The Lakers are proud to announce April Student of the Month winners, Michelle Flores, Ariana Greenidge and Ulises Muñoz and Teacher of the Month winners, Renee Godinez, Steven Nagano and Grace Yun. This month's winners demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academia, athletics, and community outreach.

Michelle Flores, a 12th grader at Indio High School, is very involved at school and in the community. Among the many academic honors Michelle has earned, graduating in the top ten of her class is the most notable. As a section leader in the school marching band and a volunteer at the local pet rescue center, Michelle is a role model for her classmates.

Ariana Greenidge, a 3rd grader at Conejo Elementary School, is a natural leader who works to make her school a better place to learn. Ariana organized a read-a-thon to raise money at Conejo. In addition to her school work, Ariana plays basketball, sings in the chorus and tutors fellow students in reading.

Ulises Muñoz, a 10th grader at King/Drew Magnet High School, is a member of five clubs and teams at his school! Ulises is currently first in his class at King/Drew with over a 4.0 GPA. As vice president of the Ocean Challenge Club, a member of MESA and a participant in the Compton Creek Clean Up Day, Ulises is very involved in school and in the community.

Renee Godinez, a 1st grade teacher at Kinoshita Elementary School, is dedicated to her work at school and in the community. As a pediatrician turned teacher, Renee is committed to bettering the lives of children. In addition to her work with students in school, Renee manages the San Juan Youth Soccer League.

Steven Nagano, a teacher at Bancroft Middle School, is active in the classroom and on the basketball court. With his knowledge of computers, Steven tutors students and assists teachers at Bancroft to improve their technological skills. As coach of the school basketball team, Steven recently led the team to a city championship.

Grace Yun, a special day class teacher at Edwin Markham Middle School, works to mainstream students with special needs into general education courses. As the After School Site Supervisor at Markham, Grace coordinates student activities like arts and crafts, sports leagues and tutoring. In addition to her teaching, Grace is pursuing a Master's Degree at LMU.

The honorees were invited to the home game on April 13th where the Lakers took on the San Antonio Spurs. They were honored during a halftime presentation where the recipients received a plaque and a $50 gift certificate to Staples. The nominations for the April Student and Teacher of the Month were submitted by principals and teachers of each school based on exemplary teaching efforts, academic achievement or extracurricular activities.