La Quinta Gem June 2020 by Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce

JUNE 2020 | THE GRADUATION ISSUE

HONORING THE 2020 GRADUATES OF LA QUINTA HIGH SCHOOL

SEE THE WORLD

Hello, neighbor! C Cabanas Ins and Fin Svcs Inc Cindy Cabanas, Agent Insurance Lic#: 0I88633 78370 Highway 111 Suite 260 La Quinta, CA 92253 Bus: 760-797-7101 savewithcindy.net

Please stop by and say, “Hi!”

NEW E

WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS

I’m looking forward to serving your needs for insurance and financial services. Here to help life go right.® CALL ME TODAY.

$99 New Patient Eye Exam

$50 Off When Spending $200 or More on Eyewear (Offer not combinable with other promotions or benefits)

46-660 Washington St. Suite 3, La Quinta CA 92253 (760) 564 - 9944 perspective-optometry.com

1801132

State Farm, Bloomington, IL

TABLE OF CONTENTS June 2020 2

Message from the Mayor

High 08 SchoolLa Quinta Senior Class Speakers

Message from the Chairman

2020 La Quinta High School Senior Class

THANK YOU FOR THE MAJOR SPONSORSHIP PROVIDED BY

The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce (GCVCC) was created in Q 2016 in cooperation with the former Coachella, La Quinta, Cathedral City and Indio Chambers, along with the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians and ES Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission T. 1 9 5 0 Indians. It enhances and significantly improves the way businesses interact with each other and the community in the entire Coachella Valley. As a Regional Chamber, the GCVCC delivers services and benefits to its members on a scope not seen before in the area.

MBER HA

GCV LA

UINTA C

GCV LA QUINTA CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ray Dominguez, Chairman | Lamar Outdoor Advertising Steven Weiner | National CineMedia Doug Motz| Motz-Rusin Insurance Agency Mike Chapa | Fairway Independent Mortgage Karen Lambrose | Caliber Home Loans Lee Osborne | Osborne Rincon CPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elisa Guerrero | Old Town Peddler Bike Rental & Repair Leslie Locken | Old Town La Quinta Steve Wilson | Optavia/Next Level Coaching- Steve Wilson Janice Isbell | La Quinta Chevrolet-Cadillac Carrie Babij | Desert Insurance Solutions, Inc. Eric Mosser | Edward Jones Financial Advisor - Eric Mosser THE GEM PRODUCTION TEAM THE LA QUINTA GEM IS PRODUCED BY THE GREATER COACHELLA VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. The Gem is an official publication of the GCVCC. Circulation: Approximately 23,000. Distributed free to all residents, Chamber members and businesses in La Quinta. To advertise please call (760) 347-0676. Please Note: The opinions and views expressed in all editorial material are those of the writer or person interviewed and are not necessarily those of the GCVCC, its Board of Directors, or the advertisers in The Gem. The GCVCC endorses no person, political candidate or opinion unless specifically stated. The Gem reserves the right to reject certain advertising submissions. For a list of advertising standards, please contact staff. The Gem reserves the right to edit all submissions for grammar, length, and questionable content. Advertisers please note that colors may look slightly darker, or slightly lighter due to variables in the printing process. Questions or comments? Email us at info@GCVCC.org or call (760) 347-0676.

Thank you from stuft VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR UPDATES ON OUR MENU AND HOURS OF OPERATION. #sharethegoodstuft STUFTPIZZABARANDGRILL.COM OLD TOWN LA QUINTA | 760-777-9989 111 & PLAZA WAY PALM DESERT | 760-610-7990

Seniors, On behalf of the City Council and City Staff of La Quinta, we offer our congratulations as you graduate high school and look to the future that awaits you. We are incredibly proud of each and every one of you and recognize the hard work and dedication you’ve demonstrated to achieve this goal. This moment is a culmination of endless studying, active participation in clubs/groups/sports, community service projects, and long days spent in the classroom. You are completing an important chapter of your life, and are more than prepared to begin a new one. Graduation is a time to celebrate your achievements, prepare for a future of opportunities and embrace a world of infinite possibilities. And, this year definitely brought a change to the normal school year due to the coronavirus pandemic. While your last day at school was March 13th, your days as seniors have been filled with joy, challenge, emotion, and pride. Like you and your parents, we will miss participating in a graduation ceremony that is filled with tears of joy, cheers and well wishes as you walk across the stage to receive your diploma. We must remember, however, the accomplishments you have already realized – especially under these challenging times. It’s commendable. We have all faced difficulties in some form, and while this one is certainly both historic and unique, we are certain you will grow from this experience. Your moment is now. This is your time to shine and we admire you for all you have undertaken thus far. Only in America can you enjoy the freedom and opportunity to pursue your dreams. We wish you great success and happiness along the way. We are confident that your efforts will be rewarded. We applaud you and we look forward to seeing what your passion and perseverance yields in the years ahead.

