Murrieta Valley students honored in April

Aleksandra Petrovski

Murrieta Valley Principal Ryan

Diane A. Rhodes

The Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program held its final recognition breakfast of the current school year on April 20 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Emcee Mary Walters, Assistant Superintendent of the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, shared the history and mission statement of the local high school program that was founded by Sally Myers more than 30 years ago.

Walters explained that the nonprofit’s purpose is to celebrate and honor outstanding students who make a significant difference in their school and community. It acknowledges college and trade school bound seniors for their character, their love of learning and their commitment to academics in addition to their participation in athletics, school activities, community service or the ability to overcome difficult life circumstances in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise.

Backpacks filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and more were donated by the program’s sponsors to the award recipients.

YEAR from page B-1 a candle whose flame only starts to grow when you light it.” She said her mother tells her that to this day and she can finally see it.

Temescal Canyon High School Savannah Abdul was the first Student of the Month recipient of this school year in September and Principal Joshua Hill talked about her involvement in California Scholarship Federation, Key Club, ASB as president, Interact Club vice president, Black Student Union treasurer and National Honor Society president. Hill said it is evident that her peers look up to her and want to work with her She is a QuestBridge scholar which provides a full-ride scholarship to a college that matches her goals. She will be attending Northwestern University to major in history with the goal of becoming a museum curator or college professor. Savannah looks forward to getting involved with community service at her college campus in any way that she can. “This fits with my passion of serving others,” she said, adding that the resources at Temescal Canyon fostered an environment in which her passion for making a difference thrived. “Part of ASB’s mission statement is to put ‘service above self,’ a role I fell into easily,” Savannah said. “The legacy I’ll be leaving behind in my community is kindness and willingness to go out of the way to serve others.”

Harrison Rowe was introduced by Principal Joshua Hill who reminded everyone why the senior had been honored as Student of the Month for April. He is captain of the Mountain Bike team, president of the Clay Club and the SoCal Youth Cycling Association, Engineering Club vice president, serves as Senior Representative for the PTSA and works at the student store on campus. Harrison plans to attend Southern Utah University in Cedar City where he will study engineering technology with an emphasis on CAD and CAM. He would like to design and improve things in the transportation industry. His teachers described him as being extremely kind and thoughtful with outstanding empathy for others and a consummate supporter of

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.

April’s students of the month are Murrieta Canyon Academy’s Seth Bouma, Murrieta Mesa High School’s Chelsea Doud, Murrieta Valley High’s Aleksandra Petrovski, Oak Grove School’s Hanabi Moch, Springs Charter School’s Caylin McLain and Vista Murrieta High School’s Brooke Hamilton.

Seth Bouma to his peers. Harrison said, “My true passion is anything outdoors. The reason this passion is so unique to me is because growing up with the lake and golf course nearby pushed me to get out of my home and love nature and all that it has to offer.” He said the legacy that he can leave to his community is a lesson he learned during COVID. “I learned to not take anything for granted and to value my friends and family and the time we can share together,” Harrison said. “I add value to the people around me by always being myself and by bringing a positive attitude.”

Principal Matt Bean explained that Murrieta Canyon Academy’s alternative high school education environment focuses on social/ emotional learning, which is what some students need most. He said Seth went from being a very good student to a struggling student. His grades plummeted and his attendance fell off, causing him to fall behind in a traditional school setting. He enrolled at MCA in his junior year where he has truly excelled, making up all deficits and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Seth said he suffered from mental health issues and struggled with depression, especially after his parents divorced when he was younger.

Closing remarks

At the conclusion of the ceremony, all Students of the Year took a seat behind the podium. Lake Elsinore Unified School District Superintendent Ryan Lewis said, “We talk a lot about public education opening doors. We have seven students behind me that those doors have been opened for and they have run through them. They have set themselves up to go onto what’s next and just to keep going. They’re what’s right.”

To give some perspective to what they have accomplished, Lewis said that the district will graduate almost 2,000 students this year and the seven honored as students of the year “have set themselves apart.” With that, the audience stood up and gave them all a round of applause.

Sally Myers, who often shares the words of motivational speaker John Maxwell, said it has become a tradition at Student of the Year ceremonies to share what the author writes about generosity: “No person was ever honored for what he received, honor has been the reward for what he gave.

“So you are here this evening because you have given from your hearts, you have given from your passions and you have created legacies that will last forever,” Myers said. “You will continue to impact and make a difference on the lives of others because that’s what a Student of the Year does.

