Honorees transcending obstacles On Oct. 26, the Fremont Union High Schools Foundation will host its 11th annual Recognition Dinner and honor seven seniors from the district's five high schools and its alternative programs. Despite various challenges, each student has remained committed to education and to life, illustrating the power of the human spirit. Alice and Vicky Chen, Cupertino High School Alice and Vicky Chen are identical twin sisters. Besides having the same DNA, they share a love of writing. The twins have a genetic disorder that makes them legally blind. "They have learned how to make the most of life and chose to overcome their disability," said former Cupertino High principal Cary Matsuoka. Both Alice and Vicky believe they are invincible. "If someone tells me I can't," Alice said, "I have the urge to prove them wrong." One of the twins' favorite pastimes is writing, including poems, songs, political debates and novels. "I sort of treat writing as creating a whole world that we can do everything in," Vicky said. The twins use magnified fonts on their computers to write the majority of their compositions. Next year the twins will likely attend a university in California with a focus in journalism and/or law. "I think both of us ideally would like to be authors in the future," Alice said. Elizabeth Darnelle, Alternative Program A little over a year and half ago, Darnelle was living in Reedley, out in the country, where she loved being a part of her high school's ROTC program and had dreams of going into the Navy and becoming a doctor. Following a car accident that forced her into a wheelchair, she had to reevaluate her future. Despite it all, Darnelle remains determined to succeed. "She has always had the attitude that she can overcome any difficult situation, either through force of will, sheer determination or just plain old hard work," said Cupertino special education teacher Sean Cryan. Darnelle is a part-time student at Cupertino High and DeAnza College. "A lot of my friends are really amazed that I go to the high school instead of just doing independent study," she said. Next year she will continue taking classes at DeAnza. She is interested in learning sign language and becoming more involved in outdoor activities such as tennis and kayaking. One day, with the help of leg braces, Darnelle expects to walk again. "What I've learned from her is that nothing can permanently dim the spirit," Cryan said. "You can live with and overcome nearly anything life has to throw at you." Aimee Baker Gonzales, Homestead High School "I've never really gotten anything special because I don't have good grades," Gonzales said. "So I actually got something special for what I'm good at: overcoming obstacles and being happy." During the summer, Gonzales' family lost their home in Cupertino, but instead of moving from the area, Gonzales was determined to stay and graduate from Homestead High. "Our family has been really unstable for my entire life," she said. Gonzales is now living at the home of one of her close friends from school. "Everything Aimee does, she tries as hard as she can, and that's a wonderful quality to see," Homestead principal Graham Clark said. At school, Gonzales is involved with the newspaper and is the president of the poetry club. One day she would like to work for a magazine. Gonzales also works at the local KFC/Taco Bell in order to save money for her future. "I don't let anything get me down," Gonzales said. "If you keep your head up and you believe in yourself, you're going to go somewhere." Susana Hernandes, Fremont High School "They told me I won because of my hard work helping my family, working and going to school," Hernandes said. Hernandes started working when she was a sophomore. She currently works about 26 hours per week at a local Safeway Starbucks. "My mom can't give me everything because I have three little sisters and a brother," she said. When Hernandes is not at school or working, she is responsible for taking care of her younger siblings. She admits that sometimes she feels like her mom's husband; her father lives in Los Angeles. "The fact that she quit ASB leadership is exemplary," Fremont principal Peggy Raun-Linde said. "She did this to help walk her siblings to school and provide modeling and focus." Next year, Hernandes hopes to attend San José State University. She would become the first in her family to attend college. She plans to study teaching or nursing. "I like to help people who need help, like people who don't know how to speak English," she said. Marcel Stieber, Lynbrook High School Last June, Stieber and his friend Lev Kulyashov rode about 1,294 miles along the West Coast to raise funds to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation that provides support for cancer patients and their families. "His bike ride this past summer really demonstrated the independent, intelligent and thoughtful student he is," Lynbrook principal Mike White said. In addition to biking, Stieber is the baritone section leader in the school marching band and is the sound and lighting technician for Lynbrook performances and concerts. He also recently renovated a nature trail at the Sierra Club lodge in Tahoe for his Eagle Scout project. Next year, Stieber hopes to study mechanical engineering at Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. Asked how he thought his friends might describe him, he laughed. "They would probably say, 'He's the guy who always raises his hand in class and does everything, everywhere,'" he said. Christine Whitehill, Monta Vista High School During Whitehill's freshman year, her father was diagnosed with brain cancer. "I didn't know how to react," she said. Soon after, Whitehill decided to volunteer for Special Olympics, a program that provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for people with disabilities. "I coached swimming, and from there I tried to get more people interested in it and started a club on campus," she said. Whitehill is also a lifeguard at Stanford University, swims competitively and is the Monta Vista women's water polo captain. "She approaches life with vitality and enthusiasm," Monta Vista principal April Scott said, "giving an outward appearance that all that comes her way has been easy. Such is not the case." In addition to her father's permanent disability, Whitehill's mother is currently in remission from cancer, and Whitehill herself is considered a special education student due to a learning disability affected by short-term memory problems. However, her high GPA, athletic success and dreams of becoming a sports physiologist show no limitations. She said, "With all that I've been through, I've learned that you have to be positive." |