The Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce held their December Student of the Month breakfast at the Perris Sizzler, 91 West Nuevo Road on Dec.10. Adriana Ochoa, Executive Director of the Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce served as emcee for Sally Myers of BMW Management/Sizzler Restaurants who founded the program that started including the Perris Union High School District schools in 1998.
Ochoa welcomed all guests and shared the mission of the 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.
December’s students of the month are Heritage High School’s Estrella Maya, Liberty High’s Kiara Monterrey, Paloma Valley’s Sophia Brown, Perris High’s Jacob Cortez and Perris Lake High School’s Isaiah Bewley.
Heritage High School Assistant Principal Brandon Jones said Estrella Maya is an exceptional student who has shown remarkable determination and resilience. Her goal is to attend Mt. San Jacinto College and become an ultrasound technician and Jones said she is already demonstrating the focus and discipline needed to achieve that dream. “One of the biggest life lessons she’s learned is to fight for what she wants,” he said. “After coming to the United States from Mexico, she faced the challenge of learning a new language and struggling to communicate with her teachers. Despite these obstacles, Estrella never gave up.” After Estrella, who enrolled at Heritage in the second half of her sophomore year, gave her acceptance speech in Spanish, teacher Natalia Orndoff read it in English. Estrella said that one of the biggest obstacles of her life was coming to a new country and having to start from zero. She has faced challenges but has worked hard to overcome them. She said her goal is to continue to learn English and master it one day. She is thankful for everyone who motivated and encouraged her to do well.
Kiara Monterrey is Liberty High School’s December Student of the Month and Principal Erika Rojas said she truly embodies the spirit and values of the Liberty community.“She challenged herself academically, pursued opportunities that stretched her potential and balanced her commitments with the grace and discipline of a true scholar athlete,” Rojas said. Kiara thanked all those who supported her throughout all the issues she had while balancing school, extracurriculars and sports and helped her get to where she is in life. Counselor Javier Padilla met Kiara in 2022 and said she has gone from a shy girl who was curious about school to taking college-level classes at MSJC and AP classes at Liberty while maintaining a GPA above 4.0. “Then she entered sports, but she didn’t stop there,” he said, adding that she began volunteering in the community. He told Kiara, “You don’t ask for praise or accolades, you just do what you do because you know it’s right and I think that’s the most beautiful characteristic about you and why you are here today.”
Paloma Valley High School’s Sophia Brown was singled out for recognition this month. Assistant Principal Joseph Willliams said she is taking AP classes, is a peer tutor in psychology, a member of the National Honor Society, and part of the NJROTC program where she serves as company commander overseeing 130 student cadets.
Master Sergeant Frank Puebla has been a Naval Science instructor for NJROTC for 14 years. “I am a lover of leadership and a hunter in human excellence,” he said. “Today I get to show you the spoils of my hunt. Today it is my professional privilege to introduce my company commander.” Sophia is president of the Healthy Students Club, which she helped found last year. In addition to others, she thanked her father who is currently deployed overseas. “Throughout my 17 years, I’ve learned a lot, but one lesson stands out and it’s something I will carry with me forever,” Sophia said. “Challenges don’t define you; it’s how you respond to them that does. I’ve learned that true growth comes from facing challenges head-on.” Sophia plans to major in psychology because she has always been interested in the way people think and why people make the decisions they do.
Jacob Cortez is Perris High School’s choice for Student of the Month for December. Principal Ricardo Garcia described him as being very active on campus as part of the choir and drama programs. He is currently ranked in the top 10 of his senior class. Jacob said that over time he realized that he does deserve recognition for the things that he has done. “I feel extraordinarily honored to be here,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier.” Computer Science teacher Princess Choi-Carlson, who nominated him this month, said, “Jacob keeps to himself and doesn’t share a lot, and I thought of him as a typical top 10 high-performing student.” When he approached her this year for a letter of recommendation for college, she learned that his parents work really hard and Jacob’s grandmother was always there taking care of him and his siblings. Now she is ill and no longer living in the home. Being the oldest, Jacob has taken on the responsibilities of taking care of his autistic brother and other siblings. “Not only is he great in school but he’s great at home,” she said.
Perris Lake High School Administrative Designee Heather Avila, on behalf of Director Pauline Garcia, said Isaiah Bewley has persevered through personal challenges, like many of the students there. “He transferred to Perris Lake from an online learning academy in his junior year, seeking connections and belonging,” Garcia wrote. “He definitely connects and definitely belongs at our school. Eager to embrace new experiences, Isaiah has taken advantage of many opportunities on and off campus. He is constantly demonstrating strong leadership qualities. He is an outstanding student who not only strives to do his best but also helps others be their best.” Isaiah said, “I’ve dealt with many obstacles, but the greatest one was when I lost my nana back in 2023; she was like a second mother to me,” he said. When she passed away, Isaiah found it difficult to do things he would regularly do with his grandmother or things that reminded him of her. “If there was one life lesson that she taught me, it was to always keep pushing no matter what,” Isaiah said. His career goal is to become a plumber because he has always enjoyed doing hands-on work.
To learn more about the Student of the Month Program, please contact founder Sally Myers at 951-506-8024.
