Do, Hernandez, Yanez and Vera named Students of the Month

FALLBROOK – Fallbrook Union High School District Students of the Month for February are Fallbrook High School seniors Danyelle Do, Mario Hernandez and David Yanez, and Oasis High School senior Sarai Vera.

The students were celebrated with the Student of the Month monthly Friday afternoon caravan to their homes and honored with balloons, yard signs, recognition speeches and custom-made T-shirts worn by one student's family members. Teachers, school administrators, business community, family and Student of the Month Committee members participated in the warm receptions.

Do, nominated by science teacher Marin Pinnell, balanced an active schedule of wide interests during the past four years with an Advanced Placement schedule and diverse extracurricular and community service activities.

With a GPA of 4.0, Do's class schedule this year includes AP English literature, AP physics, AP calculus AB and American Sign Language 4. Her favorite classes through the years have been ASL and dance.

Not having ever taken dance lessons before her sophomore year, she took a dance class and loved it so much, she continued with advance dance in her junior year. As an independent learner, she has found that she prefers distance learning, although she misses the interaction and productivity of her extracurricular activities. As president of Operation Smile, Do resurrected the club at FHS during her sophomore year so that she and her friends could raise awareness and fundraise to support the national nonprofit organization that helps children worldwide with cleft lips or palates.

Additionally, Do appreciated her time as a member of the Environmental Club and ASL Club, gaining an even deeper understanding of the life of the Deaf/ASL community and improving her ASL skills. She also participated in Academic Decathlon this school year with the FHS team's Zoom competitions against other schools' teams. Two of her favorite local community service activities have been volunteering at the Fallbrook Animal Sanctuary and the Fallbrook Library, where she organized and reshelved books and led community activities.

Because of her love of animals, she plans to serve at an animal shelter while attending college. Do looks forward to entering a pre-med program and studying dermatology at University of California Los Angeles, University of California San Diego or University of California Irvine.

Hernandez is described by school counselor Damaris Ahumada as not only having an "amazing work ethic," but also "being very kind-hearted, continuously helping others," which is reflected by the community service he does on and off campus. As president of Fallbrook Youth Advocacy, Hernandez worked diligently to talk with teens through Zoom during the past year about the dangers of opioid overdose and suicide prevention.

Additionally, Hernandez has been trained to be a teen ambassador with Fallbrook Health Community Clinic to help youth maintain mentally and physically healthy lifestyles. He has also found rewarding the time he has spent volunteering during his high school years at the Fallbrook Food Pantry and serving as a representative of Voces de Fallbrook. In this role, he has been advocating for a soccer field to be included in the future plans for a park in Fallbrook.

Earning Most Valuable Player honors in 2019, Hernandez was captain of both his school and club soccer teams. He plays guitar and dances. He said dancing broke him out of his quiet shell and has given him opportunities to become more outgoing.

Hernandez said he is grateful for his Transportation and Tech 2 class for giving him hands-on experience and knowledge during this time of remote-learning because his teacher, Mr. Johnson, sets up kits that the students periodically pick up from school to learn interactively at home.

With AP physics and AP Spanish literature in his course schedule this year, Hernandez is looking forward to attending California State University San Marcos and studying electrical engineering next year.

Finally, Hernandez said he is most thankful for the loving support and encouragement to lead a positive and moral lifestyle that his parents have always given him and his sisters.

Yanez, also nominated by Pinnell, works to do his best in the classroom, on his lacrosse team, and with volunteering. Having taken AP Spanish and AP English language, as well as physics, machine and tool technology, and trans technology courses, he said he is excited about attending college next year and earning a bachelor's degree in welding engineering.

Having been a member of the Fallbrook boys lacrosse team since his sophomore year, he earned the JV Offensive Player of the Year award that year and was moved up to play varsity in some CIF games. As a junior, he was promoted to the varsity team, but because of COVID-19, the season was cut short. As a senior, when not working part-time or studying, Yanez has been working out and practicing on his own to be ready to play when the season opens.

Additionally, before the closure of in-person learning, he volunteered more than 200 hours at Vallecitos Elementary School, where he helped the eighth grade class two days per week, serving as a role model and assisting the teacher with tasks.

In describing Yanez as personable and hard-working, Pinnell said, "I enjoyed having David in class as he brought a lot of life to the classroom, but at the same time, worked well and completed his assignments in a timely manner."

Vera, who was nominated by Bennielyn Sampayan-Verrett at Oasis High School, worked diligently during her high school years at Oasis High School. Three of her four siblings have also attended the school, and her fourth sibling will be a ninth grader next year.

Verrett described Vera as being meticulously organized, prepared, conscientious and thoughtful. Verrett said that Vera often goes beyond what is required, citing the example of her science notebooks that not only include the required vocabulary, concepts and lab write-ups but also drawings and diagrammed words, concepts, systems in color so that the science lessons are illustrated and truly learned. Vera incorporates her creative talents, especially with art, in her assignments.

Because she thrives with independent learning, after graduation, she plans to study accounting online with a trade school.

Because she found her photography class enjoyable, Vera studied a variety of subjects by textbook, with the guidance of her teacher.

She started a business with her younger sister, making earrings from resin. The sisters taught themselves the craft through a YouTube video and developed it into an online entrepreneurship.

Vera said she enjoyed her community service work at the Angel Society's thrift shop in Fallbrook as well as with the Auxiliary Pioneer group of her church.

Verrett said, "Sarai is one of those exceptional, rare students who makes a teacher's life enjoyable. She always reflects a pleasant smile, respectful attitude and positivism. I met Sarai as a shy young ninth grader, and now, she is a remarkably well-balanced, creative and assured young woman."

The Student of the Month committee honors these four FUHSD seniors who are full of hope and reflect a strong ambition to be productive citizens in society.

Submitted by the Student of the Month Committee.