Menifee, Perris high school Students of Month honored

Front row: Mayor Michael Vargas, City of Perris; Nathali Cervantes, Heritage High School; Chloe Thorpe, Paloma Valley High School; Esteban Rodriguez, Perris Lake High School; Wendy Sigala, Perris High School. Back row: Grant Bennett, Superintendent, Perris Union High School District; Tim Moore, Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce - VFW Post 888 Commander; Tony Amatulli, Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce; Councilman John Denver, City of Menifee.

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The Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce recently honored Students of the Month in the Perris Union High School District for December. The students are nominated by their teachers and staff at their respective school sites and are chosen for their character, integrity, love of learning, ability to persevere and overcome challenging circumstances, community service, and how they make a difference on their high school campus.

December’s students and their families attended a breakfast sponsored by the Perris and Menifee Chambers of Commerce along with local businesses and organizations. Principals and teachers from each high school shared stories about the students and they each received certificates of recognition, numerous gifts, congratulations and encouragement from local, county, state and federal dignitaries.

Nathali Cervantes is Heritage High School’s Student of the Month. Nathali has maintained straight A’s, is the president of the Spanish Club, and continues to maintain her high honor work at Heritage. What is remarkable about this young lady is that she has only been in the United States for one and a half years. Nathali is still learning the English language and yet has accomplished so much in the short time she has been in the U.S. Her dedication to her education is second to none as she translates her notes from English to Spanish and then proceeds to do her work. This doubles her efforts in all that she does. She never gives up and she tackles every challenge with determination. Nathali plans to further her education to obtain her bachelors dedgree in foreign language and return to her community to become a Spanish teacher.

Paloma Valley High School’s Student of the Month is Chloe Thorpe. Chloe currently holds a 4.6 GPA and is involved in a number of school organizations, including CSF, Link Crew, Mental Health Alliance, and Key Club, among others. Her dedication to her education is evident by her academic scores and the rigor of courses that she has taken and continues to take. Her dedication to others is also evident in the number of hours she’s worked in numerous community service projects. Over 300 hours have been accumulated thus far, most of which she incurred while attending a missions trip to Ecuador. Chloe shared that she loves being at Paloma and feels that young people have the power to change lives in positive ways. Chloe plans to continue her education at UCLA with a neuroscience major to pursue a career in neurosurgery.

Perris High School’s Student of the Month is Wendy Sigala. Wendy is one of the strongest advocates of students at Perris High School. As senior class president, she has helped raise school spirit to an unprecedented level. Through her quiet spirit, she leads by example. As a result, school climate has shifted more positively. As spirit goes up, so does class attendance, academic performance, and school connectivity, which represents a well-rounded campus, according to her ASB Advisor, Mr. Rodriguez. One lesson Wendy has learned is that you can’t please everyone, but you just have to do what you feel is best. She plans to take this to college with her as she attends UC Riverside to major in photography and minor in mathematics. She hopes to come back to her community to teach at Perris High School.

Perris Lake High School’s Esteban Rodriguez is December’s Student of the Month. A school of second chances, Perris Lake students decide whether or not to take that opportunity given them to get serious about their education. Esteban is one of those students who took it very seriously. Not only did he succeed in turning his outlook around and his grades up, but he has exceeded all expectations. He is not only on track to graduate, but he is involved in school and helps other students as well. His gentle heart is apparent to all who come in contact with him and he truly values his education after his experience at Perris Lake. After high school, Esteban plans to continue his education to work in the technology field as a tech support and eventually a computer programmer.

All of these students demonstrated a desire to work hard and have a drive to exceed others and their own expectations. The Perris Valley Chamber and the Menifee Valley Chamber wish them the best in their endeavors. If you wish to learn more about the Student of the Month Program, please contact founder, Sally Myers at 951-506-8024.