CD 01 c

Graduation Special
Congratulations To The Class Of 2011
Capistrano Valley Christian Schools • JSerra Catholic High School • Saddleback Valley Christian Schools • St. Margaret’s Episcopal School • San Juan Hills High School
San Juan Hills Students Set Standard
Photo by Ryan Gooding
By Maryann Doudna and Erin Thomas
t the first ever San Juan Hills basketball
game the stands were silent.
The group of students had never been
to a high school basketball game before and were unsure of how to cheer on their team. The
administration quickly took action, arranging a pep rally that
showed footage of rowdy college sporting events, hoping to
drum up school spirit.
That was four years ago. Today, the administration has no
need to promote enthusiasm. With champion sports teams
as well as thriving academic and arts programs, San Juan
Hills has made great strides in its short career.
Much of its success can be attributed to the 500-member class of 2011 that graduated June 22. The students of
the class of 2011 were the trailblazers of the school when
they began as freshmen in 2007. While most new high
schools start out with both freshman and sophomore
classes, San Juan Hills freshman had no older students to
look up to.
“They took a risk to come here, “ said Principal Tom
Ressler.
But the risk has paid off, as students were able to create
a community that was defined by them. An abundance of
clubs ranging from mixed martial arts to “Cookies for Christ”
were developed and sustained by the Class of 2011. This
year students began their own newspaper, the Express.
“When there was only a freshman class at San Juan,
the campus felt something like a ghost town yet it still felt
tight-knit since there were only about 500 students all
More than 500 students make up the first graduating
class of San Juan Hills High School:
Jovana Aboyte
William Garrett Acromite
Cora Nicole Acuna
Lauren Nicole Adagio
Viulet Adineh
Ashley Eileen Aguirre
Jane Ahn
Kyle Joseph Alarid
Nicole Danielle Alario
Ana Maria Alatriste
Maria Anaya
Jason Andablo
Jessica Andablo
Jordan Hanna Anderson
Andy Thomas Andreoli
Niccolas Maxwell Annis
Taylor Kristin Aoude
Liliana Elizabeth Arias
Guadalupe Avila
Valeria Ayala
Kyle M. Backhus
Matthew Alexander Badran
Bryce Michalik Baker
Alexander John Baptiste
Nicholas Alfred Bargelski
Ceris Breanna Barker
Natalie Marie Barnes
Alondra Barraza
Karen Isabel Barrera
Roman Barrita
Nicholas J. Beach
Gabriel Becerra
Mahsa Behzadi
Jose M. Berber
Mitchell Damian Bernard
Corey Jacob Bittner
Alexandra Nicole Block
Malachi Matthew Bodine
Sarah Sumire Boerner
Adrian John Bogle
William James Bohn
David Aaron Bortz
Melissa Botello
Samantha Rose Bourgeois
Rocky Elliott Bragg, Jr.
