The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce hosted its monthly Rising Star student recognition program breakfast March 15 in Oceanside. March’s honorees are: Landen Anthony from Pacific View Charter School, Sabrya Mosely from Oceanside High School, Angela Hernandez Lira from El Camino High School and Angel Gomez-Galvan from Surfside Educational Academy.

During the event, the school principals and the students’ parents, counselors and mentoring teachers shared what set the student apart from other students and provided examples of their character, integrity, passion, focus and perseverance that has made them such a Rising Star on their campus and in the Oceanside community.

Eric Frandsen, principal of Surfside Educational Academy, said, “Angel has faced a series of challenges that he has overcome while at the same time building a future for himself at school. He has used these challenges to build character, empathize with those who are struggling, and to help him become a kind soul in the midst of what can sometimes be an unkind world. Angel is the kind of person that we all would have as a friend. The Surfside team is extremely proud to recognize and honor Angel as our Rising Star of the month.”

“Sabrya is definitely a rising star on many fronts. Sabrya is a wonderful, kind person that lights up any room that she enters with her smile, laughter and warmth. Her actions spread happiness everywhere she goes. Sabyra has two major passions; music and animals. Her passion for music has led her to be a part of OHS’s Choir and Show Choir for the last four years. Her choir performances along with her fellow peers have won them many competitions and awards. As to her second passion, Sabrya has plans to pursue veterinary science in college, and work with helping animals. We can’t wait to see what Sabrya can accomplish in her future,” said Skyler M. Garrahy, principal of Oceanside High School.

Eileen Frazier, principal of El Camino High School, said, “Angela is a dedicated El Camino High School Student who has over-come personal obstacles during her high school years. She will be a first generation high school graduate and college student. During her time at ECHS, she has been an active student that has taken advantage of the support opportunities available to ensure she can reach higher education.”

“Landen Anthony is a bright young man who has overcome many barriers to get where he is today. Landen has lived in six different states and in doing so, has learned to adapt to new environments. In high school, he faced several setbacks, and overcame a challenging homelife,” Gina Campbell, the founding executive director of Pacific View Charter School, said. “After removing himself from this situation, he struggled with an uncertain future, and moved to California to live with a relative. Despite these setbacks, he arrived at PVCS and became a successful, independent student. He will attend Cal State University, San Marcos in the Fall, and plans to study Biological Sciences. He is considering a career in the mediccal field, such as becoming a doctor or nurse. Landen’s greatest strength has been his ability to overcome difficult experiences to create positive outcomes for his future.”

The Rising Star program is hosted by the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce to recognize high school seniors at the city’s high schools who have overcome significant challenges in their life, but who have managed to keep, or get back on track with their education.

Each school principal collaborates with his or her staff to nominate one high school senior per month. The students must be college or vocational school-bound and they should emulate the program’s mission statement: “Convening the business and education community to honor Oceanside seniors for rising above adversity by demonstrating character, integrity, school and community engagement that make our city shine like a star.” Honorees are then eligible to apply for higher education scholarships that will be awarded at the end of the school year. While scholarships may be awarded for a wide variety of fields of study, the Chamber and its Workforce Development Task Force will be asked to keep in mind the emerging industries in the region including technology, biotech/life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and hospitality. Scott Ashton, the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce’s CEO, said they are hosting the Rising Star program as part of its larger workforce development initiative.

“The primary objectives are student recognition, scholarships for higher education and building of relationships between the business community and K-12 educational system. We are focused on engaging with our educational partners to ensure a strong workforce pipeline for Oceanside businesses,” Ashton said.

“None of this would be possible without our members’ support,” said Victoria Carlborg, the Chamber’s workforce development coordinator. “Thanks to Genentech and Tri-City Medical Center for providing scholarship funds and to Frontwave credit union, SDG&E, and small business owners Kevin Shin at the North County Roastery and Vallie Gilley at the Oceanside Kitchen Collaborative for believing in our mission and contributing to the cause.”

Rising Star events are open to all community members who want to show their support for Oceanside’s students. Contribute to the scholarship fund, event or program here. Contact Victoria@oceansidechamber.com for information on how to be a mentor to the Rising Stars.

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