Congrats to our Rising Stars of the Year
In September, 2023 the Carlsbad Chamber launched its fifth 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 were acknowledged in May with a $1,500 scholarship. A short description about each student is listed here to introduce them to you.
Michelle Antonio (Sage Creek High School) was referred to as “catalyst for change” by her Principal. She is very engaged in social justice, is a tutor, peer leader, involved in AVID and No Place for Hate. She completed the BioMed Pathway at Sage and is headed to UC Riverside in the fall to study Business.
Ash Bering (Carlsbad High School) is the President of the GSA club at Carlsbad High School and promotes sensitivity and inclusion. One of Ash’s biggest life lessons is to “take action for what you care about.” Ash plans to attend Palomar College and study ASL with the hopes of serving the deaf community.
Marelyn Catano (Carlsbad Seaside Academy) came to the United States as a Kindergartener knowing no English. Now, she is a tutor helping others learn English. She is noted for her refusal to give in to adversity. Marelyn had a lead role in a book published at Seaside that promoted school authors and provided all the proceeds to the homeless. She plans to attend the University of Michigan in the fall and major in Pre-Med as she works toward becoming a Cardiologist.
Callia Chon (Sage Creek High School) grew up feeling alienated as a Korean-American with no peers. Today she is a change-maker who works tirelessly to create safe spaces for all who feel disconnected or alienated. In the fall she will be attending UCSD to study Biology on a Pre-Med track.
Brandon Faulkner (Carlsbad High School) is the Editor of the Carlsbad school newspaper and is active on the Speech and Debate team and the No Place for Hate initiative. He was recognized for his ability to incorporate different viewpoints into his work as an editor. He plans to attend Cal State Fullerton in the fall and study Journalism. His goal is to become a Foreign Correspondent and help tell the stories of those who don’t have a voice.
Abigail Gehris (Sage Creek High School) graduated early from Sage and is already working fulltime as a CNA in a nursing home. She earned her CNA last summer. She was recognized for her work ethic, kindness and respectfulness. She plans to attend UCLA and study Nursing. Her ultimate goal is to become a Nurse Practitioner.
Sophie Hersh (Sage Creek High School) is the Link Crew President, an ASB Leader and was the Program Coordinator for Shadow Cats. Via Shadow Cats, she helped facilitate 240 8th graders who visited Sage to see if it was a good fit. She completed the BioMed Pathway at Sage and plans to study Kinesiology at Purdue, planning to graduate with her undergrad and masters in 5 years.
Rachel Kann (Carlsbad High School) was the Co-President of Best Buddies this year and helped usher in Unified Sports, where special education students can play alongside and with general education students. Her passion is to care for others. She earned her CNA last summer and works at an Assisted Living facility in La Jolla. In the fall she plans to attend Azuza Pacific to study Nursing and hopes to become a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse.
Ava Lee (La Costa Canyon High School) was noted for her huge heart and her tenacity. Ava has overcome mental health and addiction issue from her youth and noted that, “people are more than the mistakes they have made.” Her path to success has been anything but a straight line, but she continues forward. She plans to attend the University of Washington in the fall to study Political Science, with the intention of eventually going to Law School.
Sofia Tamayo (Carlsbad High School) made the most of high school by being involved in all she could: AVID, Speech and Debate, CHS TV, Robotics and more. She was noted for always sharing what she learned, including conducting “coding” classes over Zoom for those interested to learn more. In the fall she plans to attend Harvey Mud and study Mechanical Engineering.