9 Chaffey District students receive Campus Officer scholarships

As a freshman at Alta Loma High School, Orlando Munoz kept to himself. Although physical ailments required the use of a scooter and an oxygen tank he carried with him throughout the day, he didn’t share much about himself – and never sought sympathy.

“I couldn’t get three words out of him a day,” says Alejandro Mariano, a Campus Officer at the school. “But little by little he started opening up. First about his favorite football team, the Baltimore Ravens, then about himself” – eventually revealing that he is foster care. Today, Orlando’s upbeat attitude is an inspiration to fellow students, and to adults like Mariano, who nominated the graduating senior for one of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District’s first Campus Officer Scholarships for Student Perseverance.

The scholarship program, launched this year, is providing $500 awards to nine students across the District who have demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity. Each of the students was nominated by campus officers, who also helped raise money for the awards along with other District employees. The Chaffey Federal Credit Union also contributed to the scholarship fund.

“We’re thrilled to start this program and recognize those students who have overcome difficulties in their lives,” said Robert McCoy, the Chaffey District’s Director of Safety and Campus Officers. “Our officers do a great job of inspiring that trust and connectedness, and are well positioned to recognize students who may be facing adversity or other challenging circumstances.”

For Omolayomi (Layomi) Akanwo, a graduating senior at Los Osos High School, the path to graduating senior started as many do – “struggling with her place in the teenage world,” says Campus Officer Irma Ruiz. Today, Layomi has a 4.0 grade-point average, is a member of two advanced choirs and has been nominated for prom court by her peers. She has applied to more than a dozen colleges and hopes to make her way to either New York University, Howard University or University of California San Diego.

“Layomi has grown and matured exponentially,” Ruiz says. “She shines academically and socially as she was always meant to.”

In addition to Layomi and Orlando, winners of this year’s Campus Officer Scholarships for Student Perseverance are:

Chaffey High School: Tiauna Bailey

Colony High School: Trinity Doerr

Etiwanda High School: Twin brothers Christopher and Michael Taylor

Montclair High School: Diana Macias

Ontario High School: Jake Romero

Rancho Cucamonga High School: Kiara Luquin

The scholarship is the latest example of the Chaffey District’s commitment to providing a safe and caring campus environment for all students. In addition to the work McCoy and his team are doing, the District implemented a capital improvement program at each of its campuses to increase security, and has invested significantly in mental health support. Since 2008, the number of counselors and psychologist on staff has nearly doubled, to 114.

“We see how difficult it can be for many of our students to navigate an increasingly complicated world. Caring about all of our kids and keeping them safe is so critically important to the jobs we do everyday,” said Dr. Mathew Holton, Chaffey District Superintendent. “We’re thrilled to offer these scholarships as a way to recognize students who have persevered through adversity, but also the campus officers who play such a critical role in their lives.”