Hayes, Fontelara among February Students of Month

Pictured are February’s Students of the Month; Front row - Ethan Castro, Perris Lake High School; Anaya Hayes, Heritage High School; Jayden Fontelera, Paloma Valley High School; and Ursula Gutierrez, Perris High School. Back row - Sally Myers, Founder, Pete Serbantes, Riverside County Office of Education; Grant Bennett, Superintendent, Perris Union High School District; Matt Liesemeyer, Councilmember, City of Menifee; Alejandra Herrera, Riverside County Office of Education; and Esther Portillo, Assemblyman Jose Medina.

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The Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce recently honored area high school 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 Anaya Hayes. Starting a new school is challenging. Starting as a senior can be daunting. This is what Anaya experienced coming into Heritage this year. However, she did not let that stop her from making her final year of high school memorable.

The first thing Anaya did was to find other students that looked lost or lonely and she would ask them if they were new. She would then ask them if they wanted to get lost together, telling them it’s better to get lost with someone than to be lost by yourself. Her counselor, Gilbert Velasquez, nominated Anaya because she stood out among her peers. He went on to describe her as respectful, compassionate, and kind. She goes above and beyond with students, inviting them to have lunch with her so they don’t feel alone. She is also a very focused and determined young lady. Anaya will attend community college and then transfer to a four-year college to pursue a career in pediatric nursing.

Paloma Valley High School’s Student of the Month is Jayden Fontelera. Jayden constantly challenges himself, both academically and in service. He’s taken a number of AP courses, including calculus and history, and is part of the Wildcat Battalion in the NJROTC program.

In addition, Jayden is a founding member of a new class at Paloma which is the biosustainability class. As part of this class, he is involved in building a greenhouse which will become part of a larger community garden and farm to table culinary program in the future. Jayden shared a bit of his high school experience, admitting that at times it has been challenging but appreciates what he has learned.

“High school is really going to propel me to full potential when I go on to college and beyond that,” he said.

He especially appreciates the NJROTC program and what it has taught him and is thankful to Mst. Sgt. Frank Puebla for his guidance and direction. Jayden plans to attend UC Irvine. He will be majoring in engineering while minoring in psychology.

Perris Lake High School’s Ethan Castro is February’s Student of the Month. Ethan, like many others, attended Perris Lake to gain a second chance to graduate high school. He shared how appreciative he was to have the opportunity to finish his high school education. Ethan thanked those around him who have pushed and encouraged him to go to school and to keep pushing forward. One of those individuals was his mom. Ethan shared how his mom raised him and his three siblings as a single parent, and how much that meant to him.

“I wouldn’t be who I am if she wasn’t who she is, and I love her every day for that,” he said.

Campus supervisor Ashley Peralta commented that when she thought of a well-rounded individual, Ethan is who comes to mind. He is a leader on campus and his peers look up to him. He also always takes time to check in with both students and staff to see how they are doing. At this time Ethan is not sure what he plans for the future, but he knows that he will have a love and passion for it.

Ursula Gutierrez is Perris High School’s Student of the Month. Ursula has long been an admitted introvert and many times struggled with her fear of speaking to others. She also had a desire to overcome this fear and started to challenge herself during her freshman year. As a result, Ursula joined the Rotary Club of Perris and is the Vice President of Perris High’s Interact Club. However, her passion is in the biomedical pathways and medical assisting program at Perris High.

She has a love of math and science and has blossomed in this environment. Being involved in these activities, and with a little help from her friends, Ursula has worked hard to come out of her comfort zone to become an active participant of Perris High and in the community. Academically, her teacher Morgan Wilson had high praises for Ursula, stating that she not only participated and completed all of her assignments, but that she also passed the AP exam, all during the COVID shutdown. Ursula plans to continue her education at a four-year college, majoring in nursing or pharmaceutical sciences to enter the medical field.

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