Ten Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) seniors were honored Monday as the first-ever Students of the Semester, recognized for resilience, academic achievement and community involvement at a breakfast event at the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) Conference Center.
The new recognition program, a partnership between RCOE and RUSD, highlights students who show character and perseverance in addition to academic performance. It gives these seniors, many of whom have attended Riverside public schools since kindergarten, formal recognition just months before graduation.
Educators and staff at each of RUSD's 10 high schools selected one senior who displayed character, integrity, a passion for learning, active involvement in school life or community service, or resilience in the face of personal challenges while maintaining a commitment to education.
Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez and RUSD Superintendent Dr. Sonia Llamas welcomed attendees at the event, which included introductions from each student's school principal and speeches from the honorees themselves.
"The new Student of the Semester event is an inspirational reminder of the life-changing impact that education has on our students, many of whom have been part of our public schools since they were in kindergarten and are now only months away from graduating and pursuing their post-secondary dreams," Gomez said in a statement.
"We are grateful to partner with RCOE to celebrate these extraordinary scholars in Riverside Unified, who have demonstrated character, resilience, leadership and a commitment to making a difference in their schools and communities," Llamas said in a statement. "It was inspiring to recognize our scholars and hear directly from them about the people who have shaped their journeys."
Several honorees shared their stories during the event. Abby Hernandez of Arlington High School said in her speech that the hardships she has overcome helped shape who she is today, adding that people, including staff, teammates and even strangers, rallied behind her when she needed support most.
Marinna Sanchez of Abraham Lincoln High School said in her speech that attending a continuation school could have made her feel like she had fallen too far behind. Instead, she said, it gave her another opportunity to change her path, crediting staff and teachers with providing the support and confidence to keep going.
Laeyllonie Pineda of Riverside Virtual School said in her speech that she struggled to read and get good grades in elementary school, but that changed after she enrolled in the virtual program. She said her plan after graduation is to work and save money while keeping her college options open, and that she wants to stay within the community.
The honorees are Abby Hernandez, Arlington High School; Marinna Sanchez, Abraham Lincoln High School; Allisson Godinez, John W. North High School; Lekha Aji, Martin Luther King High School; Amareli Campos, Raincross High School; Zabdiel Bustos, Ramona High School; Chauncey Clark, Riverside Polytechnic High School; James Havercroft, Riverside STEM Academy; Laeyllonie Pineda, Riverside Virtual School; and Daniel Davalos, Summit View High School.
The next RUSD Student of the Semester recognition is scheduled for Friday, March 26, 2027. Honorees from both events will be eligible to apply for the RUSD Student of the Year scholarship awards event, set for Tuesday, May 18, 2027. Both events will be held at the RCOE Conference Center.
Table sponsors for the event included Riverside County First District Supervisor Jose Medina and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Platinum, gold, bronze and table sponsorship opportunities are available for future events.
RCOE is a service agency supporting Riverside County's 23 school districts, which together serve nearly 430,000 students. RUSD, led by Llamas, educates more than 36,000 students across 51 schools in Riverside.