Thomas Keith Brawner
Chaz Robert Breithaupt
Sawyer Chase Britton
Keegan J. Brown
Ian Harrison Bruns
Andrea Marie Buchanan
Madeline Elizabeth Burns
Christopher Gibson Buscemi
Jose Adan Bustos
Lauren Evangeline Cabral
Luis Felipe Cabrera
Zachary Elliott Cahill
Alejandro Cano
Akasha Rose Carabajal
Erik Garcia Cardenas
Oscar Javier Castaneda
Jesus Castillejos
Eric Castillo
Leticia Castro
Alexander James Celata
Alfredo Cervantes
Marcos Cervantes
Carla Gisella Cespedes
Argenis Dioney Chavez
Max Joseph Chavez
Jonathan Andrew Chung
Mollie Grace Clemente
Brandon Michael Colucci
Hailey Marie Combe
Elizabeth Dawn Conant
Katelyn Ann Connors
Elisse McKenna Cook
Matthew Aaron Cooper
Carolyne Elise Copley
Desiree Athena Corey
Gerardo Cortes
Jacob Jay Cortez
Samuel Cortez
Molly Nicole Crawford
Jesus J. Crisostomo
James W. Crocicchia
Kayla Jane Dahl
Salman Mahmood Danesh
Dominic Paul D’Auria
Cameron Bryce Davis
Robert Michael Davis
Esther Delgado
Talia Brianna Delgado-Vega
Alixandra Nicole Deming
Brooke Ashley Dettman
Darian Elayne Didier
Jasmine Marie Diltz
Sean Michael Dodd
Kevin Thomas Doll
Samantha Marie Doll
Alan Dominguez
Madison Marie D’Ornellas
Jordan Skye Douglas
Elizabeth Drake
Taylor Jon Drake
Blake Riley Draper
William John Drewes
Daniel Hugo Duran
Chelsea Taylor Duvenage
Sally Elqura
Elizabeth Marie Elsanadi
Lauren Brittany Engel
Zuleyma Esquivel
Chloe Brooke Euzarraga
Gabriela Farias
Isidro Farias Sanchez
David Edward Fellner
Samuel Scott Ferguson
Jessica Patricia Fernandez
Jade Lorel Ferra
Robbia Ann Fezian
Chantel Nicole Findlay
Jacob Richard Fleming
Aleida Flores
David Flores
Alexander Lee Fogle
Alexandra L. Fontaine
Kaitlyn Marie Forster
Kyle Steven Fox
experiencing their first year of high school together,”
Express Editor-in Chief Tanza Loudenback said.
This close community allowed students to jump directly
into leadership positions early on, in the classroom and on
the stage, not having to compete with juniors and seniors for
top spots. The seniors have also achieved great academic
success, with 34 valedictorians graduating with a GPA of 4.0
or higher and a Scholar of Scholars.
The students did face some challenges in their advancement to high school. Their first prom was held last year, and
they haven’t been able to hold true homecoming events
yet. When the students took their first AP tests, they had to
learn to balance them with their normal schoolwork. “With
every single thing that came up, they were successful,”
Ressler said.
The legacy of the class of 2011 will shape the culture of the
school for years to come. “San Juan Hills has evolved before
our eyes,” said Loudenback. This class had created a thriving
and dynamic community with a myriad of activities for any
student. “Any tradition we have, they were a part of,” Ressler
said. “They took advantage of this opportunity.”
San Juan Hills Scholar of Scholars:
Ian Webb
Stallion of the Year:
Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed
SJHHS Graduates
Taylor Rae Franco
Eden Sunday Frazee
Evan Gerald Verne Frolov
Adrian Noel Gaeta
Jerrad Edward Gaisford
Maxwell Alexander Galbraith
Matthew Robert Galvin
Ana Karen Mata Gamboa
Amara Julia Garcia
Jonathan Uriel Garcia
Miguel Ruben Garcia
Sindy Sarahi Garcia
Jordan Taylor Gardner
Kelsey Marie Garrett
Amanda Rose Geck
