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Alyssa Hernandez is the Denair High School Class of 2024 valedictorian thanks to her 4.22 grade-point average. The salutatorian will be Lauren Pierce, who compiled a 4.17 GPA over four years.

Graduation is set for Friday night at Jack Lytton Stadium. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 7 p.m. 

Hernandez and Pierce recently took time to answer some questions about their high school experiences.

Question: What are the key things other students should know about your academic success and how you achieved it?

Hernandez: Success doesn’t come easy. I always did good in school, and that’s what I was known for. Every time I got a report card, it would be straight A’s, and I got used to doing good in school. But when I got to high school, I think a part of me got tired of trying so hard to get good grades and I started to question why I was doing all of this in the first place. I achieved success by continuing to push myself forward, even when there were times when I wanted to give up. I had to remind myself why I was doing this in the first place, and what it would mean for me if all the hard work I put in finally paid off. I knew my younger self would never forgive me if I wasted that time with studying and extra credit if it wasn’t going to be worth something in the future.

Pierce: Always do your work to your fullest potential; everything counts. If you need help, ask for it. I struggled to ask for help as I felt that it set everyone in the class back, but don’t be afraid to ask. The teachers want you to succeed and are willing to guide you with anything you need to fulfill that. Managing your time wisely is super important. You must prioritize your tasks to get things done in a timely manner. Don’t wait until the last minute to finish things, although I know it happens to the best of us. It’s better to get things done sooner than later as you never know what’s ahead. 

Q: How much time outside of regular class did you spend studying or doing homework?

Pierce: On a daily average, I spent about 5-6 hours studying or doing homework. It just depends. I did my best to prioritize things, so that I would have time to study for upcoming tests and complete homework. Academics are something that was very important to me, so I did what had to be done in a timely manner.

Hernandez: I spent most of my time staying inside my house studying and doing homework in the kitchen or in my room. I didn’t always have a lot of free time to do extra stuff, and when I did, I was sometimes struggling to catch up on what I had missed. I committed myself to multiple AP classes, and I think it was hard trying to find that balance of work and free time. I’ll admit, there were times when I got frustrated for putting myself in that position where I was constantly doing work and I would get stressed and overwhelmed. There were even times when there would be multiple weekends in a row where I didn’t have time to do anything but homework, and I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere because I had work to do. And a part of myself is still upset about missing out on things, but it was all for a reason. I wanted to give myself the best possible chance at success, and now I have.

Q: Which classes and/or teachers at Denair High had the most influence on you? 

Hernandez: Yearbook is one of the classes that had the most influence on me because it taught me to be creative and outgoing in a school setting. I had to take pictures at games and events, which meant that I had to be at the center of the action, which was something that I’m not used to. But it allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and create something that would be seen by the whole school. Ms. North had the most important influence on me because I’ve known her for most of my high school career, and she was there to help me in more ways than one. She taught me to analyze works of literature, she helped me with my essays and scholarships, and she was always realistic about how things are. Mrs. Hilton also gave me an opportunity to grow as a leadership student by electing me as publicity coordinator, and I tried something new that I have now enjoyed doing for school events and announcements.

Pierce: All the classes I’ve taken have had an impact on me. And all my teachers have taught me something different that will be useful in the future. Mrs. Hilton’s leadership class has had a huge impact on me as it helped me grow as a person and closer to the people in the class. I really had a voice in the events at our school, which I was grateful for. Mrs. Hilton has taught me many leadership qualities that I will thankfully take on in the future. Ms. North is very blunt, which prepares me for the future because things won’t always be fun and dandy. Mr. Khamo’s administration of justice classes has taught me how to handle certain situations that can come up in life. Mr. Cumberland’s words of wisdom will always stick with me. He always has advice for me through every situation and I’m very appreciative of that. And Mr. Wagner, who loves to have fun but also teaches us in a way that everyone understands. I can say that I can better understand things when he explains them rather than the book that he raves to us to read! I will always be grateful for all my teachers and all that they’ve taught me.

Q: How many Advanced Placement classes were you able to take? Were you challenged?

Pierce: I took six AP classes throughout high school as well as a pre-ap English class. These classes were challenging, but I love courses that make me think. This is where a lot of my time went after school, as the AP classes do take more time away from you, but they definitely helped prepare me for college. Compared to the regular classes, I can see the different workload and difficulty of these classes, which has me ready to take on the college adventure without hesitation.

