t just care for them physically, but you care about them and who they are,” Kaitlyn said.
For more information, please contact Program Chair Liz Schuch at 951-676-5090 or liz@temecula.org.
