Adams, Dunne, Ashby, and Mercado honored

Jenna Adams, Alexa Dunne, and Kristie Ashby of Fallbrook Union High School (FUHS) and Cesar Mercado of Ivy High School were the Fallbrook Community Students of the Month program’s first honorees for the 2011-2012 school year. The four students were honored for their noteworthy achievements at a special breakfast held in their honor on Oct. 6 at Fallbrook Golf Club’s Hukilau restaurant.

“To receive this honor, these students have been shining for a long time,” said Sharon Koehler, president of the Fallbrook Union High School District board of trustees.

After event emcee Lynne Grantham introduced each student to the audience, which was comprised of family members and friends of the honorees as well as representatives of the local business and service community, they were presented with a special, engraved medal depicting the Lamp of Knowledge by Karl Fekete, representative of American Legion Post 365.

Jenna Adams was honored as a Student of the Month based on the recommendation of FUHS teacher Estay Paulsen.

“[Jenna] has one of the best work ethics I have ever seen,” said Paulsen. “She is very caring and a well-rounded individual.”

A member of National Charity League, who does a variety of volunteer work throughout the community, Jenna was described as “motivated and driven.” She is a member of the girls golf team at the high school and hopes to continue that pursuit in college.

“I want to thank everyone for this honor,” Jenna said. “I am looking forward to the college application process. I am not sure yet which college I want to attend, but it is my intention to major in agriculture.”

Alexa Dunne was selected for the Student of the Month upon the recommendation of FUHS teacher Stephanie Berl. Berl, who was unable to attend the breakfast, wrote down some thoughts she wanted expressed to the audience and enlisted the help of fellow teacher Pam Munro, who had been one of Alexa’s teachers last year.

“Alexa is a fine young woman,” said Munro. “She has outstanding attention to detail and I thoroughly enjoyed having her in class.”

Munro read a statement from Berl that included, “Alexa is an exceptional young lady and a role model for other students.”

Currently serving as the vice president of the Associated Student Body (ASB), Alexa was recognized for her “positive attitude and caring demeanor.” She was also acknowledged as a student athlete.

“This is an amazing honor,” Alexa said. “I want to thank my parents for always being there for me. I also want to thank Mrs. Berl and Mrs. Munro; they are great teachers.” Alexa said she hopes to attend Brigham Young University in the future, but hasn’t yet determined a future major.

Kristie Ashby was selected as a Student of the Month after being nominated by FUHS teacher Pam Munro.

“Kristie is definitely a light that shines,” said Munro. “She is not only an accomplished musician, but an accomplished scholar. She is an amazing example of what we want our young people to be.”

With the distinction of being the Drum Major and captain of the woodwinds for the FUHS Marching Band, Kristie was also recognized for being a talented saxophone and flute player. She currently serves as the president of the school’s band council and is also involved in the Key Club, Interact Club and volunteers her time to the Fallbrook Food Pantry.

“I want to thank everyone very much for this honor,” Kristie said. “My first choice is to attend University of California at San Diego (UCSD) next year, but the University of California Irvine or University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) would be considerations too. I plan to major in the biological sciences and go into medicine.”

Cesar Mercado, a student of Ivy High School, was honored as a Student of the Month based on the recommendation of Principal Melissa Marovich.

“Every single teacher at Ivy [High School] agreed that Cesar was the perfect choice for this honor,” said Marovich. “He came to Ivy in 2009 after being out of school for a year. At first we had some attendance problems but then he got connected at school. I was determined we weren’t going to lose this student. After a while, Cesar decided he wanted to become a firefighter and got involved with the Fire Explorer program and that made a big difference. Now he is a leader on campus. “

Cesar’s selection to serve several times as a teacher’s aide on campus and his involvement with the school’s garden project were also highlighted. Marovich said teachers describe him as “respectful, polite, and helpful with school activities.”

“I want to give thanks to my mom, who has been through the good times and the bad times with me, the committee that puts on this breakfast, and everyone at Ivy that has helped me stay focused,” Cesar said. “I eventually want to work for North County Fire. [The Explorer program] is more than just a hobby for me.”

“I have been so touched and moved by hearing the stories of these four individuals; they are truly remarkable,” said event emcee Lynne Grantham.

Numerous gifts were donated by businesses and clubs to the student honorees. “We could not provide this program without the generous support of our sponsors,” said Grantham.

Now celebrating its 15th year, to date the Fallbrook Community Student of the Month program has honored 469 outstanding high school students.

The Fallbrook Community Student of the Month program is organized by a committee of the same name and is sponsored by generous local businesses and organizations, including American Legion Post 365, the Angel Society of Fallbrook, Coldwell Banker Landmark Group, Dr. Randy Carlson, Dr. Richard Goble, Fallbrook AAUW, Fallbrook Golf Club & Hukilau Restaurant, Fallbrook High PTSA, Fallbrook Printing, Fallbrook Republican Women Federated, Fallbrook Village Rotary, Fallbrook Vintage Car Club, Fallbrook Woman’s Club, Major Market, Pacific Western Bank, Rally for Children, and the Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News.

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