Nominate someone now for student or educator in 2018-19.
The Lakers are proud to announce the March 2019 Student and Educator of the Month winners! This month’s student winners are Miriam Gama, Jonathan Hakim, Jose Quintero, Joshua Alcala and Joe Conway. Each winner demonstrates an outstanding commitment to academia, athletics, and community outreach.
Miriam Gama, an outstanding 4th Grade student at Franklin Elementary School. Miriam has made incredible academic progress in both Language and Math. She is always looking to help others and maintains the most positive attitude.
Jonathan Hakim, a charismatic 8th grade student at La Mesa Junior High. Jonathan tries his best in the classroom. On top of his school work, Jonathan is a dedicated basketball player for the city of Santa Clarita.
Jose Quintero, an exceptional 12th grade student at James A. Garfield High School. Jose excels in the classroom and has been listed on the Principal’s Honor Roll multiple times. He serves as a Senator for the Global Senate program and has also earned perfect attendance awards for the past 4 years!
Joshua Alcala, a 7th grade Social Studies teacher at Vineyard Junior High School. Joshua has been a teacher for over 6 years. He dedicates many hours as an after-school coach for the school’s basketball, football, track, and soccer teams. Joshua also works after school with the Art Club, Gaming Club, and Study Hall.
Joe Conway, an enthusiastic teacher at Woodcrest School. Mr. Conway consistently creates fun and engaging lessons for his students and is known for being a leader at his school. Mr. Conway works as a mentor for new teachers and consistently showcases exceptional involvement within the Woodcrest School Community.
Each Student and Educator of the Month winner was invited to the home game on March 29, 2019 vs. the Charlotte Hornets. They were honored during a halftime presentation where they received a plaque and a Lakers Student and Educator of the Month t-shirt. The nominations for the March Student and Educator of the Month were submitted by principals and teachers of each school based on exemplary teaching efforts, academic achievement or extracurricular activities.
The Lakers are proud to announce the February 2019 Student and Educator of the Month winners! This month’s student winners are Brady Williams, Bryan Garcia, Clarissa Arriola, Juan Calderon-Guillen, Emily Barbee and Nasim Azari. Each winner demonstrates an outstanding commitment to academia, athletics, and community outreach.
Brady Williams, an outstanding 4th Grade student at 156th Street Elementary school. Brady is always willing to help his fellow classmates and displays what it means to be a respectful and responsible student.
Bryan Garcia, a charismatic 9th grade student at James A. Garfield High School. Bryan loves to challenge himself in the classroom and has made it on the Principal’s honor roll list. As a member of the school’s cross-country team, he is an elite runner and was league champion this past year. Bryan is a great ambassador for Garfield High School and for the community of East Los Angeles.
Clarissa Arriola, an exceptional 12th grade student at Los Angeles International Charter High School. Clarissa excels in the classroom and has dreams of becoming a nurse so she can give back to her community. On top of her school work, Clarissa is a dedicated student-athlete and is Captain of the school’s volleyball team.
Juan Calderon-Guillen, a hardworking high school teacher at Benjamin Franklin High School. Mr. Calderon-Guillen has been the driving force behind many school wide programs. He is a co-creator of the school's Generation Green chapter in which he involves the students of Franklin High School in environmental education and
leadership opportunities.
Emily Barbee, an Assistant principal at 52nd Street Elementary. She is constantly encouraging her students and lifting the spirits of those around her. During her time as assistant principal, Ms. Barbee has worked hard to provide a sense of community where everyone feels welcomed and appreciated.
Nasim Azari, a dedicated teacher at Magnolia Science Charter Academy. Mr. Azari has been directly responsible for teaching hundreds of primarily Spanish speaking kids to speak, read, and write in English. With his guidance, many of his students go on to high-school and are classified as English Proficient before they arrive.
Each Student and Educator of the Month winner was invited to the home game on February 27, 2019 vs. the New Orleans Pelicans. They were honored during a halftime presentation where they received a plaque and a Lakers Student and Educator of the Month t-shirt. The nominations for the February Student and Educator of the Month were submitted by principals and teachers of each school based on exemplary teaching efforts, academic achievement or extracurricular activities.
The Lakers are proud to announce the January 2019 Student and Educator of the Month winners! This month’s student winners are Berenice Rodriguez, Celeste Arechiga-Lomeli, Christopher Venegas, Nicanor Halili, Dr. June Sakaue and Robin Cardona. Each winner demonstrates an outstanding commitment to academia, athletics, and community outreach.
Berenice Rodriguez, an exceptional 5th Grade student at Montague Charter Academy. Berenice thrives under pressure and does not turn away when things get difficult. She embraces any challenge and has a hunger to learn new things. Berenice is also an active member of the afterschool homework club where she can be seen
helping students with their school work.
Celeste Arechiga-Lomeli, is a caring 8th grade student at Durfee School who is active in sports, student council and the Honor Society. Celeste is known for putting others needs before her own. In her free time, she tutors young students and volunteers at the local convalescent hospital.
Christopher Venegas, is an outstanding 12th grade student at Warren High School. Christopher excels in the classroom and has dreams of becoming an engineer. On top of his school work, Christopher is a dedicated student-athlete and stars as the Quarterback on the Varsity Football team.
Nicanor Halili, an inspiring 4th grade teacher at Walteria Elementary School. Mr. Halili has been the driving force behind the Lakers Read to Achieve program at Walteria each year. He is energizing and prides himself in being able to motivate even the most reluctant readers to pick up a book. His continued efforts to motivate his students have helped them become more confident readers.
