Congratulations to these exceptional CSF Sealbearers nominated by their CSF chapter Advisers and selected as Seymour Award Finalists. On March 22nd they met in a group interview setting to compete for the South Seymour Recipient Award.

Eliza Bourne – Chapter 1411 San Juan Hills High School
Adviser Colleen Magana
Principal Cina Abedzade
Capistrano Unified School District

This young woman has a heart of gold and a voice to match.  Eliza has used her voice to speak up for others and worked to make them feel welcome and heard. She has been in CSF since her freshman year and has served as the vice president and president her Junior and Senior years, coordinating service-oriented projects including clothing and hygiene drives for underserved communities. She has provided translation to facilitate communication in her clubs, her school, and at church for years. She is a highly engaged student involved in leadership and active participation in clubs such as the Pink Ribbon Club, the National Honor Society, and JustServe, a club she co-founded where she has coordinated monthly service events that included distributing food to unhoused individuals and individuals with food insecurities, among others.

Talking one-on-one with the people she has served has made her grateful for these experiences, because she cannot help but see herself in the humanity of those she has gotten to know personally. She is inspired to make a difference in the lives of others and may pursue nursing as a career as she heads off to BYU Provo in the fall. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a variety of photography accolades along with her academic recognitions such as the National Ben Carson Award and VFW essay and speech contests.  She pursues other activities beyond academics, performing in choir in addition to theater events throughout the community and on campus.  She is active in her church, a student-athlete in track, and in Scouts of America.  She has even started her own small business selling honey through her efforts as a beekeeper! 

Eliza will certainly be a force of positive change in the world as she moves forward into her post-secondary education.

Matthew Gonzalez – Chapter 1293 Great Oak High School
Adviser Diana Arban
Principal Amber Lane
Temecula Valley Unified School District

This student is simply amazing.  As the youngest in his family, he always wanted to be a “big brother” and becoming involved in UNICEF gave him this chance to form friendships with young people with special needs. He feels that this work most defines him, and this has given him a special connection to the people in the program, as he thoroughly enjoyed his time volunteering to work with UNICEF, making those personal connections with others, and seeing the excitement and joy they have in their participation in the programs. Under his leadership, UNICEF has conducted a recycling program for the past three years.

Matthew is also active in leadership in CSF, serving as treasurer (11th) and president (12th) of the club. He was a Science Olympiad serving as president for both his junior and senior years, where he also was a medalist in competition for 2 consecutive years. His love for science and research was solidified with his opportunity to work as a biomedical researcher with Indiana University during this past summer and has inspired him to major in biochemistry or molecular biology with ambition to go into medicine or research after studying at a top university, such as Santa Clara.

Hopefully, he will be able to continue his interest in karaoke (and having fun) sharing that interest with others as he did when he started the Karaoke Club at his campus, Great Oak High School.

Seowon Han – Chapter 667 Sunny Hills High School
Adviser Hera Kwon
Principal Craig Weinrich
Fullerton Joint Union High School District

Seowan is a student that has grown and thrived in amazing ways throughout her personal and  educational journeys.  Many of her experiences, especially through CSF, where she took over leadership in her last few years to begin a recycling program at Sunny Hills High School, have informed her dream to work at the intersection of health and human services with an emphasis on environmental concerns.  She is interested in pursuing research in renewable energies in the future and attending a UC campus.

Seowon has won numerous awards and recognitions in diverse areas of art, journalism and writing, music/flute, as well as academic or leadership awards that include the Rotary Youth Leadership and a silver medal for the Science Olympiad.  Her volunteer work through Kaiser Permanente serving in the Emergency Department has been a highlight for her during her high school career as she has truly enjoyed helping others in this high energy environment. She is especially proud of her work as editor of the school news magazine and online platform and her work with the LA Times High School Insider Student Advisory Board where she was involved in podcast production where she worked in a variety of roles from producer to host to content manager. 

Seowon is voicing the concerns of her generation as she takes her talents to the next level.

Ethan Hsu -Chapter 667 Sunny Hills High School
Adviser Hera Kwon
Principal Craig Weinrich
Fullerton Joint Union High School District

This is a young man who has overcome educational and personal challenges to find his voice and purpose through service to the community. Ethan is the current vice president of his Sunny Hills High School CSF chapter, as well as the CSF Volunteer Commissioner in his junior year, where Ethan organized student volunteer opportunities with over 20 local senior care facilities. CSF members connected with residents through a letter and card writing campaign. 