Hernandez: I was able to take pre-AP English, AP English, AP Literature, AP U.S. History, and AP Government/Macroeconomics. AP Government/Macroeconomics challenged me more than any of my other AP classes. It taught me to think critically and logically about a whole new topic of information that I didn’t understand and applied real-world problems to the curriculum. As for my other classes, all of them were hard to learn, and there were topics that I struggled with, but I managed to study and learn what it all meant. I enjoyed doing English because it’s always been my favorite subject, but AP English allowed me to face challenges when reviewing literature.

Q: What kind of culture of learning exists in your home? What has that meant for your success in high school?

Hernandez: My parents and family have always been supportive of my goals, and they’ve encouraged me to do good in school throughout my entire life. Whenever there were times that I struggled with my grades or assignments, they helped keep me on track and gave me motivational speeches to remind me of a bigger purpose. My success in high school is because of my hard work, but I wouldn’t have gotten through it if it wasn’t for my family supporting me through every step of the way. They knew that I had the dedication to be successful in school, and that I would one day be rewarded for all my hard work.

Pierce: My parents pushed me to strive in school. They always wanted the best for me. I’ve always been college bound but they encouraged me to do my best. I’m a very self-driven student who just wants to be successful in the future. 

Q: What should members of the community know about the quality of education at Denair High?

Pierce: Denair High has an education that is unique. The teachers make sure that they teach in a way that all the students understand. Having a small school has its advantages. The students can grow closer to their teachers and the campus is a family. I can say that I feel fully prepared for my future because of the skills that I’ve learned here at Denair. The teachers help in multiple ways, offering help during lunch, after school, and sometimes before school. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience than Denair High.

Hernandez: Attending a small school made me realize how important it is to make connections with those around you, because being in a tight-knit community allowed me to get the help that I needed to succeed. Teachers and counselors are available to assist me in planning my future and achieving my academic goals through one-on-one interactions. Having a smaller number of students than other schools, I was able to get the assistance I needed that would not be available at a larger school. I was able to discuss my career goals and class requirements to put me in a position where I could graduate with honors, and gain recognition for the colleges I applied to. I also had the opportunity to have a voice in speaking for the student body and enacting new regulations that help students succeed as well. If I needed to apply for scholarships, talk about my career goals, and other forms of educational opportunities, I had the assistance of the school staff. Students alike also have similar goals of being successful in AP classes and other honors programs, which helped me stay motivated to continue on the right path for my future career.

Q: Outside of class, what kinds of teams, organizations or clubs are you involved in? How important are extracurricular activities in preparing you for college and beyond?

Hernandez: I was involved in my school’s Committed Coyote sports leadership class, where we planned multiple lunch activities, presentations, and marketing throughout our high school. I was also picked to be in my school’s Friday Night Live mentoring program, which partnered with the Better for Bella initiative, where we focused on mental health awareness and drug abuse awareness. I have been on the Prom Committee, vice president and treasurer for Empire 4-H, publicity coordinator for ASB Leadership, and vice president of Friday Night Live Mentoring. I also attended 4-H camp during spring break. I have also been a part of RYLA, Protecting Health and Slamming Tobacco (PHAST), Environmental Club, CSF Club, yearbook, and a JV/Varsity volleyball player for three years. Extracurricular activities are important in preparing students for college because it makes us more well-rounded individuals. It allows us to explore alternative learning activities and gives us more exposure to social situations. It prepares us for being leaders in any jobs/programs that we choose to pursue as adults.

Pierce: Outside of class, I’ve been a part of the volleyball team. I’ve been in various clubs including CSF (California Scholarship Federation), PHAST (Protecting Health and Slamming Tobacco), Environmental Club, student site council and student body treasurer. This year, I was also the yearbook editor, which was an honor. The yearbook is something we work on starting the first day of school and is one that’s very tedious as we want to make sure everything looks right and is spelled correctly. I’ve been involved in the Empire 4-H club for the past 12 years which has taught me different skills including leadership. Along with these extracurricular activities, I work at a local sheep dairy. 

Q: What is the right balance for teens busy with school, teams or clubs, and even part-time jobs?

