Congrats to our Rising Stars of the Year

In September 2024, the Carlsbad Chamber launched its sixth annual Rising Star of the Month program to honor local area high school seniors for demonstrating character, integrity, love of learning, involvement in school and community activities, and the ability to overcome challenging life circumstances without compromising their education. This year, we honored nearly 40 high school seniors from seven different high schools here in Carlsbad.
The students who are honored each month are selected by the high schools themselves. At the end of the school year, those students who were honored throughout the year as Rising Stars of the Month are then eligible to apply for the Rising Star of the YEAR scholarship. This year, the Carlsbad Chamber was able to honor ten exceptional students. They were all recognized for making a difference in their home, school, and community. Each of the ten Rising Stars of the Year was acknowledged in May. Four of them received a $2,000 scholarship. The other six received $1,200 scholarships. A short description of each student is listed here to introduce them to you. 

RISING STARS OF THE YEAR ($2,000):
Ava Byrnes (Carlsbad High School) – Ava Byrnes is a true overcomer. During her freshman year of high school, Ava was in a near-fatal car accident that was devastating. Her car tipped 8 times, and she catapulted 10 feet into the air. She suffered two brain bleeds and, upon recovery, had to relearn to eat, talk, and walk. Her recovery was challenging as she suffered from PTSD. Her drive, grit, and determination were extremely strong, and Ava made it back to becoming a varsity athlete her senior year on the Beach Volleyball team. Ava plans to attend San Diego State in the Fall as a Communications major.

Nicolette Hoang (Sage Creek High School) – Nicolette’s story is a story of perseverance. Nicolette tore her ACL, MCL, LCL, and more as a young teen. She overcame those injuries to star on her Flag Football and Soccer teams. She also went through some mental health challenges. She learned that asking for help is not a weakness. Sharing that message has become a passion for her. She became the first-ever student tutor for ACE, a program that assists students who are struggling with low GPAs. She also wrote and published a children’s book called Indigo to help children process mental health questions. Nicolette will be attending the University of San Diego in the Fall and studying Psychology.

Teana McCullough (Pacific Ridge School) – The word that best describes Teana is authenticity. Teana is all about staying true to
yourself. Teana expresses herself powerfully through visual and performing arts. Teana started at Pacific Ridge as a shy preteen. Now she uses her voice to advocate for others. Teana is an exceptionally hard worker who wears her heart on her sleeve. Teana will be attending Cal. State Long Beach in the Fall as an Art History major.

Nathan Mun (La Costa Canyon High School) – Nathan is a creative, kind young man who is passionate about solving real-world problems. Nathan’s mantra is that growth comes from discomfort. He can attest to that as he started as a freshman wrestler, winning zero matches, and becoming an all-league wrestler this year. Nathan is very eclectic. He is also on the Golf team, the Beach Volleyball team, is a Sunday School teacher at his church, and is the Science Olympiad Club President. Nathan is trilingual and a published scientist. In the Fall, Nathan will attend UCLA as an Engineering major. He wants to work in the energy sector and make the world a more sustainable place.


BONUS RISING STARS ($1,200):
Ezio Aven (La Costa Canyon High School) – Ezio is a student with strong character and a big heart. Ezio is part of the AVID club and is on
the Tennis Team, but he is most known for Charitable Charms. Charitable Charms is a nonprofit Ezio started that makes jewelry at his school as a club and then sells it at Farmers Markets to raise money to fight sexual violence. Ezio plans to attend Boston University in the Fall and pursue a degree in Business Administration and Management.

Abigail Baum (La Costa Canyon High School) – Abbey is a true leader, having served as ASB President, Captain of her Field Hockey Team, and a member of the Girl Up Club. Abbey is very kind, collaborative, and inclusive. She thrives at helping others feel heard. She wants to continue to help others as she attends the University of Wisconsin in the Fall. She plans to major in Communications with an emphasis on Sports Communications. Her goal is to help female athletes tell their stories.
Grace Elliot (La Costa Canyon High School) – Grace is described as an enquirer with a huge heart. On campus, she served as a Peer Assistant Leader and was part of ASB. On campus, she volunteers at both the San Diego Food Bank and Coastal Roots Farm. She feels that effective leaders are shaped by others around them, and she is grateful for all that the Carlsbad community has given to her. She plans to attend Colorado State University and major in Biomedical Science with an emphasis on Anatomy and Physiology. After college, she plans to be a doctor or dentist.


Ariel Pantaleon Rios (Sage Creek High School) – Ariel is a Rising Star in every sense of the word. Ariel emigrated to the United States, not
knowing a word of English. But despite starting his educational journey as an English Language Learner, he ended it as an AP student and a math tutor. Ariel is always willing to help others. In addition to being a volunteer math tutor at school, Ariel is a volunteer and leader at his church. Ariel believes that everything happens for a purpose. He is excited to be the first in his family to attend college. He plans to attend Cal. State San Marcos in the Fall and major in Mechanical Engineering or Business.
Neve Taylor (La Costa Canyon High School) – The word that describes Neve Taylor the best is resilience. Neve and her family went through medical challenges that morphed into serious mental health challenges, resulting in them having to flee their home. Through it all, Neve became an empathetic caretaker for her siblings and a source of positivity for her mom. The challenges they have endured have led Neve to want to study Psychology. She plans to attend UC Davis in the Fall to become a Clinical Psychologist.


Matthew Walker (Carlsbad High School) – Matty Walker is a leader through and through. Matty was the CEO of the Carlsbad Virtual Enterprise class this year, helping his team embrace and market AI advancements for students and educators. He also participated in Speech and Debate, Track and Field, and Cross Country. He is also a Champion Lancer, where he helps mentor younger students in the Carlsbad Unified School District. Matty will be attending UCLA in the Fall and majoring in Business and Economics.