Ethan has been an active member serving the community as a Link Crew Leader at his high school, helping freshmen connect to the high school community. He has been active in or provided leadership in many on-campus clubs including Chess Club, Chinese Club, and the Coding Club. He has served the community teaching in the Science for Kids program, worked on-site at the local Good Sam Pantry supporting unhoused or food insecure residents, and even provided service at the American Red Cross working with donors like himself.  He is also a competitor in the Sunny Hills Science Olympiad, competing in more than 11 tournaments this year.  Having won multiple awards, including Elk’s Student of the Month Quarterfinalist,

Ethan is really proud of his work and recognition through his Boeing Internship where his Integrated Product Team took first place in August of 2024. His top choice for college is UC Berkeley where he wants to major in biomedical engineering, eventually going into research in the future. One thing he is most grateful for is the opportunity he has had through CSF to witness first-hand the appreciation people have when they receive some type of help or service. This experience guarantees his continuing work with the community into the future.

Bryce Jacobsen – Chapter 1079 Temecula Valley High School
Adviser Gustavo Rodriguez Rios
Principal Donna Lione
Temecula Valley Unified School District

Bryce Jacobsen is an excellent scholar and all-around great citizen who “shows up” for his community at Temecula Valley High School, as well as the wider community. His current goal is to study some form of political science or related field in hopes to eventually attend law school after graduating from a prestigious university such as Brigham Young University.  With that in mind, he has been a Legal Aid volunteer but is keeping his options open as he has led many other clubs at school including Pre-Med, Sports Medicine, Interact-Rotary, and served in student government in several capacities over the years. 

An avid student athlete, Bryce has honed his teamwork skills in basketball, football, track and golf. He has attained the Eagle Scout designation with Scouts of America and leaned into other service opportunities including Special Olympics, Helping Hands and many others. He is an accomplished musician and one of his favorite service commitments was playing his cello for retirement home audiences, bringing a smile to residents’ faces and some music to their daily lives. These performances were some of his favorite service memories because he loved seeing the light and joy that these performances brought to the residents and how much pleasure and gratitude they had as audience members. 

Bryce is a true scholar and a gentleman, and he is guaranteed to walk a path of service and scholarship into his future.

Jayden Lee – Chapter 1293 Great Oak High School
Adviser Diana Arban
Principal Amber Lane
Temecula Valley Unified School District

This is a student “gardener” who is sowing the seeds of success as he works toward his goals. Jayden has been a patient and focused scholar who uses the metaphor of gardening to provide illumination for how he sees life – the act of cultivating plants provides an important lesson that nurturing seeds is a small, incremental task that can eventually lead to a flowering future. 

Jayden has amassed a variety of experiences that have led directly to his goal of going to medical school to become a pediatrician after graduating from Duke with a biology degree. Supporting this goal, he was a Science Olympiad and participated in Guatemala Health Outreach in 2023 where he spent time in rural villages supporting free cataract surgeries for residents and education on hygiene and other health outcomes.  He also attended UCSD summer enrichment in math and science (COSMOS) in 2023 and was awarded an internship with Stanford Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills this past summer.

Gardening Club at Great Oaks High School will be one of his favorite memories and is where he has learned the importance of cultivation and patience working with his tennis team and environmental science teacher to rejuvenate and beautify an area of campus that had been neglected.  He cherishes these and all of the memories and lessons learned during his high school career and will utilize these lessons to enhance his life moving forward

Alessandra Pimentel – Chapter 1167 Paloma Valley High School
Adviser Michelle Allen
Principal Julie Mendoza-Blied
Perris Union High School District

This is a student who is reaching for the stars – literally.  Alessandra hopes to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a fighter pilot or an astronaut, whether through attending her dream school of the Air Force Academy or Cal Poly or a UC campus that offers mechanical or aerospace engineering degrees. To this end, she has earned accolades such as a scholarship for the Aim High Flight Academy, completed the US NAval Academy Summer Seminar, and gained an appointment from Ken Calvert, her California congressman for District 41. 

Alessandra sees her biggest strength as her ambition and grit – these qualities have nothing to do with competing with others, but in pushing herself to her own limits.  She has amassed strong leadership skills and community involvement through her many clubs, including Engineering Club where she was team captain, the Paloma Press as assistant editor, and as a volunteer with the March Field Air Museum. She is especially proud of the Youth Leaders of Menifee where she was able to interact with so many amazing people and feel the gratitude personally from the many participants. She has also won awards for her creative writing and poetry, in addition to many Paloma Valley High School academic and citizenship awards, demonstrating the diversity of her academic, community outreach, and leadership skills.

