The Sunrise Rotary Club of Davis recently recognized 13 students at Davis and Da Vinci high schools as June’s Students of the Month.

There are three Rotary Clubs in Davis, which meet at noon Mondays, 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 7 a.m. Fridays. Members provide service to their community and internationally. For more information about Rotary, contact Samer Alassaad of the noon club at [email protected], Steve Boschken of the evening club at [email protected] or Dennis Lindsay of the morning club at [email protected]

The honored students are:

* Ruby Barragan, nominated by physical education teacher Dan Ariola, who wrote, “Ruby is a hard worker, excelling in all facets of the P.E. program. She always brings a positive attitude to class and is a leader by example. Ruby constantly strives to improve her performance.”

* Forrest Bockrath, nominated by social studies teacher Hilary Brittan, who wrote, “Forrest Bockrath is a multi-talented young man. Not only is he a wonderful and intelligent student but he also is extremely creative. Forrest is a critical thinker who has the ability to see the bigger picture and compare and contrast events over time. He is an articulate and passionate orator who adds interest to class discussions. In addition to his work in United States history, he participates in other school activities such as set design for the drama department. His creativity and intelligence know no bounds.”

*Jasmin Castellano, nominated by Da Vinci teacher Kristen Uliasz, who wrote, “Jasmin Castellano is a remarkable sophomore student at Da Vinci Charter Academy. She is, without a doubt, one of the hardest-working students I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. She is honest and reflective about her strengths and difficulties, and embraces her challenges in a fierce determination to succeed. She constantly strives to be the best student she can be and advocates for help in developing the skills and knowledge that she feels are important for her future.

“Her persistence and self-motivation are reason enough to earn her this recognition. Yet, she is also incredibly thoughtful, compassionate and good-natured. Her friends would tell you she is a wonderful ally and trustworthy friend. Her teachers would tell you that she is a model student. She has a great sense of humor, an infectious, positive attitude, and a light-hearted way about her. Her enthusiasm for learning is contagious and rewarding.”

* Madeleine Duyar, nominated by math teacher Trisha Butler, who wrote, “Madeleine comes to class every day ready to actively learn. Her scores are among the best in the class, and she is one of the most respectful students I’ve ever taught.”

* Maya Garcia, nominated by Learning Center teacher Elizabeth Allen, who wrote, “Maya has put forth an admirable effort at Davis High. This, her senior year, has presented her with significant challenges, which would have pulled down all but the brave. She has faced these situations with a positive and calm manner. The classroom brightens when Maya enters, though at times after the bell. Maya will continue to do good things.”

* Paulin Gonzalez, nominated by English teacher Gwyn Bruch, who wrote, “Paulin Gonzalez is a terrific person who brightens mornings and gives me hope for the future. He has faced tough challenges this year, including transferring to DHS, a move that was not his choice. He faced culture shock, marginalization and a crazy-in-your-face first-period English 10 teacher. He expressed frustration — respectfully, yet effectively, and we butted heads for a long while.

“But Paulin’s integrity and perseverance has prevailed. He has stepped up to the plate and now does all his work on time. He demonstrates his strength of character daily now, as he helps several other struggling classmates. He writes with a wonderfully authentic voice, and contributes thoughtful insights to class discussions. When he looks me in the eye and breaks into his great, genuine smile as he says, ‘I did my homework,’ I am redeemed.”

* Mandy Hart, nominated by Da Vinci teacher Zach Ronneberg, who wrote, “Mandy is a shining example of what it means to be a Da Vinci student. Not only is she intelligent, creative and hard-working, she is one of the most sought-after group members in her classes. While many students have a hard time with Da Vinci’s unpredictable structure, Mandy is not afraid to take on a project that has no certain outcome, to make a change of course midstream, or to work hard on something she may not get credit for.

“She is always willing to get there early, stay late, help organize and do whatever it takes to make things happen. Mandy’s constant good nature, keen intellect and can-do attitude make her an extremely valued member and a quiet leader within the Da Vinci community.”

* David Jang, nominated by art teacher Doug Wright, who wrote, “David is funny, empathetic and hard-working. He is a great kid and talented photographer. He has worked hard to become a great photographer. He has become a student I can trust. He helps with set up and clean up and is just super!”

* Monica Lopez, nominated by social studies teacher Mike Kanna, who wrote, “Monica is a student in Race and Social Justice in U.S. History. As I have gotten to know her this year, she’s emerged as a fine student, an asset and pleasure to have in the classroom, and a leader in her research project group. I see great accomplishments in her future.”

* Casey Marr, nominated by science teacher Wayne Raymond, who wrote, “Casey takes her studies seriously and works diligently in chemistry all the time, and performs well in the class.  But what marked her as Student of the Month material for me was the way she handled adversity, which for her came in the form of mononucleosis. When she was home recovering, and struggling with the tiredness and sapped strength associated with the disease, she constantly maintained a can-do attitude and kept plugging away as she was able.

“She missed a lot of class time, but she has worked hard on her own to catch up. I have seen the performance of many students under similar circumstances dip dramatically, but I have been pleasantly amazed as Casey managed to maintain her strong performance against all the odds. Kudos to Casey.”

* Viviana Palomares, nominated by practical arts teacher Jeanne Pettigrew, who wrote, “Viviana is the epitome of perseverance learning. She has been in the fashion class this year learning all the basics to sewing, which is a practice-practice-practice endeavor. She always works diligently, is patient on every new task — even when repeated — and always has a positive, cheerful manner. I have truly enjoyed seeing her grow in knowledge and skill this year.”

* Sheila Pollard, nominated by Spanish teacher Amelia Hess, who wrote, “I am proud to present the Student of the Month award to Sheila Pollard for her academic excellence, positive attitude and beautiful personality. Sheila is one of the most committed students in Spanish 5. She is constantly applying her Spanish both in and out of the classroom.”

* Jose Valezquez, nominated by math teacher Karl Ronning, who wrote, “Jose is a focused and determined student. He comes to class prepared to learn and makes the most of the opportunities afforded to him. He is well-liked and respected by his peers. I consider it my good fortune to have been able to be his teacher.”

PollardW

Sheila Pollard

MarrW

Casey Marr

JangW

David Jang

HartW

Mandy Hart

GarciaW

Maya Garcia

DuyarW

BrockrathW

Forrest Bockrath

BarraganW

Ruby Barragan

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