Temecula Valley students honored in January

Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News

The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since 1993, held its most recent recognition breakfast on Jan. 12 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Sally Myers, founder of the nonprofit program, welcomed everyone and shared the mission of the local high school recognition program which sets the criteria for the incredible students who are chosen.

She said college or trade school bound seniors are honored for their character, their love of learning and their willingness to participate in numerous activities such as campus events, athletics and community service as well as how they have persevered through challenging 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.

January’s students of the month are Chaparral High School’s Liam Rosen, Great Oak’s Sarah Wilson, Linfield Christian’s Caleb Klimpt, Rancho Christian’s Yeonj Seo, Temecula Preparatory School’s Joshua Elizalde and Temecula Valley High School’s Erick Jacobsen.

Liam Rosen

Chaparral High School Principal

Tina Miller applauded Liam Rosen for his passion and not just at school spirit events but for always leading others and putting others before himself, even in times of hardship. Nominating teacher

Alva Ruiz said, “Superhero is a word that comes to mind when I think of Liam because he never hesitates and he never stands back when someone is in need.” Liam said, “From family to friends, peers, teachers and administrators, I have had many leaders and heroes present in my life who have continuously supported me. Unfortunately, the person who gave me endless support and basically made me in every which way, my mother, is no longer with us.” Rosen said he wants to spend his life helping people and not because of the pain of losing his mother but because of the goodness in her and all those around him that have inspired him. “I’ve learned that bravery is not the absence of fear and hope is not the absence of doubt or neglect; you don’t have to lose to negative emotions,” he said. “So I promise, as a student of Chaparral, as the son to my mother and father and most importantly, as myself, Liam Rosen, I will give everything I have to each person I possibly can. I want to help to see a world where it’s okay to feel sad and angry, where difficult emotions and mental health are accepted and where everyone has a reason to smile and laugh and enjoy the life they have. And I will dedicate my life to that.”

Sarah Wilson

Great Oak High School Principal Aimee Ricken, herself a former Division 1 volleyball player, was pleased to have Sarah chosen as this month’s honoree. “I have watched her come in as a freshman and have extraordinary junior and senior years on the (volleyball) courts,” Ricken said. “But it’s really the non-athletic things about Sarah that she’s known for. She has the reputation for being a servant leader in her classrooms.” Sarah said the passion she observes in her teacher, Teresa Wells, has inspired her to follow her dream of working in the medical field. “In my early years, I lived in a double-wide in the middle of a vineyard in Temecula Wine Country. I woke up to hot air balloons hovering over my house and the grapes glistening in the morning mist. I always appreciated the beauty of it all, but only recently have I discovered the deeper meaning within.” She said watching the plants grow from tiny sprigs to strong vines made her realize the transition doesn’t happen by itself. Sarah said that discovery taught her that the catalyst of growth is powerful relationships. “My parents have had the strongest influence, but it has been life changing to grow up with all four of my grandparents and being able to absorb their wisdom, encouragement and love. As an athlete, key coaches have shown me the dedication and hard work it takes to be strong in character. Friends and teammates have consistently inspired me to have an open mind and open heart. As a student, I have had outstanding teachers who have taught me how to think, not just what to think. Soon I’ll be transplanted into the expansive vineyard of college. I know I am going to experience challenges and obstacles but I know I will make it through because I am rooted in strong, vibrant relationships and in God’s love.”

Caleb Klimpt

The entire faculty at Linfield Christian School has a voice in choosing the Student of the Month and for January it was Caleb Klimpt. Principal Carrie Washburn said he possesses wisdom beyond his years and is a great advocate for his friends and peers. In college, he plans to major in mechanical engineering, saying it’s been his lifelong passion to build, create and design. “I’m excited to be able to pursue my dreams in this field,” Caleb said. “I’m definitely a dreamer and a thinker and if I could choose a dream career, I would want to be a roller coaster engineer.” He said that all the seniors at the Student of the Month breakfast are evidence that hard work pays off but the biggest life lesson he feels he will be carrying into college is that there are two things that compose one’s life: circumstances and opportunities. “Circumstances are things you can’t choose but circumstances can create opportunities for you and that’s really where your life changes; don’t let opportunities pass you by,” Caleb said. His nominating teacher, Kim Cavlorich, teaches Spanish and described Caleb as “incredibly gifted, intelligent, studious, curious and observant.” She said his character, integrity and faith will carry him through life.

Yeonj Seo

Yeonj Seo of Rancho Christian was described by Vice Principal Joshua Medrano as “a very sweet, kind young lady who is an inspiration to our international program and to our native students.” He said that on top of all she does academically, Yeonj is an active member of the school’s ASB and theater department. Seo came from South Korea to study in the United States. “I am sometimes considered an outsider, however, I never considered being an outsider to be an important factor in my life,” she said. “Rather than being ashamed of it, I believe that my greatest contribution to my community and school is that I have been sharing my own culture and experiences.” She said being influenced by many great movies in her life that brought her much happiness and hope has led her to wanting to produce some of her own in the future. Hannah Thomas has taught Yeonj in different government classes during her four years of high school. “We’ve had several international students at Rancho, but Yeonj is definitely someone I will remember long after she graduates,” her teacher said. “She is the embodiment of quiet confidence.” Thomas has been impressed with Yeonj’s performances in the school’s theater productions and also her academic abilities while working in her second language.