This young lady will be forging a new path forward – to infinity and beyond.

Michelle Quinonez – Chapter 1173 Santiago High School
Adviser Kathy Zeeb
Principal Kenny Torres
Corona-Norco Unified School District

Michelle has used her experience to inform her message – and has used this to share ideas about innovation and having a positive outlook through her two Santiago TedX talks.  Having this positive mindset is one reason that she aspires to a career in medicine as she navigates a biology major at UC Irvine on the road to becoming a pediatrician. She doesn’t wish simply to be a medical professional, but to be the type of doctor who shares empathy for her patients and their humanity by acknowledging the limits of science and the power and warmth of human compassion.

She has shown this type of leadership and compassion at Santiago High School and beyond,  as a Kaiser Summer Youth Volunteer, Corona’s Mayor Youth Council and clubs such as Partners in Health, Speech/Debate, and French Club, all of which she held leadership positions.   As CSF secretary in her junior year and president in her senior year, Michelle was instrumental in club rush, fundraising, campus beautification efforts and many activities that supported college admissions for all students.

Michelle is proud of her work with the speech and debate club, which was a step outside of her comfort zone, but led to her successful TedX talks and an increasing strength in public and interpersonal speaking and communication. She will definitely be a strong advocate for others moving into the future.

Santiago Emilio Valle – Chapter 999 Ocean View High School
Adviser Robert Gonzalez
Principal Rob Rasmussen
Huntington Beach Union High School District

Santiago believes that leadership and compassion go hand in hand, and he has embodied caring leadership with his chosen experiences. He hopes that his leadership has inspired others, as he sees true leadership as a form of empowerment rather than of “power.” He has honed his leadership through his work with Model United Nations, where he won Best Delegate in 2022, and continues to combine his version of service through Scouts of America, where his connection to conservation has had a chance to thrive through the Urban Forest and Shipley Nature Center where he has volunteered his time. He is on track to earn his Eagle Scout this year and is working on building a coffee cart that will fund student needs at his high school from coffee sales to district and school site employees. 

Santiago interned with Boeing this past summer that had an 8-person team working to design a Solar Weather and Irradiance Measurement System. In addition, he has served as president of the Robotics team for two years and has been an active member since his freshman year. In his limited spare time, he was able to earn a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo and started the Balsamic Vinegar Aficionados club on campus at Ocean View High School. 

Matthew plans to attend Montana State or Johns Hopkins and major in some form of genetic or bioengineering.  His tenacity is sure to propel him toward his goals, wherever those may lead.

Congratulations to these exceptional CSF Sealbearers nominated by their CSF chapter Advisers and selected as Seymour Award Finalists. On March 15th they met in a group interview setting to compete for the Central Seymour Recipient Award.

Khloe Ackerman – Chapter 260 Edison High School
Adviser David Wisar
Principal Joey Munoz
Fresno Unified School District

Jillian Fifield – Chapter 1263 El Diamante High School
Adviser Mark Abbott
Principal Kim Nelson
Visalia Unified School District

Kaylene Garza – Chapter 512 Redwood High School
Adviser Nicole Vieira
Principal Brandon Gridiron
Visalia Unified School District

Marianne Denise Lababit – Chapter 1379 Sierra Pacific High School
Adviser Brian Dull
Principal Jamie Rogers
Hanford Joint Union High School District

Vida Lew – Chapter 1320 Millennium High School
Adviser Lauren Moore
Principal Carolyn Woods
Tracy Learning Center

Joanna Linette Molina Ambriz – Chapter 1212 Granite Hills High School
Adviser Mariah Ruiz
Principal Jacob Bowker
Porterville Unified School District

Max Pacheco Mendez – Chapter 1100 Duncan Polytechnical High School
Adviser Gabriel Perez
Principal Eric Martinez
Fresno Unified School District

Bethany Ray – Chapter 66 Sanger High School
Adviser Nikki Le Daud
Principal Kristin Coronado
Sanger Unified School District

Steven Sanchez Barrera – Chapter 1547 Sanger West High School
Adviser Karla Bretado
Principal Ryan Osier
Sanger Unified School District

Jetsie Villegas – Chapter 1263 El Diamante High School
Adviser Mark Abbott
Principal Kim Nelson
Visalia Unified School District

Khloe Ackerman – Chapter 260 Edison High School
Adviser David Wisar
Principal Joey Munoz
Fresno Unified School District

Khloe has been an active member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) for three years. She has also thrived in the Kiwanis Key Club, where she currently serves as President, after previously excelling in other leadership roles. Notably, Storyland of Fresno recommended her as a dependable and resourceful individual for organizing volunteers and schedules. Among her favorite high school experiences were participating in toy drives, assisting with the Rose Parade, and serving as Vice President of the “Crochet for a Cause” club.