Pierce: This is something I had to figure out the moment I stepped on campus at Denair. I was involved in so much, but didn’t want to give anything up, so I found a way to make it all work out. Everyone is different and can take on different amounts of responsibility and be able to handle it. I was heavily involved in my school, along with clubs and a job outside of school, so I just took one day at a time and got done what I needed to. Again, this is where prioritizing and time management come handy. Just do the things that are needed first, and then go from there. Take one day at a time, but don’t overload yourself.

Hernandez: Finding the right balance between school and other activities is crucial to being able to keep up with the things you’ve committed yourself to. You must find the time to make sure that everything gets done, and sometimes that means sacrificing the little bit of free time that you do have. But if you are set on being involved in school activities and you enjoy what you do with other classmates and on your campus, then you have to find a way to balance it all by being organized. Making reminders, keeping track of deadlines, and other methods help keep you on track during the chaos of sports seasons and club activities.

Q: What are your college and career plans?

Hernandez: I’m planning to attend a four-year college to major in biology and earn my master’s degree. At Whitworth University, I will study chemistry and physics as well, so that after college I can move onto a postgraduate optometry program to become a licensed optometrist. I hope to earn my credentials and license after taking a qualifying exam to become an optometrist. I plan to graduate from Whitworth and qualify for an internship at an optometry office to gain work experience in real-life situations. This will allow me to prepare for becoming an optometrist and give me an advantage when entering the workforce.

Pierce: This fall, I will be attending California State University, Northridge, where I will major in radiology. I hope to become a radiology technician and maybe even a traveling one for a couple years. 

Q: What themes are you going to talk about in your graduation speech?

Pierce: In my speech, I will give gratitude to the people who are important to me and helped me along my journey. I will also congratulate and thank my class for all the support and fun we’ve had throughout the years. We’ve grown up together and now we’re completing a huge milestone together.

Hernandez: I’m going to talk about the struggles of keeping up in a world with constant pressures of doing good in school and meeting expectations. I know what it’s like to be stressed and overwhelmed by trying to keep up in this world. But in knowing how to keep pushing ourselves forward, we can strive for what we want. We have the chance to take everything we’ve learned and apply it to our own independence, as we try to find out who we want to be.

Colorful flowers, tasty vegetables and creative floral arrangements brought community members to the renovated Denair High greenhouse last weekend for a spring plant sale hosted by the school’s FFA members.

The event was the latest step after nearly a year’s worth of work by Denair’s 118 FFA students and their instructors. And though many plants and bouquets were snapped Saturday, there still are some that can be purchased at Turlock Feed and Livestock Supply or by appointment at the high school. Officials ask people to call the office at (209) 632-9911 to set up a time after school to come check out what is available. 

So far, about $2,000 has been raised – money that will be plowed back into the FFA program.

Before anything could happen, the greenhouse – which was built in 2006, but hadn’t been used in a few years – had to be prepared. That work took place last fall. By February, it was ready to go and students in Denair’s Farm to Fork class began planting the first flower and vegetable seeds. 

The plants were nurtured until Saturday, when the students and staff threw open the doors, invited members of the community in and held their first plant sale since 2011.

“Our greenhouse hadn’t been in use for a while before this year, so it took a lot of hard work and dedication to get it up and running again,” said ag paraeducator Christian Obando.

The public had a bevy of eye-catching inventory from which to choose, including:

• Flowers (marigolds, petunias, cosmos and zinnias)
• Succulents
• Vegetables like tomatoes (beefsteak, Roma and heirloom); peppers (jalapeno, habanero and sweet), cucumbers and squash
• Herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley and dill)
• Fruit (watermelon and cantaloupe)

In addition, there was a build your own bouquet bar where customers were able to select from a three-stem bud vase arrangement for $10, a 10-stem Mason jar arrangement for $25 or a 12-stem bouquet for $30. After buyers picked their preferred stems, students in the floral arrangement class brought their ideas to life. The bouquets included flowers grown by the students as well as 80 sunflower stems donated by a community member.

The day included other fun activities like rock painting for kids, bouquet making and grow your own garden.

Students from the high school’s Project Life special education class also were on hand to man the Coyote Cup of Kindness drink cart, which had lemonade and other refreshments up for sale.

Obando said a goal that he and ag instructors Roger Christianson and Aime Snell share for the department and their students is to continue to renovate and update the greenhouse. New equipment will allow students to produce more food that can be used in the district’s kitchens in addition to growing flowers and veggies for future plant sales, which could include poinsettias at Christmas time.

