Chambers honor PUHSD February Students of Month

Front row, from left: Dylan Tran, Heritage High School; Magdalena Castaneda, Perris High School; Genevieve Martinez, Perris Lake High School; and Jason Walker, Paloma Valley High School. Back row: Founder Sally Myers; Tim Moore, Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce; Council member Dean Deines, City of Menifee; Mayor Bill Zimmerman, City of Menifee; and Grant Bennett, Superintendent, Perris Union High School District.

News release from the PUHSD Student of Month program:

Outstanding students at high schools in the Perris Union High School District were recently honored by the Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce as Students of the Month for February.

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.

February’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.

Heritage High School’s Student of the Month is Dylan Tran. Dylan is currently ranked number three in his class. He takes a number of AP and honors classes and has passed them all with a 4 or 5. In addition to his rigorous academic schedule, Dylan holds leadership positions in Key Club, Robotics, AVID, and National Honor Society. He also single-handedly coordinated a committee to organize Heritage High’s Patriot Olympics.

According to Principal Erika Tejeda, Dylan is highly admired and respected by his peers, his teachers, and his community. He is regarded as one of the most remarkable and humble students that Heritage has ever had. Dylan’s hard work and determination have earned him a full scholarship through the Questbridge organization. He will be attending Princeton University to major in electrical engineering and plans to enter into a career in the space industry.

Perris High School’s Magdalena Castaneda is also a Student of the Month. Magdalena currently holds a 4.3 GPA while taking five AP courses. Starting out at Perris High three years ago, Magdalena struggled with severe social anxiety. However, after slowly reaching out and making friends, she now has a core group that continually encourages her. Magdalena credits her academic success to her parents as they have shown incredible perseverance as they sought a better life for their children in America. A number of Magdalena’s teachers had high praise for their student as well.

Ms. Brusca wrote, "She is by far the most dedicated and disciplined student who goes above and beyond in everything she does." Another teacher, Mr. Vasquez, also wrote that "Maggie is incredibly intelligent and creative in how she approaches a problem. She could coast and still do well in a lot of classes, but she exhibits an unparalleled work ethic that kids cannot match on this campus." Magdalena plans to continue her education at UC San Diego, majoring in molecular biology to pursue a career as an OB/GYN.

Genevieve Martinez is Perris Lake High School’s Student of the Month. As someone who continues to deal with severe anxiety, Genevieve has found Perris Lake to be a safe haven. Sharing about her issues was difficult for her, but Genevieve wanted people to hear her story and to show how she has persevered. In the past, her anxiety issues have affected her relationships and her ability to function in a regular school setting. However, after she began attending Perris Lake, a smaller campus and more intimate setting, Genevieve felt more comfortable and at peace.

This has allowed her to open up a little more and even become involved in ASB. Her journey has not only inspired her peers, but staff as well. Her teacher, Ms. Puente, described how Genevieve has blossomed and how that has affected her as a teacher.

"We always hear stories of teachers that have impacted the lives of students, but seldom do we hear about students that impact the life of teachers," she said. Genevieve plans to continue her education and enter the medical field.

Paloma Valley High School’s Student of the Month is Jason Walker. Jason currently holds a 4.157 GPA and is taking five AP courses. He is also a part of the varsity volleyball and water polo teams, both of which he helped lead to CIF playoffs. It’s a little hard to imagine Jason once struggled to even read at first. According to his mom, Jason struggled and could not read until he reached the third grade.

“However, by the end of his third grade year, he was reading above his grade level," she said.

His insatiable curiosity to see how things work have led him to pursue a career in engineering. Jason shared how he would watch his father work and fix things around the house, which in turn influenced him with a never ending curiosity that continues to this day.

"Seeing his desire and his drive to complete everything before him, despite the circumstances we were in, it really pushed me to foster and pursue my own curiosity and drive to complete things I would want to do," he said. Jason will continue his engineering education at Cal State Long Beach.

If you wish to learn more about the Student of the Month Program, please contact founder Sally Myers at 951-506-8024.