Since 2018, Khloe has been involved with the Lao Community Cultural Center, showcasing her passion for music and dance. All the while, she has maintained an impressive 4.0 GPA. She holds a deep admiration for her grandparents, often reflecting on the memorable five weeks they spent together visiting family and exploring night markets in Thailand.

Khloe is fortunate to have numerous college options. While her dream is to attend Columbia University, she has also been accepted to Cal State East Bay, Cal Poly Humboldt, Fresno State University, and the University of San Francisco.

Khloe embraces the motto, “Always dream big and never let the limits of this world hold you back!”

Kaylene Jade Garza – Chapter 512 Redwood High School
Adviser Nicole Vieira
Principal Brandon Gridiron
Visalia Unified School District

When asked what makes her unique, Kaylene shared her love for Woodshop and Taylor Swift. She is the President of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) at her school and has earned the title of Ranger of the Month not just once, but twice. Alongside her accomplishments, she holds an OSHA-10 certificate and has been on the Yearbook staff.

A consistent achiever, Kaylene has made the Honor Roll every year since her freshman year and has earned the prestigious Student Seal of Biliteracy. While she awaits responses from the California State Universities she has applied to, she has already been accepted to California State University, Monterey Bay, and Fresno State University.

Kaylene’s aspiration to become a pulmonologist is deeply inspired by her grandfather, whose advice continues to guide her: “Become Somebody.” Without a doubt, Kaylene, you are already somebody remarkable, and there are incredible things ahead waiting for you to discover!

Marianne Denise Lababit – Chapter 1379 Sierra Pacific High School
Adviser Brian Dull
Principal Jamie Rogers
Hanford Joint Union High School District

Little did Marianne know that attending her first CJSF meeting would pave the way to all that she has achieved today. As Vice President of her high school’s CSF chapter, Marianne has immersed herself in numerous meaningful activities. She serves on the Economic Brothers Youth Council, contributes to Little Free Libraries, and has created social media blogs and graphic designs.

Her talents and passions extend to the arts and athletics. Marianne is a proud member of the colorguard, band, jazz band, and the tennis team. In her spare time, she enjoys playing a variety of instruments, including the trumpet, clarinet, flute, piano, and ukulele.

Marianne’s hard work and dedication have opened many doors. She has been accepted to Santa Clara University, Cal State Fullerton, San Diego State, San Jose State, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, and USC. While all these opportunities are exciting, UC Berkeley is her top choice. Marianne plans to major in Neuroscience and focus on Physical Therapy for Brain Injuries, though she is also considering UC Davis and awaiting decisions from UC Berkeley and UCLA for a potential Engineering major.

Vida Lew – Chapter 1320 Millennium High School
Adviser Lauren Moore
Principal Carolyn Woods
Tracy Learning Center

Vida has been a dedicated member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) for four years, having started her journey as a CJSF member six years ago. With 435 credits completed, she is on track to graduate high school with an Associate of Arts degree. Alongside her academic achievements, Vida has completed over 250 hours of community service.

She is an active member of the Girl Scouts, has spent three years in the marching band, and participates in both the Biology Club and STEM Club—all while maintaining an impressive 4.29 GPA. In her free time, Vida enjoys playing the clarinet and creating digital art.

Vida has applied to several universities, including Cal Poly, California State University of Monterey Bay, Cal State Santa Barbara, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley. Her dream is to major in Environmental Sciences. Notably, Vida combines her passion for the environment with her creative skills by building bee boxes. Her favorite song, fittingly titled “Queen of the Hive,” reflects her enthusiasm for this unique hobby.

Joanna Linette Molina Ambriz – Chapter 1212 Granite Hills High School
Adviser Mariah Ruiz
Principal Jacob Bowker
Porterville Unified School District

Joanna is the President of the California Scholarship Federation chapter at Granite Hills High School in Porterville. She has earned the prestigious President’s Award each of the four years of high school.

Joanna’s commitment to service is evident through her two years of involvement with the Ronald McDonald House and her active participation in Rotary Runs for Cancer and Domestic Violence Vigils. She interned with Qualcomm, Raytheon, and an Animatronic camp, as well as the Porterville Police Department. Additionally, Joanna has served as a tutor and has helped organize the Special Needs Prom.