Congratulations Class of 2020!

Linda Evans Mayor 4

20 0 2 ons i t a l atu r g Con

! S E T A U D A GR

OU! Y F D O U O PR E R A WE

Message from the Chairman Submitted by: Ray Dominguez, La Quinta Chamber of Commerce Chairman On behalf of the Board of Directors for the La Quinta Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce, I want to offer a heartfelt congratulations to the graduating classes of Horizon, Summit, and La Quinta High School. This years graduating class has experienced significant disruption due to the COVID-19 health crises, missing out on many of the important moments of young adulthood, including a timely traditional graduation. We here at the Chamber wanted to contribute what we could to make the year special, our collective effort to help offset what has been missed. We are proud to dedicate this addition of the Gem magazine to our graduating Seniors of La Quinta High School. We were limited by page count in this edition, but our goal will be to work with Desert Sands Unified School District to dedicate pages in the July edition of the Gem to the graduating classes of Horizon and Summit in La Quinta as well. We are proud of all of our local graduates! Our youth are so important to our community as they represent the future, and in many ways they represent the best of us. As you venture out into the world to tackle the next phase of your life, remember that you carry the hopes and dreams of us all with you. You also carry a promise for a better tomorrow. It may even be one of you that eventually cures this pandemic we are currently facing. Know that with every adventure you embark on, your community supports you. Most of all, know that we are so very proud of you. Class of 2020, congratulations!

GENERAL AIR CONDITIONING & PLUMBING

SALUTES

2020 — T HE C LA S S OF —

A/C Tune-up

2020

AC EROW PLA 3 YEAF IRR SS TIN

760.343.7488 CalltheGeneral.com

Not valid with other offers or on previous purchases. See company representative for more details that may apply. 1Per system. Offer expires June 30, 2020. Lic #686310

La Quinta High School senior class speakers Kathryn “Katie” Grace Lee Fisher College: University of California Davis Major: Biochemistry High School GPA: 4.86 Accolades: • Rank 1 of 582 • IB Full Diploma Program • Academic Achievement Award (3 years) • Knots for Tots Club (President) • Art Club • IB Club • Black Belt in Taekwondo • Battle of Books • Tutoring Quote: “In this complicated world full of circumstantial suffering and fortune we live but a moment. Perhaps when we begin to understand this larger picture, we begin to understand the importance of our smaller one. Let us take care of each other with the knowledge that each of us is a unique individual that makes up a larger collage.” -Kathryn Fisher

Natalie Elizabeth Wright College: The University of San Diego Major: Behavioral Neuroscience on a Pre-Med Track High School GPA: Weighted GPA: 4.60 Unweighted GPA: 3.8 Accolades: • International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Candidate (2020 IB Student of the Year) • ASB (3 years), Executive Vice President (2019-20) • Water Polo (4 years) • Swimming (3 years) • IB Club (4 years), President (2019-20) • California Scholarship Federation (2 years), Vice President (2019-20) • Rotary Interact Club (3 years), Treasurer (2019-20) • National Charity League (4 years), President (2018-19) Quote: “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.” - Michelle Obama

Kenia Samani Verduzco College: BYU-Idaho Major: Biomedical Science Accolades: • Cross Country • Soccer • Track and Field • Best laugh for the class of 2020 at LQ • Graduated top of my class • IB full diploma program Quote: “Your Decisions, Determine, Your Destiny” -Thomas S. Monson.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Desert Insurance Solutions Congratulates the Class of 2020

LOCAL EXPERTS, TRUSTED FRIENDS

LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA, 760.564.6800

•

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, 480.477.8043

deser tinsurancesolutions.com

Congratulations 2020 La Quinta High School senior class Submitted by: GCVCC Staff Brought to you by the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the City of La Quinta and Old Town La Quinta, we bring to you the 2020 La Quinta High School Senior Class. We congratulate and commend you for your hard work and achieving this major milestone in your lives. *Images with blue background and black clothing were provided by Lifetouch. All additional images as well as listings were provided by Desert Sand United School District. A La Quinta red border or font denotes the student is graduating with an IB Diploma.

Abril, Jayden Aceves, Emely Acosta, Elias Acosta-Marroquin, Yanuen Adams Mason

Adkins, Mikayla Aguilar, Adam Aguilar, Joseph Aguirre, Estevan Aguirre, Justice

Aguirre-Nuno, Edrik Alcantar, Daniel Alexander, Rebeka Allchin, Teryn Allmon, Jonathan

Alonso, Josiah Alonzo, Alexander Alvarado, Ashley Alvarez, Isabel Alvarez, Jenavieve

Alvarez, Margarita Alvarez, Sierra Alvarez-Cerna, Lizbeth Amaro, Aldo Amaro, Brianna

Andersen, Corinne Andrade-Vazquez, Andrea Aquino, Natilo Argandona, Samantha Arguera , Ashley