God bless you.” the

For more information on the program, please contact Kim Joseph Cousins at 951-245-8848.

Being at MCA allowed him to become more confident in his social skills and he has decided to take on an IBEW electricians union apprenticeship after meeting with a representative at the school’s recent job fair.

Chelsea Doud

Murrieta Mesa High School

Principal Scott Richards said Chelsea is a powerhouse and not just because she is a phenomenal singer. She has a 4.45 GPA, putting her in the top five of her graduating class. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club and Assisteens of Temecula Valley, a branch of the Assistance League nonprofit organization. She has competed and won many singing competitions, including an international one while she was in ninth grade. Her biggest obstacle was overcoming COVID, which she contracted at the beginning of her junior year. Then her parents caught it and both were hospitalized for months. She was alone at home with her younger sister and had to take care of the household, which was all new to her. In October, she returned to school while her parents were bedridden at home. Despite the challenging circumstances, she was able to recoup all the instruction time she missed out on and excel in her classes. She plans to attend UCLA to major in pre-business economics.

FINALISTS from page B-1 experience and how they persevered through multiple rounds of auditions, improved their technical skills based on feedback by industry experts and further honed their craft by attending classes with world-renowned experts in their discipline.

The 14 Spotlight Grand Prize finalists include two young artists in each of the seven categories. In addition to performing in the finale event, each student will receive a $5,000 scholarship.

This year’s categories and Spotlight Grand Prize Finalists include acting: Millie Liao, 18, a senior at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; and Ruby MoncrieffKarten, 17, a junior at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; ballet: Campbelle Malicse, 16, a junior at Palos Verdes Distance Learning Academy; and Chase Rogers, 18, a senior at California Preparatory Academy in San Juan Capistrano; dance: Aubrey Abella, 15, a freshman at Great Oak High School in Temecula; and Calli Perryman, 15, a sophomore at Murrieta Valley High School; classical voice: Tiffany Hsu, 15, a sophomore at Mayfield Senior School of the Holy Child Jesus in Pasadena; and Lilliana Mindel, 16, a junior at Orange County School of the Arts; non-classical voice: Brooke Bailey, 18, a senior at John Burroughs High School in Burbank; and Maya Clayton, 17, a senior at CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts in Van Nuys; classical instrumental: Erica Wang, 17, a senior at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego; and Nathaniel Yue, 16, a sophomore at San Marino High School; jazz instrumental: Jackson Petty, 15, a sophomore at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles; and William Schwartzman, 18, a senior at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.

“Congratulations to this year’s 14 Music Center Spotlight finalists for a phenomenal achievement.

From the time they applied to the program to the Grand Finale, their yearlong journey was not easy; it included countless hours of auditions and rehearsals met with anticipation, perseverance and passion,” Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center, said. “I know they, and all of this year’s applicants, have learned a great deal from our professional artists and arts administrators and will be able to apply the invaluable feedback they received to guide them toward a successful future in the arts or wherever their career journeys take them.”

Tukua introduced Aleksandra as an outstanding International Baccalaureate diploma student who has taken four years of German and maintains a 4.5 GPA. “Her time commitment is insane,” he said. “It’s her extracurricular involvement and success that has left an even greater legacy during her time as a Nighthawk.” Aleksandra has been a standout on the track team for four years, competing in pole vault and 200M while being a team captain. She has played the saxophone since fifth grade and has passed through Level 9, which is the highest level. She was a member of the wind ensemble and marching band through her sophomore year but in her junior year took her talents to Mock Trial, where she has been a captain. Tukua said she helped the team take the championship at the 41st annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition in February, the first win in the school’s history. Aleksandra plans to attend UC, Berkeley followed by law school to become an attorney and hopefully a judge in the future. Teacher and Mock Trial advisor Todd Thornburg said the whole team drew strength from her. “She is confident, capable and kind, and wise way beyond her years,” he said.

Hanabi Moch Cheyenne Romero, a case manager at Oak Grove School, said the best word she can use to describe Hanabi is passion. Planning a dual major in English and Japanese Language and Literature at college, Cheyenne said Hanabi is like a walking encyclopedia. “Life is full of obstacles and an obstacle I’ve learned to overcome through the years is growing up without any real parental support,” Hanabi said. “School can be a challenge but it’s even more of a challenge when people you are supposed to be able to rely on to help you learn aren’t there for you at all. However, I’ve learned there are other people who are willing to support me and help me learn. My parents may have failed me but my teachers, my grandmother and my co-workers have all helped encourage me to learn and grow.” Hanabi plans to move to Japan to teach English and/or become a spontaneous interpreter.