Joshua Elizalde

Joshua Elizalde has attended Temecula Preparatory School since kindergarten. Upper School Dean Breanna Brossman said he has a strong compassion for others and excels in academics, athletics and music. Joshua said, “I feel there are no greater lessons than those given to me by my parents. It’s incredibly important to me that I have my parents with me here today because I believe that any praise or recognition I receive is really a testament to the example that they have set for me. As I ascend into higher education and adulthood, I hope that by maintaining my studies and eventually obtaining a good career, I can reciprocate what my dad has taught me, which is achieving excellence through hard work. My mother has taught me the importance of family and the responsibility I have to help them. She is the strongest woman I know and always carries herself with grace and has been the backbone of our family. There will be no greater lessons for me to learn than those given to me by my parents that will help me govern my life successfully.” Elizalde’s counselor and teacher Rachel Lemkau was herself a Student of the Month 21 years ago when she was a student at Chaparral High School, and she lauded Joshua for being someone who can always be counted on to

Soboba preschoolers celebrate 100 days of school

Soboba Band of Luiseño

Indians

Special to the Valley News

Counting to 100 is something students at the Soboba Tribal Preschool are working on, but it was a number they celebrated Monday, Jan. 30, as it signaled the school year’s halfway mark. With activities that ranged from making hats to wear that deemed them “100 Days Smarter” and “100 Days Brighter” the kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and children in the “twos” and “threes” classrooms spent the day working with the big number.

Many of the children came dressed for the day, either as a 100-year-old person with gray frosted hair or wearing something that showed 100. A pre-k student had a T-shirt with 100 plastic googly eyes glued onto it, another had 100 colorful pom poms attached to their shirt.

Amanda Vallin’s three-yearolds spent part of their morning counting out 10 different snacks into groups of 10. They used pretzels, Goldfish crackers, Cheerios, raisins, popcorn and more to complete their 100th Day Trail Mix sheet. Their snack items were then transferred to a plastic bag for them to take home and eat later. They also enjoyed a 100-day story that incorporated a special dance so they could get some of their fitness time in as well.

Vallin said the biggest difference with the kids at the start of the school year in August until now has been the development of their fine motor skills. She said that is the most important thing they focus on in her classroom each day. The students do puzzles and trace their names with a pencil. She said a lot of the students had not been in school before so there was much to learn about rules and socialization, too.

Ana Garcia is teaching the pre-kindergarten class this year. She taught the three-year-olds last year so many of her former students are in her class again and she has noticed how much they’ve grown. She was working at a table with four students who were assembling paper gumball machines. The top of the “machine” was made from a paper plate with 100 circles on it. The children could color them any way they wished before gluing them to the base of the machine where they wrote their name.

Garcia said the class is reading short stories and memorizing sight words. She said the majority seem ready for kindergarten even though they have another 100 days of school left.

“I couldn’t be happier with the progression,” she said. “Some kids got really creative with the theme this year, with help from do the right thing.

Erick Jacobsen

Temecula Valley High School Principal Donna Lione said Erick Jacobsen is an AP Scholar with Distinction but is also a well-rounded student, involved in Mock Trial, Chess Club and Math Club, to name a few things. He is considering majoring in English or Political Science with future aspirations of becoming a state legislator, diplomat or possibly moving into publishing and editing. “He recently received the VFW regional award for his phenomenal essay titled, ‘Why the veteran is important’ and is headed to Sacramento to receive his award,” Lione said. Jacobsen said an important life lesson he learned is that you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. “It’s okay to not be perfect all the time,” he said. “It’s okay to sometimes not know all the answers. I’m grateful to have learned this lesson when I did as I know there are others that still struggle with this.” He was nominated by sociology and psychology teacher Zachary Force who said, “Erick is a diligent, gifted, confident person who is always eager to learn. Oftentimes in class we discuss difficult and usually unfamiliar material. While many students may be hesitant to buy into this material, Erick has never been one to shy away from the challenge. He embraces it as a way to further his own personal growth.” He volunteers to tutor struggling peers through the school’s tutoring program. Force said, “Erick’s enthusiasm to be a lifelong learner is something that his classmates, family and even teachers such as myself should aspire to achieve to be like.”

For more information, please contact Program Chair Amber Poncy at 951-676-5090 or http:// temecula.org/student-of-themonth.

Amanda Vallin’s class of three-year-olds count 10 different trail mix items out by tens that will be combined into a bag of trail mix to take home in celebration of 100 days at Soboba Tribal Preschool. Valley News/Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians photo their parents. It is so good to see this level of parent participation.”

Sierra Vivanco’s kindergarten students strung 100 colorful cereal loops onto yarn to form a necklace. They also were counting to 100 and working in an activity book that included drawing a picture of themselves at 100 years of age, completing sentences that began with such prompts as “I wish I had 100…” and “If I had $100, I would buy…” and practicing writing out the words “one hundred.”

Vivanco said many of the students have been able to pick up on their letter sounds, which is the skill that was hardest to recoup after the pandemic forced children into virtual learning. She said compared to last year when she taught the first post-COVID kindergartners in person, this has been a faster paced first 100 see 100, page C-6