Turner, Buzek among high school Students of Month

Pictured are November’s Students of the Month: Front row - Wesley Turner, Heritage High School; Savanna Herrera, Perris High School; Wyatt Buzek, Paloma Valley High School; and Anai Munguia, California Military Institute. Back row - Sally Myers, Founder; Grant Bennett, Superintendent, Perris Union High School District; Councilmember Lesa Sobek, City of Menifee; Maneesha Jones, Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce; and Councilmember Malcolm Corona, City of Perris.

Note: These honorees are for the month of November. Honorees for December and January will be announced soon.

The Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce recently honored local high school students as Students of the Month. 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.

The November 2021 honorees 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 Wesley Turner. Trey, as he likes to be called, is on the varsity swim and water polo teams. According to principal Mark Harrell, although Trey serves as captain of the water polo team, he is very unassuming. He has maintained over a 4.0 GPA while having a rigorous class schedule and participating in sports.

Being around water since the age of 3, Trey had developed a love of the pool. So much so that when he is not competing in swimming or water polo, he works as a lifeguard at a local community pool. His love of his team and teammates, and helping other students, has led him to be an outstanding leader in the community and at Heritage.

Trey does not take this lightly. Some of the lessons Trey has learned throughout his high school career is not to hold back and always to be willing to accept change. He also learned that as long as he is willing to put the time in and devote himself to his goals, he will be successful. Trey plans to attend Cal Poly Pomona to major in computer science.

Paloma Valley High School’s Student of the Month is Wyatt Buzek. Dr. Jennifer Thomasian, Paloma Valley’s principal, shared how Wyatt has a 4.0 GPA, an awesome academic record, and performs volunteer work. But the thing that stood out for her the most was his leadership abilities. He leads with grace, compassion, and kindness and continues to lead Paloma Valley students in the arts. He also volunteers around the City of Menifee in various projects, including making a video about the City of Menifee.

For Wyatt, his passion for film and the theater are what lead him. He did share that he found it eerie to be recognized for his work, actions, and participation. “For me, I feel like I’m doing the bare minimum and maybe that’s because I hold myself to a higher standard,” he said. Wyatt also shared a quote that he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

“I’m inspired by the fear of being average,” he said. Wyatt has applied to a number of colleges, mostly on the East Coast. He plans to pursue a career in the arts.

California Military Institute’s Anai Munguia is November’s Student of the Month. Anai currently holds a 3.9 GPA and has had the distinction of being on the Principal’s Honor Roll on several occasions. As a child of immigrant parents who came to the United States for a better life, Anai had to learn to speak English. She admitted that it was difficult at first, but she has persevered.

Her principal, Dr. Nicholas Milosavljevic, shared that Anai has a very analytical mind and is able to adjust to any situation. This has helped her through some challenging times in the last couple of years. Not only with the current education culture, but personally as well. A couple of life lessons that Anai shared was to always be grateful, whether in the form of a blessing or a lesson, and to continually challenge herself. She plans on taking these lessons with her to college. Anai plans to attend either UC Riverside or Cal State San Marcos to major in business administration. Her dream is to open her own real estate business.

Savanna Herrera is Perris High School’s Student of the Month. One of Savanna’s strongest qualities is her passion for service. Not only in her school, but within her community as well. According to principal Juan Santos, Savanna is involved in service organizations on campus such as Interact and Key Clubs. In addition, she is also involved in the community as part of the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). As part of YAC, of which Savanna is the current president, she attends the Perris City Council meetings regularly.

She shares concerns and ideas from the local youth in the community with the City Council. She also goes out of her way to help her peers on campus. Her math teacher, Malcolm Corona, shared how Savanna will seek out, and come along students who are struggling and tutor them. “In the classroom is where I really see her giving back”, he said. Savanna has applied to a number of colleges including the UC and Cal State schools. She plans to major in biology.

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