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Bilingual report — Ventura County Office of Education Focus on Education June 2024 — Inspiring Stories form the Ventura County Class of 2024

by Community Contributor • June 7, 2024 • Comments Off

June 2024

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Inspiring Stories from the Ventura County Class of 2024

They started high school in their bedrooms and at kitchen tables in front of computers, taking classes over Zoom. They’re coming of age at a time when our nation is politically divided, our world is facing war and unrest, and artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of education and work. But the students graduating from Ventura County high schools in 2024 are not deterred. They’re facing the future with a sense of optimism that will take them far as they enter the next stage of their lives.

In our annual graduation edition of Focus on Education, I’m excited to introduce you to just a few of these remarkable graduates. Their achievements and perseverance are an inspiring reminder that we’ll be in good hands as a new generation becomes tomorrow’s leaders. It’s also evidence of the amazing job that local public school educators are doing for students. From academics to sports to extracurricular activities, our public schools have given the Class of 2024 tremendous opportunities to learn and grow and prepare for all that’s yet to come.

Dr. César Morales

Ventura County Superintendent of Schools

Science Superstars Shine on the National Stage

Ramon Moreno Jr. and

Emily Bryant

Thousand Oaks High School

Emily Bryant and Ramon Moreno Jr. have a few things in common. They’re both about to graduate from Thousand Oaks High School. They both wowed the judges with their entries in the Ventura County Science Fair. And they both went on to win major awards in national and international science competitions.

Program for Migrant Students Changed Her Life

Marlen Oviedo

Channel Islands High School

In March, Marlen Oviedo stood in front of a panel of judges and presented a speech on a topic that had just been given to her, with no time to prepare. She gave her speech in English, a language she had only started learning three years earlier. She went home with the first-place prize.

Princeton-Bound Grad Wrote the Book on High School

Danny Smiley

Ventura High School

When Danny Smiley was in 10th grade, he decided to write some notes for his little sister Katie who was getting ready to join him as a student at Ventura High School. Katie was so appreciative of the help from her brother, that he kept writing more… and more… and more.

Her Journey from Failing Student to College-Bound Prom Queen

Flor Rivas

Fillmore High School

It was her freshman year, and Flor Rivas was failing all of her classes at the large urban high school she attended in Las Vegas. The situation at home wasn’t good and she never imagined she’d earn her diploma. Then a lifeline came from her brother Elios, who suggested she come live with him and his family in the small Ventura County town of Fillmore.

A Troubled Past Won’t Define the Future for this Motivated Grad

Ricardo Vasquez

Gateway Community School

The high school years can be challenging for anyone, but it was especially tough for Ricardo Vasquez. His dad was in and out of his life, which left a significant void. “It was very hard learning certain things that you need a father figure for,” he says.