“To have our judges select the 14 Spotlight Grand Prize finalists each year is an exciting, yet challenging, feat because every applicant of our longstanding program is a bona fide star,” Jeri Gaile, Fredric Roberts director of The Music Center’s Spotlight, said. “It has been an honor for the Spotlight team to inspire thousands of young artists in Southern California for 35 years. This year’s finalists rightfully earned their place on stage of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion – a return to the iconic venue, for the first time in nine years, which feels like coming home. So, please join us on June 8 for an evening of celebration, achievements and unbelievable talent.”

An important part of The Music Center’s fundamental support for arts learning, Spotlight offers performance opportunities, audition experiences and mentorship, plus technical and artistic insights provided by professional artists and arts administrators. Spotlight is completely free with no financial barriers for participants, which gives equal footing to all aspiring artists no matter their talent level.

This year, more than 1,300 teens auditioned for the prestigious program, representing more than 245 schools, 170 cities and eight counties. All Spotlight applicants receive written feedback from distinguished panels of judges following each audition round to help students improve and gain knowledge in their specific performance discipline.

Since its launch in 1988, Spotlight has transformed the lives of

Caylin McLain Springs Charter School singled out Caylin to be honored this month. “My mom has raised me with a love of God,” she said. Caylin feels it is important to be selfaware and zealous in life. “Know your strengths, your faults and your passions,” she said. “Know where you need to grow because without this knowledge, you’ll never be able to dive headfirst into a future of unknowns. The world is yours for the taking. Where do you plan on taking it? This aforementioned intuition has guided me to pay it forward by joining the Peace Corps. I’ve known this is my destiny for as long as I can remember.” She also plans to attend Mira Costa College and then medical school to learn all she can about holistic medicine to “unify mind, body and spirit.” more than 54,000 high school students hailing from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Numerous Spotlight participants have gone on to successful professional careers. For example, nearly two dozen finalists are Presidential Scholars, and many more have joined or performed with professional companies, such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. Notable Spotlight alumni include Misty Copeland, who made history in the dance world as the first African American principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre; Adam Lambert and Josh Groban, pop recording artists; Kris Bowers, Emmy Awardwinning composer whose work includes the scores for “Bridgerton,” “Green Book” and “Dear White People;” Lindsay Mendez, Tony Award winner for her role in the Broadway revival of “Carousel” and from the television drama “All Rise;” Erin Mackey, star of Broadway’s “Wicked,” “Sondheim on Sondheim,” “Anything Goes,” “Chaplin” and “Amazing Grace;” Matthew Rushing, associate artistic director for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Yao Guang Zhai, associate principal clarinet of the Toronto Symphony, and Gerald Clayton, Grammy award winning jazz recording artist, among numerous others.

Brooke Hamilton Vista Murrieta High School Principal Celeste Scallion said curiosity is Brooke’s driving force. She boasts a 4.43 GPA, has served in the School Senate all four years and has been involved with many special events on campus. She is a four-year graphic design/yearbook CTE pathway student and will be headed to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in the fall as a finance major. She believes in leadership through action, not position. She serves as the yearbook design editor and is responsible for most of the fliers, logos and t-shirts seen about the campus and with the students. “I love seeing my work put to good use,” Brooke said. She plays and teaches piano and enjoys tutoring her peers when they request her help. “It’s those little acts of service where you see your influence,” she said. Jason Bowen has taught Brooke in six different classes during the past four years and said she is the first student to have designed the school’s yearbook cover for two years in a row.

This is the final Student of the Month ceremony for the 20222023 school year. The Student of the Year Scholarship and Recognition Breakfast will be held May 18 at 7:45 a.m. at the Murrieta Sizzler, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. For more information or to participate in the program, please contact LouEllen Ficke at 951415-2250 or Sally Myers at 951775-0520.

Major support for The Music Center’s Spotlight program is provided by Fredric Roberts, Helen and Peter Bing, Terri and Jerry Kohl, Marie Song, The Hearst Foundations and an anonymous donor. Fredric Roberts is founding chairman of Spotlight. The late Walter E. Grauman is the creator.

For more information about The Music Center’s Spotlight program, visit http://musiccenter. org/spotlight or follow @musiccenterspotlight on social media.

To RSVP for free tickets to this year’s Spotlight Grand Finale, visit http://musiccenter.org/spotlightfinale

Submitted by The Music Center.