The Annual Senior Scholars Banquet was held on Sunday evening, April 13, 2008 at the Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells. Seniors and their guests entered the ballroom to music provided by the Coachella Valley High School Jazz Band under the direction of Mr. Gerald Antalik.

Celina Adame, a distinguished scholar, led the Pledge of Allegiance and Mr. Manuel Arredono, CVHS principal, welcomed the scholars, teachers, board members, and parents and guests.

As dinner was served, Adriana Navarro, Robert Velez and Miguel Hernandez sang while Alfonso Olachea accompanied them on the piano. All are seniors and members of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy under the direction of Mr. Bob Reinhagen.

The ceremony began with a speech from Mr. Chauncey Veatch, the 2002-2003 National Teacher of the Year and a former CVHS social studies teacher. Mr. Veatch spoke on the role of families in the seniors’ academic achievement and the importance of respect for their support and dedication. “This dinner represents a celebration of the achievement of our student scholars. It also provides an opportunity for us to thank their parents and families for their support and dedication. It is an important community event,” says Mr. Veatch. “As these young men and women move on to fulfill their destinies I am proud to say that no school will have better ambassadors.”

Next, 46 seniors were acknowledged with awards in six categories: Distinguished Scholar, Merit Scholar, Exemplary Scholar, Honor Cord Recipient, Advanced Placement Scholar, and Scholar Athletes of the Year. Awards are determined by the student’s academic G.P.A. and the number of courses taken that meets the A-G requirements for college acceptance. This year, 19 seniors were recognized as Merit Scholars, 10 as Exemplary Scholars, and 14 as Distinguished Scholars. Twenty-six seniors were presented with the gold honor cords they will wear with their caps and gowns on graduation day.

Maribel Jaquez and Nadia Mariscal were honored as Advanced Placement Scholars. To earn the designation, students must pass a minimum of three AP exams by the end of their junior year. “I feel relieved for I have accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. It was not easy to reach this goal but if I can do it anyone can do it,” says senior Maribel Jaquez.

Alfonso Olachea and Laura Braithwaite were honored as male and female Scholar Athletes of the Year for having the highest G.P.A.’s of all senior scholar athletes. Laura has been on the swim team since her freshman year. Alfonso, a four year member of the golf team, also played football for three years.

“Being awarded Scholar Athlete of the Year was a significant accomplishment for me—making me relieved that the hard work and commitment of my life to swimming and my studies has been recognized and appreciated. I wouldn’t have received this award if it wasn’t for the support from my coaches and fellow swimmers,” said Laura Braithwaite.

The evening ended with the student scholars giving out awards of their own, “pins of appreciation” to their parents and closing remarks by the event coordinator Mrs. Audrey Carrick, CVHS counselor.

“I enjoyed having Mr. Veatch, a National Teacher of the Year, give us a speech on the basis of every family, respect,” said Diana Tizcareno. “I also enjoyed the positive environment my peers and I were exposed to that night. Everything was perfect.

“The best part of this event was having dinner with some of my favorite women, Mrs. Arrage, Ms. De La Torre, and my mom,” said senior Arlete Pichardo.