Students of Month honored by Perris, Menifee Chambers

Front row - Heather Abrisz, California Military Institute; Preston Root, Paloma Valley High School; and Brenna Lopez, Perris High School. Back row - Kirk Skorpanich, Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce; Dr. I. Nicholas Milosavljevic, Principal, California Military Institute; Jennifer Thomasian, Principal, Paloma Valley High School; Juan Santos, Principal, Perris High School; Grant Bennett, Superintendent, Perris Union High School District; Joseph Williams, Executive Director Technology, Perris Union High School District; and Dr. Randall Freeman, Board Member, Perris Union High School District.

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The Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce recently honored November Students of the Month in the Perris Union High School District. 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.

November’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 Dominic Cyr. Dominic was nominated by multiple staff members, which demonstrates what kind of person he is. He is described as having a kind heart and is extremely humble. His peers look up to him and his teachers admire him. As Audrey Smith, Counseling secretary, shared, Dominic has a heart for people.

"He has a way of including those who don’t feel included, making their countenance change because he spends time with them," she said.

Along with excelling in his academics, Dominic is also involved in sports, including football and tennis. While he has received many accolades for his achievements, Dominic’s number one priority is his commitment to his faith as a believer in Jesus Christ.

"He knows that God’s in control," according to his sister, Taylor.

Unfortunately, Dominic was not able to attend the Student of the Month event. However, there were those who gladly stepped up and spoke on his behalf. Dominic plans to continue his education majoring in kinesiology and coaching football to young kids.

Paloma Valley High School’s Preston Root is November’s Student of the Month. Preston currently holds a 4.3 GPA and is involved in a number of activities at Paloma, including varsity golf and ASB. He has also been an athletic trainer for all four years of high school and has reached Eagle Scout status. However, his biggest involvement, and passion, is volunteering with the Menifee Fire Explorers program.

In this capacity, he has been able to help many people within his own community. In fact, Preston served on one of the teams fighting the Tenaja Fire a few months ago. One day he was helping contain the fire and the next day he was back in school.

His teacher, Ms. McCulloch, shared that Preston loves spreading God’s love wherever he finds himself.

"If he is needed somewhere, God guides him there. It’s just amazing," she said.

His love for serving others has led him to choose a career in public safety. He will be attending UC San Diego, majoring in business administration for public safety.In addition, he will also attend school to become a firefighter/paramedic.

Heather Abrisz is California Military Institute’s Student of the Month. Heather is currently the Deputy Commander and helps to groom future cadet leaders at CMI. She has been involved in various activities, including president of the Interact club, Color Guard, and the Memorial Honor detail for veterans who have passed on.

Heather shared how she enjoys being a part of the community by participating in these activities, especially the Memorial Honor detail.

"I love giving them the honor that they deserve," she said.

Heather has also served as a Student Representative to the Board of Trustees, providing school updates at the monthly board meetings. She is described by her teachers as a leader among leaders and very compassionate. According to her teacher, Ms. Palmer, she seeks out those who need help and proceeds to assist them. One thing Heather has learned is that you need to learn to be flexible, because life is full of changes and you can’t do it by yourself.

"If we want to go fast, go alone. If we want to go far, we go as a team," she noted.

Heather plans to attend UC Santa Barbara to earn her PhD in zoology or other natural sciences. Her goal is to work at the Smithsonian as a curator.

Perris High School’s Student of the Month is Brenna Lopez. Brenna is involved in a number of different organizations, some of which are cross country, track, honor guard, NHS, and ASB. She is also involved with TODEC (Training Occupational Development Educating Communities), a local non-profit organization helping migrant families within the community. Brenna is also taking a number of AP and dual enrollment courses.

As if that’s not enough, Brenna is currently in the top three in her class and is in the running for Salutatorian. Aside from all her accomplishments, what stands out about Brenna is her heart and her compassion for others. She does not hesitate when someone is in need of help. However, she has had to overcome some major challenges in her own life to bring her to this point.

At the age of 13, Brenna’s dad passed away unexpectedly. As she was dealing with her loss, Brenna realized that she has a choice to make. She can choose to wallow in her own pity or become the woman her dad envisioned her to be. Brenna chose to make her dad proud and has tenaciously pursued success in her high school career and beyond. Brenna plans to attend a four-year university and major in business administration.

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