October
Brendan Chambers
San Gorgonio High School
Brendan Chambers always displays a strong work ethic, and always stays on task. His leadership qualities have become an effective tool at GEAR UP events and during after school tutoring. He demonstrates respectful manners towards both peers and adults. He has a kind heart, and is always willing to help others in need.
Saul Mejia
San Bernarino High School
Saul Mejia has been chosen for student of the month for October due to his academic growth, and his improvement in time management. In his spare time, Saul loves playing Soccer with his friends, and during lunch you can always catch them playing out behind the cafeteria. He is a proud water polo player, and enjoys learning Spanish. In the future, Saul would love to be a firefighter, and to give back to his grandmother, who has given him so much. He says, “my favorite thing about GEAR UP is that they help me with my homework, and listen to me when I need someone to talk to.” Please congratulate Saul Mejia for the month of October!
Alejandro Ambrocio
Indian Spring High School
Alejandro Ambrocio has spent the entire month making the effort to come to tutoring every day to improve his grades. By the end of the quarter, he has managed to raise his grades for every single one of his classes. He is extremely dedicated to coming to GEAR UP Programming, and always offers assistance and support to his peers. He does his best to invite his classmates to come to tutoring, and offers to help them catch up on their assignments while they are here. In addition to supporting all things GEAR UP, Alejandro spends his time outside of school in boxing practice, for which he trains very hard. His goal is always to be the best at anything he does, and he is constantly thinking of ways he can improve. He is never afraid to take on a challenge, and is willing to go above and beyond to show that he can do better. I can always depend on him to be focused, respectful, and helpful whenever he enters the GEAR UP room. Alejandro demonstrates awesome leadership characteristics, and is not afraid to step out of his comfort zone. These are just a few reasons why he is our student of the month!
November
Gabriela Vaca
Arroyo Valley High School
Gabriela has shown a great deal of growth in her personal life and academics. She is a model GEAR UP student. She is always in the GEAR UP room offering a helping hand. She motivates her peers to succeed and is always concerned for their well-being. When she does get overwhelmed she doesn’t let that stop her; she asks for help. Overall, Gabriela is a great student that never gives up and always pushes forward towards her goals.
Brittney Espinoza-Gonzalez
Indian Springs High School
I met Brittney Espinoza-Gonzalez during the GEAR UP Summer Program, and I have seen such tremendous growth since the school year has started. Since the Summer Program, Brittney has gotten more involved with GEAR UP at Indian Springs. She is constantly offering her help to her GEAR UP mentor whenever needed. Initially a very shy student, Brittney has challenged herself by taking on leadership roles at Indian Springs. Particularly, as the Secretary/Media Chair for GEAR UP Club. She makes the effort to come to tutoring as often as she can to keep her grades up and is making excellent progress during tutoring. In her free time, Brittney enjoys watching anime, playing video games, and playing Neko Atsume.
Samantha Vasquez
Cajon High School
Samantha’s favorite class is English because she likes to read and write. She is a skilled writer, and enjoys reading in her free time. The person she looks up to the most is Mr. Larry, her tutor from Chavez. If she were to lend you her earphones, you would be listening to a lot of Frosty da Snowman. In the future, she wants to be a psychologist, and if she could go to any university, it would be Harvard. She has never, ever failed an English class, and if she had $1000, she would buy a whole lot of pizza and books. Her favorite things about GEAR UP are the Mentors & Tutors. More importantly, her favorite thing about herself is her personality – and we agree!
Nayeli Sandoval and Dyana Pinedo
San Bernardino High School
This month has double trouble written all over it. We have two students nominated for student of the month! They are Nayeli Sandoval and Dyana Pinedo, both of whom have been heavily involved with GEAR UP since the 7th grade. Both are active at San Bernardino High School as well. Nayeli is trying out for softball, while Dyana is the only girl on the JV football team. That’s right, FOOTBALL! Nayeli would love to be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon (Heart Surgeon), and Dyana would like to be a Registered Nurse. Nayeli and Dyana are both young women of distinction, and we are sure they will go far!