Joanna channels her creativity into making blankets for the homeless, having donated an impressive 250 blankets and counting. She is also an entrepreneur, running her own business, J’s Dessert, with cupcakes as her signature specialty.

Joanna has already been accepted to Cal State Bakersfield and Cal State Long Beach but remains open to opportunities from the 12 schools she applied to. She is eagerly awaiting a response from Stanford University, her top choice. Joanna plans to major in Biology and Environmental Health, aligning her aspirations with her passion for making a meaningful impact on the world.

Max Pacheco Mendez – Chapter 1100 Duncan Polytechnical High School
Adviser Gabriel Perez
Principal Eric Martinez
Fresno Unified School District

Max is a member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), where he holds the position of President. He has demonstrated his technical skills by developing and maintaining websites for both CSF and the Robotics Team. Currently serving as the lead for the Robotics Team, Max writes code.

Max’s academic excellence is reflected in his impressive 4.5 GPA, as seen on his transcript. Beyond academics, he is a versatile individual who is part of the cross country and soccer teams. He is also an active member of the Interact Club, contributing his time to support numerous fundraisers and campaigns.

Max has applied to several universities, including UC Berkeley, Smittcamp Honors College, Fresno State University, UC Davis, and UCLA. Of these, UC Berkeley is his top choice, where he plans to major in Computer Science. Max likes coding and aspires to delve into the world of artificial intelligence in his future endeavors. His coding repertoire includes languages such as BASIC, JavaScript, and Python—showcasing his dedication to advancing his technical knowledge.

Max’s journey is nothing short of inspiring, and there’s no doubt he will continue to excel in the next chapter of his life!

Bethany Ray – Chapter 66 Sanger High School
Adviser Nikki Le Daud
Principal Kristin Coronado
Sanger Unified School District

Bethany serves as the Treasurer of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) at Sanger High School and has been a dedicated member for four years. Her commitment to leadership and service also shines through her four-year participation in the Principal’s Forum and the Interact Club.

Beyond academics, Bethany’s is a force ot be reckoned with—she has earned the title of Sparring Champion in Taekwondo at both State and National competitions. She is actively involved in Mock Trials, the Engineering Club, the Robotics Team, and Speech and Debate, showcasing her diverse talents and interests.

Bethany’s drive for excellence has also led her to attend two prestigious programs at MIT, further enriching her journey. This fall, she will be attending UC Berkeley to pursue a degree in Engineering. Bethany’s personal motto is “Leave things better than you found them.” Bethany is making everything better along the way.

Steven Sanchez Barrera – Chapter 1547 Sanger West High School
Adviser Karla Bretado
Principal Ryan Osier
Sanger Unified School District

Steven is a leader with a clear vision for his future. A three-year member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), he currently serves as Co-President and is also the Student Body President. Throughout his time in CSF, Steven has actively contributed to various activities and organizations, including the Honey Club Food Pantry. Steven also participated in the Valley Children’s Hospital Shadow Program, furthering his aspirations in the medical field.

Steven has applied to an impressive range of universities, including all the UCs, several state colleges, and prestigious institutions such as Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Duke, the University of Pennsylvania, and Brown. However, Columbia University will have the honor of welcoming Steven this fall. They are incredibly fortunate to gain such a talented and driven student as he embarks on his journey to pursue his dream of becoming a surgeon.

Jetsie Villegas – Chapter 1263 El Diamante High School
Adviser Mark Abbott
Principal Kim Nelson
Visalia Unified School District

Jetsie has been an active member of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) for the past four years. Throughout her high school journey, she has participated in a wide range of clubs, organizations, and activities. These include The Link Crew, AVID Club, Key Club (for two years), Harvesting Hope, and the Kaweah Delta Shadowing Program.

Her outstanding achievements have been recognized with multiple accolades, such as the Principal’s Award, AP Scholar Award, State Seal of Civic Engagement, State Seal of Biliteracy, and Honor Roll every year—maintaining an exceptional 4.0 GPA.

Jetsie has applied to numerous colleges and eagerly awaits their responses. Stanford University is her top choice, but she is also considering all 10 of California’s UC campuses, ensuring she keeps her options open. She plans to major in Biology and pursue a career in the medical field.

Outside of her studies and extracurriculars, Jetsie enjoys riding her favorite horse around her home area—a pastime that reflects her adventurous and spirited nature. Giddy up, Jetsie, as you ride into a bright future!