Dr. June Sakaue, principal at Blandford Elementary. Dr. Sakaue understands the challenges that teachers and students face each day and is always works to ensure that the entire school community provides the best possible learning environment for their students. Under her leadership, the Blandford community feels confident in her ability to keep improving the school.
Robin Cardona, is a dedicated teacher at Franklin High School. Mr. Cardona enjoys forming meaningful relationships with his students and always looks to motivate them to reach their full potential. He is a mentor to many of his students and has been instrumental in helping his students reach their goal of going to college!
Each Student and Educator of the Month winner was invited to the home game on January 9, 2019 vs. the Detroit Pistons. They were honored during a halftime presentation where they received a plaque and a Lakers Student and Educator of the Month t-shirt. The nominations for the January Student and Educator of the Month were submitted by principals and teachers of each school based on exemplary teaching efforts, academic achievement or extracurricular activities.
The Lakers are proud to announce the December 2018 Student and Educator of the Month winners! This month’s student winners are Morrison Lane, Aaron Butler, Luis Cruz, Michelle Willie, Barbara Howard and Nadia Seikaly. Each winner demonstrates an outstanding commitment to academia, athletics, and community outreach.
Morrison Lane, is a top-notch 4th grader at Eagle Rock Elementary. Morrison is a model of compassion and kindness for his peers. He demonstrates these qualities through his words, actions, and thoughtfulness. He is a student who listens and speaks from the heart and exhibits empathy for his peers. In the classroom, he is always helping others, including his teacher!
Aaron Butler, an exceptional 8th grade student at Charles Evan Hughes Middle School. While averaging a 3.5 GPA, he has been a part of the school’s football team, a key member of the defending championship basketball team and a member of the after school young talented and gifted club. As a member of the Male Leadership Academy Class, he has always shown kindness towards all his fellow peers.
Luis Cruz, is an outstanding 12th grade student at North Hollywood High School.
As a special education student, Luis is always looking for ways challenge himself. He attends a history class with general education students just to learn more about History because he so enjoys it so much. Luis also participates with the school basketball team and a joint track and soccer team with many students. He is also a big Laker fan, so we are happy to have him here tonight!
Michelle Willie, a caring 3rd grade teacher at Jellick Elementary, who has been teaching for 19 years. Michelle is always willing to help, and consistently goes the extra mile in support of students, parents, teachers and the community. Michelle is constantly encouraging her students and lifting the spirits of those around her. In her free time, you can find her leading school programs, giving back to the community and participating in charity walks.
Barbara Howard, a hardworking special education teaching assistant at North Hollywood High School. Barbara has worked as an educator for 25 years and is known as being a selfless person with a big heart. She constantly goes out of her to way to make sure each one of her students feels special. Throughout her career, she has affected hundreds of kids’ lives, and is loved by each and every one of her students.
Nadia Seikaly, a dedicated educator who has been teaching for more than 20 years.
As a 4th grade instructional aide, Nadia has worked diligently to ensure that all 4th grade students become excellent readers and have access to great books. In her free time, Nadia is very involved in the St. Francis de Sales Community, as she supports all fundraisers and school events. She is also an active member at her own parish, St. Charles, and volunteers for many local events.
Each Student and Educator of the Month winner was invited to the home game on December 2, 2018 vs. the Phoenix Suns. They were honored during a halftime presentation where they received a plaque and a Lakers Student and Educator of the Month t-shirt. The nominations for the December Student and Educator of the Month were submitted by principals and teachers of each school based on exemplary teaching efforts, academic achievement or extracurricular activities.
The Lakers are proud to announce the November 2018 Student and Educator of the Month winners! This month’s student winners are Hailey Aiden, Adriana Ochoa and Tristan Hguyen. The winning teachers are Gitanjalie Misra, Mauricio Leal and Frances Weissenberger. Each winner demonstrates an outstanding commitment to academia, athletics, and community outreach.
Hailey Aiden, an exceptional 11th grade student at Granada Hills Charter High School. Hailey excels in the classroom and carries a 4.4 GPA. On top of her school work, she is a dedicated student athlete and stars on the girls Varsity basketball team.
Adriana Ochoa, a selfless 8th grade student at Olive Vista Middle school, who is known for putting others needs before her own. She tutors other students in her class and volunteers at the school library. She balances being part of the school’s band and drill teams all while earning honor roll grades each year. In her free time, Adriana also volunteers with Heal the Bay and participates in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.
Tristan Nguyen, a hardworking 3rd grade student at Durfee-Thompson Elementary School. He excels in math and reading and is always looking for ways to push himself. Tristan is known to be a leader in his class, and is constantly looking to help others with their math and reading assignments.
Gitanjalie Misra, a top-notch English teacher Thomas Starr King Middle School. Ms. Misra is like a mother to many of her students. She is always willing to help, and constantly goes the extra mile in support of students, parents, teachers and the community.
Mauricio Leal, a dedicated math Teacher at James A. Garfield High School. He is a mentor to many of his students and has been instrumental in helping his students reach their goal of going to college! He also takes the time to tutor students after school and spends many hours preparing assemblies, professional development, and community events for students, teachers and community members.
Frances Weissenberger, is the principal at Quail Summit Elementary. Ms. Weissenberger constantly encouraging her students and lifting the spirits of those around her. In just her second year as Principal, she has done an exceptional job leading by the example and showing her students the importance of kindness.
Each Student and Educator of the Month winner was invited to the home game on November 7, 2018 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. They were honored during a halftime presentation where they received a plaque and a Lakers Student and Educator of the Month t-shirt. The nominations for the November Student and Educator of the Month were submitted by principals and teachers of each school based on exemplary teaching efforts, academic achievement or extracurricular activities.