Community members interested in contributing materials or money to the greenhouse project should contact the Denair High ag department.

Ethan Gonsalves’ high school golf career ended in heart-breaking fashion Monday when the Denair senior – thinking his 1-over-par 73 was too high – left the course early and missed a chance to compete in a playoff.

Playing at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton, Gonsalves got off to a fast start in the Sac-Joaquin Masters Tournament. He was 3 under par when he stepped to the tee on No. 13 – a 151-yard par-3 where he made his first hole-in-one during a practice round Friday.

Unfortunately, Gonsalves made a bogey Monday, then followed that with another bogey at the par-4 14th and a double-bogey 5 at the short par-3 15th.

Just like that, he was 1-over for the day and in danger of missing out on one of the four individual qualifying spots into next week’s NorCal Championship at Berkeley Country Club.

Gonsalves rebounded on the par-5th 16th, crushing a drive and then knocking his second shot to within 5 feet for a possible eagle. He missed the putt, but tapped in for a birdie, leaving him at even par with two holes to play.

He made a bogey and a par to finish at 73, then began to wait in the clubhouse. Gonsalves followed the app on his phone to keep track of other players’ scores. Only the top three teams – plus the four players with the lowest scores who aren’t from those schools – would advance.

“He was winning the tournament, then had a couple of bad holes,” said Denair coach Greg Gaudio. “He was upset because the holes he didn’t do well on were easy holes he typically would do well on.”

Gonsalves and Gaudio stayed for about 20 minutes, but Gaudio ultimately decided that it was best for Gonsalves that they leave the course. They drove to a nearby shopping center just to decompress.

Then, Gonsalves’ phone rang and he was told he was in a three-way playoff. They quickly drove back to the course. 

“it was two minutes away,” said Gaudio, who dropped Gonsalves off in the parking lot, not far from the first tee, where the playoff began. But by the time he got there, the two other players had already teed off and were walking down the fairway.

Gonsalves was too late and was disqualified.

The shocking end to his remarkable season does nothing to diminish Gonsalves’ accomplishments this year. He was the Southern League MVP and captured his second straight Section Small Schools individual championship. Earlier this spring, he signed a letter of intent to play golf at Cal State, Stanislaus in college.

“I just feel it was a real honor to watch this young man for four years turn into a great golfer,” Gaudio said. “I was lucky to watch his growth in the sport. This was definitely a lesson learned. I’m sure today he’s starting to shake it off.”

Name: Cristina Lopez

Family: Two sons

Position: Bilingual Attendance Secretary

Experience: Eight years in Denair

What attracted you to Denair Unified? What attracted me to Denair Unified School District is the strong sense of community and the dedication to providing quality education to students. The support from teachers, staff, and families creates a special learning environment. The small-school feel can really make a difference. It’s like everyone knows each other and there’s a real sense of community and connection. It’s nice to have a close-knit environment where you can make a personal impact on the students.

What are your primary responsibilities? My responsibilities include maintaining attendance records for students, communicating with parents and guardians regarding absences, assisting with language interpretation for non-English speaking families and ensuring accurate documentation of student attendance. My role is crucial in supporting effective communication between the school and families, especially those who may face language barriers.

What do you like best about your job? I love working with students.  Working with students can be so rewarding. Teenagers can be so dynamic and full of energy. It’s fantastic that I get to support them and guide them during those formative years. It’s really fulfilling to make a difference in their lives every day.

What would surprise people about your job? I think what would surprise people the most about my job is the deep connections I build with students in that age group. People might not realize the impact I have on their lives and how much they can teach me, too.  It’s a two-way street of learning and growth.

Why is Denair Unified a great place to work? Denair Unified is a great place to work because of the dedicated staff and the opportunity to make a positive impact on students’ lives. The sense of collaboration and the focus on students’ success makes it a rewarding environment to work in.

What do you do for fun?  I love to hang out with my two sons. I enjoy going to the movies, camping, hiking, fishing, and spending time with my loved ones.

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Denair Unified is currently accepting applications for Classified substitutes. If you would like to gain experience in a variety of roles, subbing is a great way to do that. You can apply at  https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/1896889 or contact Daisy Flores at dflores@dusd.k12.ca.us.