On Monday, May 14th, 67 Tri-Cities ROP students and their families gathered together for the
25th Annual Evening of Excellence student recognition and awards night. Having so many VIPs in attendance, including distinguished school board members,
Superintendents Aguilera-Fort (ERUSD) and
Plourde (WUHSD), principals and assistant principals, made the event one that will be remembered and cherished for years to come. The audience listened closely to the heart-warming essays that were written by seven students, each representing the high schools they have attended. The essays, penned by these students, earned them an additional cash award and the honor of leading their schoolmates onstage for the awards presentation. The award-winning essays were written by:
Edith Valdez and
Julissa Hernandez (California High School),
Martina Delgado (El Rancho High School),
Evelina Kopt (La Serna High School),
Antonette Felder (Pioneer High School),
Dana Arias (Santa Fe High School), and
Jessica Romero (Whittier High School).
Additional awards presented include the prestigious PIH Health Scholarship Awards. This year, the PIH Scholarship was awarded to Briana Coquelet, a Certified Nurse Assistant student from California High School, and Jennifer Perez, a Certified Nurse Assistant student from El Rancho High School. Briana's teacher, Ms. Elizabeth Tabb, and Jennifer's teacher, Ms. Betty Brooks, took the stage and proudly presented their students with the PIH Award of $500 each. Ms. Tabb stated, "Briana, who is President of HOSA and very active in the Health Academy, is a leader and a wonderful example of a fair and considerate individual. She is a true and rare treasure." Briana will be majoring in Health Science at UCI in the Fall. While presenting Jennifer Perez her award, Ms. Brooks stated, "Jennifer has made herself stand out among her peers by exhibiting an infectious dedication, both academically and clinically, during her training. It is hoped that this award will help bring her one small step closer to achieving her goal in becoming a health care professional."
Karolina Briones, a Graphic Design student in Mr. Jason Ceballos' class at Whittier High School, was awarded First Place in this year's Evening of Excellence Program Cover Design Contest. In addition to being awarded a cash prize, Briana earned bragging rights to having designed the cover of this year's event program. Others who were honored include:
- Lieutenant Bryan Ellis, a 28-year veteran of the Whittier Police Department, who will be retiring this year. Lt. Ellis currently serves as Vice President of the Tri-Cities ROP Educational Foundation, the organization that co-hosts the Evening of Excellence annual event. A former ROP instructor for the Criminal Justice program, Lt. Ellis has volunteered his services and has worked tirelessly to promote our programs for many, many years. We are going to miss him tremendously when he leaves us in July to join the ranks of the retired. We thank him for all that he has done for the countless number of students over the years, and wish him the very best in his retirement.
- Ms. Elizabeth Tabb, Certified Nurse Assistant Instructor, California High School, has worked for TCROP for 10 years, and has provided exceptional instruction, in both classroom and clinical training, for our students in the Health Academy.
- Ms. Therese Kennedy, Director of Educational Services, will also be retiring this year. This announcement came to the surprise of many, who were both saddened to hear the news that she would soon be leaving Tri-Cities ROP, but also happy because all of us who know Therese know she will surely have a long and fun-filled retirement. Therese's expertise in the curriculum and instruction arena, along with her happy-go-lucky personality and bubbly laugh will be missed by all of us and will make finding a "replacement" nearly impossible.
- Classified Employee of the Year - Ms. Lupe Guerra, Tri-Cities ROP Budget Analyst is a truly dedicated employee who is passionate about supporting the mission of TCROP. Her cheerful attitude and diligent work ethic has gained her admiration of all her co-workers. She consistently strives to do the best work possible and supports learning in the classroom.
- Teacher of the Year - Mr. Mike Davis, Lead Teacher, Administration of Justice Academy has made many contributions to the students. He has been with Tri-Cities ROP for 16 years and is currently the lead teacher for the Academy and holds the rank of Captain at Whittier Police Department. He exemplifies the attributes essential for a career in public service.
The 25th Annual Evening of Excellence was truly a memorable night. We invite you to visit our website and Facebook page to view the video and photos of the event and, while you're on Facebook, please take the time to "Like us!" We're proud of what we've done collectively over the last 25 years and hope the next 25 years are just as successful and memorable!