On May 10, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) held a ceremony to show appreciation for 42 outstanding Community Honorees. Every year, the district asks each of its school sites to identify a special individual or dynamic duo who has dedicated their time and energy to volunteering to support students and staff. These individuals embody the district’s core values of excellence, collaboration, integrity, and innovation. Annually, this evening serves as a cherished tradition in the school district but, unfortunately, it had to be put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Superintendent Dr. Jim Elsasser provided a warm welcome to those in attendance. He shared, “In PYLUSD, we recognize that education is a shared commitment between devoted teachers, staff members, families as well as you—our volunteers. Each and every year, our supportive volunteers donate their time, energy, and talents to aiding our district’s important mission of inspiring all students through rigorous and relevant educational experiences that empower them to become responsible, ethical, and contributing citizens. Together, our community honorees bring our core values of excellence, collaboration, integrity, and innovation to life in order to help our school district shine. Honorees—we cannot thank you enough for your service to all of PYLUSD.”
Director of Human Resources, Nancy Blade, and Director of Middle Schools, Keith Carmona, then took a moment to speak about each honorees’ contributions and presented them with a PYLUSD “You Are the Advantage” certificate of achievement and challenge coin. School principals accompanied their respective honorees.
Loved ones, coworkers, and fellow community members packed the Auditorium at Valencia High School in order to cheer on the honorees as they received special thanks from Board Members and Superintendent Dr. Elsasser.
To close the ceremony, Board President Carrie Buck shared the following: “On behalf of the entire Board of Education, I want to once again express our profound gratitude for each and every one of our Community Heroes. When I think of the dedication you have shown to our organization this year and beyond, I am reminded of the famous quote: “Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” Thank you for dedicating your time despite your busy schedules and thank you for sharing your heart through your invaluable contributions to our students, staff, and entire school district community.”
Here’s a full list of this year’s honorees:
| Elementary Schools | 2022 Honorees |
| Brookhaven Elementary School | Traci Larson |
| Bryant Ranch School | Raina Southwell |
| Fairmont Elementary School | Angie Taberski |
| Glenknoll Elementary School | Ivy Ballister |
| Glenview Elementary School | Andria Deiro |
| Golden Elementary School | Thuy Louie |
| Lakeview Elementary School | Marisol Ligot |
| Linda Vista Elementary School | Beau Hall |
| Mabel Paine Elementary School | Jennifer Park |
| Melrose Elementary School | Nancy Zamora |
| Morse Elementary School | Karen Fuentes |
| Rio Vista Elementary School | Zulema Bravo |
| Rose Drive Elementary School | Krystle Altenbach and Julia Whiteside |
| Ruby Drive Elementary School | Celia Roldan |
| Sierra Vista Elementary School | Alicia Kim |
| Topaz Elementary School | Vanessa Stricker & Marisol Looper |
| Travis Ranch School (TK-8) | Erica Johnson |
| Tynes Elementary School | Anni Yan |
| Van Buren Elementary School | Linda Ju & Erica Howell |
| Wagner Elementary School | Krista Hope (Combining w/ Tuffree) |
| Woodsboro Elementary School | Rick Grammer & Cali Kimble |
| Middle Schools | |
| Bernardo Yorba Middle School | Lisa Bartolo |
| Kraemer Middle School | Eva Harman, Kristy Lopez, Cathy Martinez |
| Tuffree Middle School | Krista Hope (Combining w/ Wagner) |
| Valadez Middle School Academy | Maria Alvarez |
| Yorba Linda Middle School | Ladonna Gundling |
| High Schools | |
| El Camino Real High School | Kathy Campanelli & Terry Rose |
| El Dorado High School | Paul Clifford |
| Esperanza High School | Veronica Smock & Shireen Ahmad |
| Valencia High School | Irma Perez |
| Yorba Linda High School | Angela Ramirez |
| Alternative Schools | |
| Buena Vista Virtual Academy (K-12) | Kristy Case |
| George Key School | Char Knapp |
| Parkview School (TK-12) | Rachel Sammons |
| Venture Academy | Carmen Coindreau Gonzalez |
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