The 2017 Senior Awards Night was held on Monday, May 15th at Friends Church, where students and parents came and celebrated the success of this graduating class. Not only were students recognized for their achievements made on campus, but students were also awarded for their involvement with organizations in the community.

A large portion of the event was dedicated to the awarding of scholarships to the students who applied by the means of turning in an application. Over sixty scholarships were awarded to seniors, who were selected from the large pool of talented students that applied. Most of the scholarships required an essay, in addition to a regular application that asked for grades and test scores. There were about 40 outside organizations present at the event, that handed out the awards to the students after calling out their names. These generous organizations included but were not limited to Linda Vista Elementary PTA, Yorba Linda Middle PTA, Golden Elementary PTA, Mabel Paine Elementary PTA, and Travis Ranch Middle PTA. While some of the organizers traveled to attend this event, most of the groups come from local sources. Students surely were grateful for the opportunity to gain help in paying for their education.

Another portion of the program was dedicated to awarding students who stood out in some way from the student body. Awards were handed out to the students with perfect attendance and to students with over five hundred community service hours. Angela Chuang (12), one of the recipients of the community service award, said, “I love how our school truly values the importance of making a difference in the community.” Surely, this year’s graduating class has changed the community for the better, through all the service projects in different clubs and organizations.

Next, students were recognized for standing out in the area of academics. Awards and medals were handed out to students that shined in each department over the past four years. The medal award recipients for the department of Language Arts, Social Sciences, World Languages, Mathematics, Business/Computer Science, and Science respectively were Rachel Seo, Sarah Reisinger, Terrell Shaffer, Ravi Patel, Jonathan Hood, and Bradley Mont. Mustangs take their studies very seriously, and this night focuses on awarding students who have worked extra hard to excel in their rigorous courses.

At the end of the program, the school announced the Mustangs of the Year, Adam Carrillo and Julianna Thrasher. Senior Awards night was surely a night to remember for these Mustangs and served as a great reminder that hard work creates a brighter future!