The FUHSD board hosted its annual MV Board Meeting Celebration, honoring groups and individuals from MVHS for their notable efforts and achievements, in the FUHSD District Office, on Wednesday, March 12. After MV ASB presented achievements and events from the past year such as the outdoor 2024 Homecoming dance, specific recognitions began with Varsity Girls Volleyball for their achievements in regional tournaments, including advancing to the CIF NorCal Championships for the first time in MVHS history.
Following the team’s certificate presentation, MVHS’s Interdisciplinary Research and Project Design (IRPD) class was honored for their work in designing a project to ensure stable internet bandwidth in MVHS facilities, which will be used for upcoming AP testing. Senior and IRPD member Hursh Shah, who led and designed test models for the project, says that the recognition was gratifying for the efforts the group made.
“The entire group was ecstatic to have the work recognized,” Shah said. “It was a great honor for everyone involved to really do something for the district and have it be recognized by the district. It was a lot of effort we put in, and it was great to see the results of it actually coming to fruition in MVHS.”
The celebrations then recognized Print Center Technician Paula Gaspar as the Classified Employee of the Year, for her leadership in cultivating an outstanding work environment. Similarly, Guidance Counselor Clay Stiver was honored as the Certificated Employee of the Year for his dedication to the MVHS community in various roles since 2009.
To conclude the meeting, assistant principals Janice Chen, Brian Dong and Anthony Nguyen gave three individual MVHS seniors — Kathryn Foo, Andres Zavala Zavala and Maya Gallo — personalized speeches in honor of their contributions to the MVHS community throughout their high school careers. Zavala Zavala, who was selected as the Foundational Student of the Year, says that the award came with great surprise as they hadn’t anticipated being recognized for a unique style of contribution — social and emotional contribution rather than just academics.
“I wasn’t expecting to be chosen just because I’m not a typical Monta Vista student, and knowing myself, I knew that I didn’t fit into those standards,” Zavala Zavala said. “I think I was ultimately chosen because of my grit, resilience and the hard work that I’ve done throughout all my years. I learned that being a foundation student shows that anyone can achieve this goal, no matter their background. It’s not about where you come from but what you are willing to do to take on new challenges and embrace new opportunities.”
