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Ewig, Padilla and Shaver named Students of the Month

Lucette Moramarco

Associate Editor

Cadance Ewig, Tianha Padilla and Chloe Shaver were the three Fallbrook High School students who were honored at the fourth Student of the Month breakfast of the school year, Jan. 6, at North Coast Church.

About the first student honored, FHS Principal Lauren Jones said Ewig "is Fallbrook, involved in everything under the sun – Ag, ASB and cheer." Ewig was nominated by social studies teacher Alana Milton who has taught at the high school for 17 years and is also an FUHS alum. Milton said she worked closely with Ewig in ASB for two years; "Cady did an amazing job, I could always count on her and she did it with a smile...she always smiles and is full of joy and happiness," she said.

Ewig raises steer in Ag and has been a cheerleader for all four years, with a great GPA, always working on school work, "trying to do better, to grow," Milton added. Tracy Ewig said her daughter is the fourth of five children, all at FHS where she went too; "I want them to do what I was afraid to do; she raises pigs too (her favorite animal), was president of her freshman and sophomore class, vice president of junior class, swims and dives and is varsity cheer captain. What most people don't know is that Cady is in IEP, part of the special ed program. She has to work harder than other students but still gets As and Bs."

Ewig thanked everyone and said she plans on attending Palomar College and becoming an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter. Her goal is to be on the nightly news interpreting the news.

Jones announced that Padilla has been named an AP Scholar with Distinction having scored 3 or higher on five AP exams as of May 2021. Chemistry teacher and former rugby coach Marin Pinnell, who nominated Padilla, said she is a special person. Pinnell has known Padilla since she was in fifth grade and in the rugby program. Pinnell stepped away from coaching two years ago and "Tianha holds it against me; I abandoned her," she said.

However, Padilla is loyal to Pinnell and her husband, Craig, having close relationships with all her coaches, Pinnell said, adding that Padilla is conscientious, detail oriented and collaborative; on the rugby pitch, she runs the show (like a quarterback); she is sharp too with a 4.3 GPA, is in the AP Capstone program and will be involved in USA Rugby in the future."

Pinnell said that Padilla has stayed on track; she has signed with and been accepted to Harvard, "I will always be proud of her journey." Padilla's mom Rosie said, "She makes me very proud, works very hard to be a good person; she is kind and she realizes what comes easy to her doesn't for everyone so she helps those who need help. She is a decent, nice human being."

Padilla said she plans to play rugby in college for four years and become an engineer, "no big deal."

Jones introduced Shaver as another AP Scholar who has scored 3 or higher on three AP tests and will be taking more tests. While she was nominated by a couple of teachers, choir teacher Heather Smith spoke about her experience with Shaver, having her in choir for three years.

She also taught Shaver in AP Music Theory and said she passed the test, one of the hardest tests there is as it requires singing, dictating and multiple choice questions on music theory. For Smith, Shaver "has stood out, what she has accomplished...she wants to be her real self." She also cited Shaver's project to direct a show in the theater, completely student-run afterschool, "she runs everything, chose a show and did auditions...she's quiet but just comes in and is real." She is also a peer tutor in the beginning choir class.

Besides being on staff of the Tomahawk and working for the Village News, Shaver is in the book club, on the academic team and the UN Club. Her grandmother spoke of how Shaver and her younger brother came to live with her and their grandfather when she was 11, finishing sixth grade at Live Oak and moving on to Potter where she was involved in the Fallbrook High color guard. She described her granddaughter as "clever, driven, with a passion for truth" who can be found as a barista at Starbucks or with a byline in the Village News.

Shaver thanked her grandparents and said her mother, who passed away six years ago, would be proud of her. She plans on attending UC Santa Barbara, with a double major in English and Communications with the goal of going into journalism. She also thanked her teachers.

Besides receiving recognition of their talents and efforts, the students each received a gift bag with award certificates and gift certificates from local businesses.

A fourth student of the month, from Oasis High School, was unable to attend the breakfast and will be honored next month.

For more information about the Student of the Month program, contact Lynne Grantham, 760-214-1755 or [email protected].

 

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