Six Temecula high school seniors were honored as Students of the Month on October 17th by the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC). The students were recognized by their families, teachers, principals, the business community, and locally elected officials. This is the 23rd year the TVCC Student of the Month Program has honored students in the Temecula Valley.
Chaparral High School: Ahmad (Eddie) Baiyasi
AP Calculus teacher Anne Mc Nulty describes Eddie as, “Motivated, curious, hardworking, and kind.” Out of the twenty highest performing math students at Chaparral High School, she says Eddie ranks #1. Ms. Mc Nulty says humility and lack of ego make him a popular choice for a team partner among his classmates. She says, “Everyone wants Eddie on their team!”
Eddie says he transferred to TVUSD six years ago and has “loved Temecula” ever since. He says one of the greatest lessons he has learned in life so far is to “always put your best effort into everything you do, whether it’s school or sports. You will always be satisfied with the results”. He says he’s also learned, “don’t stress over the little things, it’s the overall picture that counts”. Eddie hopes to attend UCLA for his undergrad and then go on to medical school.
Linfield Christian High School: Grace Walker
Bible teacher Amber Young says she nominated Grace because, “She’s an outstanding student, talented actress, and is well-respected among her peers”. Ms. Young says she has been on multipleschool trips with Grace and describes her as, “carefree, gregarious, sincere, friendly, caring, and outgoing”.
Grace says the greatest lesson she has learned in life so far is to do everything to the best of your abilities. She says, “You should never limit yourself. You should always get involved in extra-curricular activities and challenge yourself by taking rigorous courses.” In addition to being on the Equestrian Team, Homecoming Court, and performing in “A Midsummer Nights’ Dream”, Grace has earned a 4.43 GPA. She hopes to attend Houghton College in New York to study medicine and one day become a Pediatric Ophthalmologist.
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Rancho Christian High School: Andy Wang
English teacher, Wendy Gorham describes Andy as “an honorable, hard-working, kind, and respectful student”. Andy came to America from China at the start of his junior year. Mrs. Gorham says, “Even with the language difficulties, Andy has really excelled in his studies. He always works hard, tries his best, and strives for excellence. He inspires other students and shows a truly profound understanding of literature, despite the language barrier.”
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Andy says that as an emigrant from China he has had to overcome the differences in communication, in both language and tradition. He says, “I have learned that hard work is the only way to be successful, and that everything should be done honestly”. Andy has a 3.7 GPA and plans on going to college to study engineering as well as art design to support his goal of becoming a car designer.
Temecula Preparatory School: Lauren Loop
History teacher, Jacob Dietrich describes Lauren as, “Diligent, disciplined, driven, and just.” He says, “As a student, Lauren is the perfect example of the mission of our school.” Lauren says she has spent most of her life in Temecula Valley and attended a private Christian school prior to attending Temecula Prep. She says the transition to Temecula Prep was a slight challenge for her at first. However, she says the experience taught her, “To persevere, don’t limit yourself, hold fast to your faith and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”
In the future, Lauren would like to attend an Ivy League school with the NROTC program or the United States Naval Academy. She would like to major in Biochemistry or Chemistry and take part in a pre-med program so that she can ultimately become a neurosurgeon.
Great Oak High School: Javier Cuan Martinez
IB English teacher January King says she nominated Javier because, “he is the whole package”. She says, “Javier is a natural leader who understands that respect must be given to be received; he has unflappable integrity and is an example for those around him in all of these venues; and he has a true heart for service with an empathy level exceeding his peers.”
Javier came to GOHS as an IB transfer from another district. Despite the longer drive to get Javier to school every day, his parents realized it was worth the effort given Javier’s incredible drive . Javier says he finds that “faith, perseverance and a smile is what it takes to overcome obstacles”. He also says he believes the teachers he’s had at Great Oak have helped him “bloom”. Mrs. King says that because of Javier’s leadership, character and service he was voted in to the National Honor Society as a junior, which is no small feat. Javier says he would like to study computer science at a university in California.
Temecula Valley High School: Jessica Rodriguez Garcia
Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFJROTC) instructor, Chip Dodson says he nominated Jessica because, “She is full of love for her fellow students, she is real, always giving, reliable, and always makes time for others.” Mr. Dodson says Jessica is the “poster child” for JROTC.
Jessica says that prior to joining the AFJROTC program she had a fear of public speaking. When she was assigned a leadership role as Flight Commander, she had to quickly learn to conquer it. She says the experience has taught her the lesson that, “Life begins outside your comfort zone, so take a leap of faith.”
Jessica would like to attend either UCSD or Washington State for her undergrad and then continue on to veterinarian studies.
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