Santa Maria High School Alumnus Addresses AVID Students

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Santa Maria High School alumnus Jorge Camacho-Zepeda this week motivated Advancement Via Individual Determination students in Karen Draper and Rick Hebert’s classes with the message

“Your pathway to success is not always your first pathway.”

During Monday’s talk, Mr. Camacho-Zepeda described himself as a non-traditional student who initially entered a technical school to pursue an automotive career. His story details a personal journey to the successful family custody mediator that he is today.

Mr. Camacho-Zepeda, one of Mrs. Draper’s former students, came from a low-income family, started working at 11 and grew

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Continued from Page B1 the University of Kansas, started playing with Mr. Williams in 1991. The first time he played in Mr. Williams’ orchestra was for the movie “Hook,” and he was the principal trumpeter for the last three “Star Wars” movies.

He noted that Mr. Williams’ music is good for brass sections, pointing to the dramatic high C on the trumpet that starts the iconic “Star Wars” theme.

“Some of my favorites include the music for ‘Patriot’ and ‘War of the Worlds,’” Mr. Lewis said. “ ‘Patriot’ really stands out to me

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03/18/2023 up in an abusive household. His description of his childhood on the verge of adulthood also hit home with a lot of students as he described himself as a “cholo, lost in disfunction.” He also labeled himself a “lost” high school student who was told he would end up in jail or dead in the future. But Mr. Camacho-Zepeda never lost sight of his goal, despite several setbacks along the way. He ended up attending Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria with the idea of pursuing mechanical engineering and working full time.

Part of his general education classes included some social sciences course work, which ended up being the beginning of a healing pathway for him as he discovered and developed his organizational leadership skills, took psychology and sociology, and later graduated for its all-encompassing, thematic music, tension. It’s just amazing. That still remains one of my favorite scores, and of course, ‘Star Wars’ is amazing to play on.”

In addition to Mr. Lewis and Ms. Guideri, other Santa Barbara Symphony members who have played with Mr. Williams are Erik Rynearson, principal viola; Trevor Handy, principal cello; Lara Wickes, principal oboe; Don Foster, principal clarinet; and Teag Reaves, principal horn.

Mr. Williams, 91, sat in the Dolby Theater in Hollywood Sunday to learn whether he would win an Oscar for his music to “The Fabelmans,” directed by Mr. Spielberg and based on from Brandman University in 2019. He also explained how this pathway led him to the career he absolutely loves, a court mediator. Presently, he is working on becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist. “A lot of students related to some of the home situations he described,’’student Suleima Martinez-Espinoza said in a news release. “He was the best speaker in AVID that we have had as he described what so many of us have come from. His story was encouraging.”

Student Alyssa Vazquez Valenzuela said: “I felt an emotional connection with his message.”

“I could relate to him more than any other speaker we have had,’’ student Rene Lopez said, email: kzehnder@newspress.com the director’s life. Mr. Williams didn’t win, but he’s no stranger to Oscars. He has won five Oscars and earned 52 Oscar nominations. email: dmason@newspress.com

FYI

The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at 7:30 p.m. March 18 and 3 p.m. March 19 at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

For more information, call 805-8989386 or visit www.thesymphony.org.