Student Spotlight Archive

	Junior Maribel Garcia Ochoa says that for her every spare moment seems to be filled with some form of government activity and she loves it. As an active member of YMCA’s Youth in Government program she was invited to serve as a delegate and learn more about government and how it operates. Student delegates travel to the state capitol building in Sacramento to establish their own government system. When Maribel heard about a trip to Washington, DC, also sponsored by the YMCA, she was motivated to expand her knowledge. The all expenses paid trip to Washington DC saw Maribel become president of her delegation. The benefit of these experiences to Maribel was immense; she hopes one day to be a senator, a politician, so being in the actual rooms where senators make decisions about our laws, was inspirational. “What was very interesting was one of the days we got to listen in on one of their sessions,” she said. Maribel hopes to run for speaker of the assembly in next year’s session of the Youth in Government program, “so I would actually fulfill all the duties of the speaker of the assembly.” With hard work and dedication, who knows where her interest in government might lead.
	Junior, Kaitlin Wood collected 1,500 books from relatives,neighbors and friends for the new library at St. Philip Neri Catholic School. The Lynwood school's library, which for some time looked like a warehouse with a few books scattered on the shelves, has been refurbished and restocked, thanks to the generous support of "the dream team," a group of parishioners from the San Pedro Region. Kaitlin's efforts were a key component in making the new library a reality for students at St. Philip Neri.
	Vanessa Cease We regret to inform you that Vanessa Cease, class of 2004, has passed away. Please remember Vanessa and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Please CLICK HERE for viewing, vigil and funeral services Contributions to the Cease Family Trust Fund may be delivered or mailed to SJHS to the attention of Christina Turrietta, Alumnae Relations Coordinator.
	Britana Rodriguez Congratulations to senior Britana Rodriguez for completing The Los Angeles Sheriff's Explorer Academy program. Britana dedicated 184 hours to instruction during an 18 weeks of training on Saturdays. Subjects of training included community relations, criminal law, demeanor, firearms safety, narcotics control and police procedures as well as intensive physical training. As a Deputy Explorer she helps in crowd assistance, parades and civic events along with volunteering two days a week and Saturday's at the Lakewood Sheriff's station. Britana is considering pursuing Forensic Criminal Science in the future.
	Emily Gilliland Emily Gilliland, Class of 2011, was currently crowned Miss Teen Southern California USA 2010. Holding this title includes the responsibility of attending events around southern California. Many of these events being of community service such as Relay For Life, CHOC walk, Alzheimers walk, assisting different food banks, and fundraising to contribute toward numerous charity organizations all while being an advocate of her own platform of choice, the Ronald Mc Donald House. Emily maintains a 3.30 GPA and is also part of the Student Ambassador Program and Associate Student Body.
	From environmental issues to health concerns, this KABC Channel 7 - Cool Kid has a very local take on global problems and she's trying to make a difference beyond her own community. Water shortages here and around the world have the attention of Sabrina Valles. She wants to do everything she can to help. "You can educate more people about it. You could also just talk about it," said Sabrina. "Just knowing that there are people out there that don't even have water, it's not a great feeling," said Sabrina. Sabrina deals with global problems in a very personal way. "Inspiring two people can inspire two more people, maybe inspire even more people so everybody just comes together somehow and are inspired to work together to accomplish something," said Sabrina. Whether it's an eco issue or a health issue, Sabrina wants to be of service. It is obvious to others at her school at Saint Joseph High School that Sabrina is a unique young lady. This planet has many challenges. Cool Kid Sabrina Valles is doing so much to make the world a better place. Click here to watch Sabrina’s interview
	Congratulations to the class of 2010 “Distinguished Scholars”! The following students earned this honor by maintaining a 3.50 unweighted GPA in eight or more Advanced Placement or Honors Classes. Kristina Beltran, Jessica Burch, Michelle Deville, Jessica Flores, Natalie Gonzalez, Elizabeth Lopez, Victoria Mariscal, Judith Martinez,, Autumn Nailes, Lianne Nelsen, Regina Nufable, Dominique Onorato, Olivia Anne Pardo, Alexandra Reynozo, Jennifer Searight, Hillary Stabelfel
	Jillian Adriano is pretty excited about her selection as an ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She competed for the position and as an ambassador she will represent her family and the many families in Los Angeles County with muscular dystrophy. She will attend fundraising events, appear at walks for a cure, and attend an appreciation dinner for the Long Beach Fire Department for their fundraising efforts for MDA. More than anything else Jillian hopes to help form support groups for children with Ullrich, a type of congenital muscular dystrophy that begins in infancy. Through her efforts she hopes that a cure can be found and raising money for a cure is essential. Jillian is especially happy at SJHS and enjoys participating in choir, drama productions and student council. “SJHS is very family oriented and all of the girls are just friendly and open—full of joy and excitement all the time,” says Jillian. With many hopes and dreams, Jillian sees many possibilities ahead. When she graduates next year she hopes to attend either University of California at Irvine or UCLA and major in some form of bio-medicine and eventually do medical research.“I have always believed that Catholic schools give a person an advantage for life,” she says.
