School Standouts

Third-grade teacher Ann Bornhoeft went above and beyond when one of her students was diagnosed with cancer, tutoring him at his bedside in the hospital so that he wouldn't fall behind.

Kid Flix is a talented group of 12-to-14-year-old students from Placerita Jr. High School in Santa Clarita. It is an on-campus journalism club that broadcasts a live newscast every morning before school.

Brianna Taksony is an attendance clerk at High Desert School in Acton. She’s also a single mother of six children, and despite hardships, she continues to go above and beyond for her kids and students.

Val Verde Unified Police Chief Mark Clark writes tickets to kids when he catches them doing something positive. It’s called the "Positive Citation Program."

She’s an athlete, a straight-A student and now she’s a self-published author and she’s only 17 years old. Kate Rael is a high school senior at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California and she is literally the epitome of determination and resilience.

In life, you meet people who you instantly know are destined for greatness. Well, Oscar Cruz from Whittier is one of those people. He is taking the swimming world by storm and he’s only 13 years old. 

Magic is happening at John Burrows Middle School.

Varsity football player Anthony W. Spearman III, 16, credits God and his faith for his success on and off the field. He is currently a varsity running back at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks and has gained a reputation for his intensity, leadership, willingness to learn and good character both on and off the field. 

There is a farm revolution going on in the Inland Empire at Don Lugo High School and it’s all because of agricultural teacher, Alyssa Berry.  

At the base of the Foothill Mountains, music is filling the air. The sound of mariachi is making its mark in the Azusa Unified School District and it’s all because of its talented music director, Carlos Rios. 

Move over Ironman because there’s a new Tony Stark in town! His name is Ed Hernandez and he is the genius behind the award-winning T-Tech Academy at Tustin High School.  

David Burn is the epitome of grace under pressure. He is the first male dancer on the Sunny Hills Dance Production Team and he couldn’t be more proud.  

After Dana Point mother Gail Myers experienced the unimaginable, the sudden death of a child, she made it her mission to make sure the same tragedy doesn’t happen to other families.

In the South Bay, a battle is being waged against cancer one lyrical note at a time. Manhattan Beach brothers, Robbie and Dylan Knowles, are taking on cancer through music and their fight is personal. 

The motto at Santa Ana High School is: “Once a Saint, Always a Saint!” and Vincent Gonzales is proving he’s a saint at this high school.

Cindy Weeks is an amazing special education teacher at the school and she not only educates her students but she is literally giving them the tools they need to lead a well-balanced and successful life. How? Through mindfulness and yoga.