The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, which has recognized and inspired academic excellence since the 1992-1993 school year, held its first awards breakfast of the 2026-2027 school year on Sept. 3 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd.
Holly Wilson, Director of Admissions at Linfield Christian School, emceed the event on behalf of Sally Myers of BMW Management/Sizzler restaurants, 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 and/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.
The program’s sponsors donated backpacks filled with gifts, certificates of recognition, and more 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.
September’s students of the month are Chaparral High School’s Isabella Profeta, Great Oak’s Patrick Nagib, Linfield Christian’s Alexandra Michkov, Rancho Christian’s Luther Dettinger, Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School’s Mary Villa, Temecula Preparatory School’s Hannah Esteva, and Temecula Valley’s Analeah Millan.
Isabella Profeta
Chaparral High School Principal Tina Miller described Isabella as a student who is very involved with cultural clubs on campus and found her passion, peers, and support in the NJROTC program she joined in her freshman year. “She’s taken on the leadership role as cadet commanding officer which is a huge responsibility,” Miller said. Isabella said when she was younger, change was always a scary concept to her. But so much has changed during her four years at Chaparral and now her perception on the act of changing has also changed. “I believe that’s the beauty of life: everything changes, and I no longer see change in a negative light,” she said. “Allowing myself to change is the life lesson I will take with me into college. If not for the amazing community that I surround myself with every day, I may have never been okay with changing.” Isabella has plans to pursue a career in dermatology.
Patrick Nagib
Great Oak High School Principal Amber Lane said soccer has been a part of Patrick’s life for as long as he can remember and he even created a club on campus called Soccer to the Community where he shared that love of the sport with elementary students. “Patrick understands teamwork and he understands that success is always better when you lift others up and bring them along with you,” Lane said. Patrick said the most significant life lesson he will take to college is to always have faith in his capabilities. “Discipline and perseverance will forever outweigh talent alone,” Patrick said. “I believe that the greatest way I can give back to my community is to simply continue down the road that I’m going towards. Whether it’s my weekly church services spanning from Sunday school lessons and church cleanup to homeless outreach and even a medical mission in Latin America or making a lasting impact on hopefully my potential future patients, I want to do whatever I can to make sure that my talents leave a positive difference in my community.”
Alexandra Michkov
Linfield Christian High School Principal Ty Nichols said Alexandra is an exceptional senior who has been blazing a trail since she was a freshman. “She leads with excellence and heart,” he said. “Her impressive 4.67 GPA is incredibly reflective of her hardworking dedication, and her specialness extends far beyond her academic achievements.” Alexandra leads a successful civic dialogue program for teens at the Menifee Library and has developed an app to give teens another space for such conversations that can lead to real-life community solutions that involve them. The launch party for this app will be on Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. where teens can go to the Menifee Library and hear about the features and how it relates to them. Alexandra is an officer in both the science and math honor societies at her school. Coming from a family of educators and researchers, Alexandra plans to become a heart surgeon.
Luther Dettinger
Rancho Christian High School Principal Alison Doucette said, “The most commonly used adjectives by the teachers to describe Luther are respectful, responsible, and hardworking. But there’s so much more to Luther than those three words. My favorite is that he is reflective. He is constantly willing to work and improve himself. And he seeks out feedback from those around him.” Luther shared a challenge he had recently overcome. “Last year I had a really hard time writing my junior interdisciplinary paper,” he said. “My whole life I’ve always struggled with writing, but last year I really understood and came to love the process of writing that paper and it really showed me what has to go into overcoming things you struggle with.” AP Government teacher Hannah Thomas said, “He loves to participate in general, which is really fun as a teacher to have somebody that constantly is asking questions that are really meaningful, really thought-provoking, and push our conversation forward.”
Mary Villa
Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School Assistant Principal Jodie Brown said Mary is president of ASB this year and is involved in so many things she can’t even list them all. Mary has attended the school since the age of three and is grateful for the opportunity to do so. An important life lesson she learned happened when she was in preschool. “I never wanted to move up to the next grade. I was always convinced that I had the best teacher and there was absolutely no way that the next year could be better. I couldn’t imagine having a connection with another teacher like the one I had,” Mary said. “And then somehow every year I got a new favorite teacher and the exact same thing happened all over again. Looking back, I think that taught me that change doesn’t mean you’re leaving everything good behind. There will always be someone there to support you.” Mary plans to attend college as a pre-nursing major and eventually attend nursing school with the hopes of working in the NICU.
Hannah Esteva
Temecula Preparatory School Upper School Dean Garrett Corduan said Hannah has attended the school since third grade and has been a wonderful part of the campus. “She’s a member of our National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, our ASB,” he said. “She does our weekly news bulletin, a video news program, she’s on our chamber choir, which is traveling to Hawaii this year to compete, and she’s a member of our yearbook team,” Hannah said her biggest contribution has been her camera. She enjoys taking photos at school events. “No matter the activity, whether it’s an art, a sport, or society, I’m there,” Hannah said. “Showcasing the opportunities at Temecula Prep through my lens is how I give back to the place that raised me.” She plans to continue her passion for media by majoring in journalism, then attending law school in hopes of becoming an entertainment lawyer. “To close, I ask that you please continue to support local and nationwide journalism because it’s imperative that we continue to amplify the voices of the storytellers that uplift our communities and bring us truth every day.”
Analeah Millan
Temecula Valley High School Principal Donna Lione shared that Analeah is a very busy senior who is in ASB, AVID, National Honor Society and is a Golden Guide who introduces freshman to the campus. She’s also a multisport athlete, has completed the CTE kinesiology pathway and works at Smart and Final as well as managing a small balloon business of her own. Analeah said she is proud to have been involved in school leadership since third grade. “I’m currently serving as senior class president on our executive board,” she said. “I have grown to find immense joy in the art of leadership. ASB has taught me so much about myself, including my top strengths, and how to use them effectively to lead others. To me, leadership isn’t about giving orders. It’s about being a humble servant, showing integrity, and becoming someone others can count on.” Analeah plans to pursue a degree in biology or health sciences, attend optometry school, and one day have her own practice.
For more information, please contact Program Chair Liz Schuch at 951-676-5090 or liz@temecula.org.