	Andrea Beltran puts the "I can" in cancer. The 16-year-old has proven that anything is possible, even though she had cancer when she was only 5 years old. "I know that anything is possible through the power of prayer. I'm surely the case of that," explained the ebullient Hacienda Heights resident. Her faith and determination has allowed the young woman to not only survive, but to excel at St. Joseph's High School in Lakewood. Beltran runs on her school's championship cross country team. And the junior maintains a 4.0 grade point average. Andrea had the honor of riding on the Kaiser Permanente float on New Year's Day in the Tournament of Roses Parade. The SJHS Junior was nominated by Dr. Willye Powell, a specialist in oncology and hematology. "I thought Andrea was an excellent role model for all my other patients. She's so friendly and outgoing," Dr. Powell said. "Her whole family is wonderful, so I was glad I could nominate her to ride on our float." Click here for the complete story. Andrea will share her story as a guest speaker at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The event is scheduled for April 24th & 25th at Azusa Pacific University. Click here for more information.
	At the end of the 2008-2009 school year, Marcella Kelley, a junior, was chosen as the SJHS representative for the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Program (HOBY) held during the summer at Whittier College. During the three-day program, approximately 100 high school students from all over Los Angeles gathered for workshops and training in leadership skills. “One thing I learned from this experience is that if I set my mind to it, I can do anything,” says Marcella. “It opened my eyes to the fact that I am capable of so much more than I thought. Even though I am 16, I can make a difference.” Marcella knows she wants to do more to help others. She says, “I think I will start in my community and focus on kids. I really want to work with younger children in education, especially in tutoring.”
	Selected student entries received bonds at a ceremony held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on June 11. First place winners read their entries to the assembly. Selected as winners in the contest were: Mikka Azurin, ’09 First Place, Essay Contest $500 bond Guadalupe Davila, ’09 Honorable Mention, Essay Contest $100 bond Tiffany Bagnol, ’12 Honorable Mention, Poetry Contest $100 bond Ariadna Rivera, ’12 Honorable Mention, Poetry Contest $100 bond
	Jennifer Kallini Jennifer was accepted at Stanford University, Cornell and Dartmouth Universities.
	Jessica Burch – Class of 2010 Jessica received five first semester certificates for Outstanding Achievement and Teacher Awards. Great Job Jessica!! Spanish III—Outstanding Student Honors Biology—Outstanding Student 20th Century Literature—Teacher Award US History—Outstanding Student Sacraments—Teacher Award
	Elizabeth Kent – Violet Richardson Award Soroptimist International of Bellflower presented sophomore Elizabeth Kent with this prestigious award which honors young women whose volunteer activities make the community and the world a better place. Beth’s volunteer work has been with “The Smile Train, Changing the World One Smile at a Time” (www.smiletrain.org), an organization that provides corrective surgery for young children with cleft lip and palate. Beth has raised funds by babysitting, house-cleaning and organizing a fundraising dinner party and pool party. She has raised over $13,000, which is enough to pay for 52 surgeries. Beth’s goal is to raise funds for 100 surgeries before she graduates. Beth is truly living the CSJ charism of service to the “dear neighbor without distinction”.
Lauren Alvarez	Lauren Alvarez, Class of 2010, was chosen as “Miss Greater Lakewood Teen.” Lauren will represent the city at various events throughout this year and, at the end of her reign, the City of Lakewood will sponsor her at the California State competition next November. Lauren, with a 3.96 cumulative GPA student, hopes to attend USC after graduation and major in communications or broadcast journalism. Lauren has also been named as Southern California spokesperson for “Teen Life of Style” through the Cerritos Mall. Chosen from nine finalists, she is the group’s official spokesperson and frequently has appeared on television station KTLA and in radio interviews.
Jade Harvey	During the summer, sophomore Jade Harvey experienced the opportunity of a lifetime when she and over 300 members of the South Bay Children’s Choir traveled to New York City and sang at Carnegie Hall. Jade, who has been singing with the group for two years, began as a “choraleer” and is now a member of the concert choir which meets at El Camino College. At Carnegie Hall, the choir sang a major work by English composer John Rutter. The group was very fortunate to have Mr. Rutter conduct the “Mass of the Children” with a full orchestra. The “Mass of the Children” was first performed in 2003 at Carnegie Hall and Mr. Rutter conducted at that time. The “Mass” is a non-liturgical piece of music divided into five movements, referred to as a missa brevis. It incorporates poetry by Thomas Ken and William Blake, and is sung in the traditional Latin and Greek Mass text. Jade is also a member of the SJHS Show Choir and is thinking of becoming a broadcast journalist, but would also love to study music.
Arabia Alvarez	Senior Arabia Alvarez enjoyed a life changing “Montana Yellowstone Expedition” (www.myecamp.org) this summer. The educational experience, designed for young people (ages 15-18) develops leaders through adventure, service, personal challenge, teamwork, and access to higher education. A 25 day program focuses on self discovery and sustainability; and fosters critical thinking and an ethic of service in participants. Arabia was able to attend the wilderness program on a full scholarship sponsored by the “Orfalea Family Foundation”. As an alumna, Arabia is also able to apply for a range of scholarships through the MYE Foundation.