Spencer Caton Giraldin
Nicholas Andrew Glenn
Mayte Gomez
Rebecca Nicole Gomez
Alexa Gonzalez
Daniel Gonzalez
Eva Estephany Gonzalez
Miriam Socorro Gonzalez
James Hillard Gordon
Dane Arthur Gore
Jazmin Grajales
Bernardo Granados
Maritza Granados
Jacqueline Elizabeth Greiner
Kyle Christopher Groff
Shyan Kay Guerrero
Sara Magdalene Gustavson
Austyn Parker Guthrie
Nicholas Edward Gutierrez
Evan M. Guy
Joshua Ross Hackett
Devon James Hackwith
Connor Hale
Kathleen Rene Halstead
Brandt Randall Hamilton
Ariana Sara Hariri
Tatum Rae Hathaway
Cole Gregory Hawkins
Cody Morgan Hazell
Bailey Marissa Hein
Tori Elizabeth Hendricks
Kyra Aileen Henning
Anahi Hernandez
Andrea M. Hernandez
Corina Yvette Hernandez
Daphne Hernandez
Enrique Hernandez
Fernando Hernandez
Jesus Pedro Hernandez
Joseph Anthony Hernandez
Ricky Isaias Hernandez
Ryan Margarito Hernandez
Austin Taylor Hill-Curiel
Maxwell Stanton Hillis
Daniel Morgan Hitzfield
Ian Hamilton Hodges
Jacob Charles-Ross Holman
Samantha Michelle Holmes
Kevin Patrick Hoover
Anthony Michael Humphreys
Claire Jeanne Hunstein
Aaron Patrick Hunt
Christian Vance Ichikawa
Kanelo Aristotle Iraclides
Andrew Dylan Ivar
Lauren N. Iverson
Breanna Kennedy Jacobsen
Ryan Scott Jacobson
James Robert Jarvis
Maria Elena Jimenez
Brenan Thor Johnson
Jered David Johnson
Travis W. Johnson
Claire Frances Jones
Nathan Philip Kavanagh
Mitch Ryan Keller
Victoria Elizabeth Kendall
Ryan Thomas Kessler
Connor Douglas Kirkwood
Adam Christopher-Hallahan Knapp
Lindsey Anne Knott
Vishant Kumar
Camden Zachary Kutnick
Nicholas Perry LaForge
Richard D. Landingham
Matthew Raymond Larmand
James Barrett LaRosa
Nicole Joy Larson
Holly Angelica Lauer
Nicholas Anthony Laullon
Dylan James Lawrence
Anthony Eliberto Leal
Zachary Lyle Leetch
Denham Barton Leftwich
Brian Daniel Leggett
Jack Robert Leggett
Ryan Patrick Leibrich
Damian Leon
Katelyn Blair Lindsey
Alexis Lopez
Daniel Lopez
Daniel Lopez Rodriguez
Tanza Alexis Loudenback
Richard Arthur Love
Amber Celeste Loya
Penelope Anne Luksic
Aaron Thomas Luth
Taylor Rose Machado
Taylor Christina Magee
Sierra Marie Maitlen
Andrea Franco Maldonado
Jasmine Manzo
Talin Mardirossian
Abigail Martinez
Jessica Martinez
Nicodemus Mathews
Parker Fairbanks Mathewson
Alexia Samara Maya
Allen Wilson McAnlis
Patrick John McCormic
Robert Thomas McDonald
Gabriel Matthew McFadden
Kelsey Robinson McKeag
Ryan Kelly McNulty
Isaiah Kemon Meadows
Brett Matthew Medeiros
Anthony David Medina
Brandon Vladimir Melara
Brittany Oviedo Mendez
Italiby Mendez
Brenda Cabrera Mendoza
Ivan Mendoza
Jannet Estefania Mendoza
David Mendoza
Megan Marie Merda
Steven A. Meyerhoff
Tamara Joy Meyerhoff
Mackenzie Taylor Meyling
Oscar Diaz Meza
Michael Poston Miller
Andrew Klein Miner
Mason Shale Ming
Carol Selina Miranda
Erica Ashly Mitchell
Jacquelyn Kate Mitchell
Joqthan Jarhed Monrroy
Sharon Mora
Conner Dane Morris
Olivia Elyse Murashko
Amanda Marie Murray
Kyle Richard Murray
Mehdi Matthew Nahangi
Mackenzi Marie Neill
Corryn Jordan Newlan
Lucero Candy Nieto
Jacob Adam Niznik
Zoe Eilish Nolan
Cody Lee Nord
Heather Marie Nord
Victor Alfonso Noyola
Taylor Ann NyBlom
Jessica Ocampo
Pedro Guadarrama Ocampo
Miguel Oceguera
Courtney O’Connor
Jessica Lee O’Donnell
Stefan Maxwell Oglevee
Teneyah Marie-Afton Olmstead
Connor Luke O’Modhrain
Tania Onofre
Robert J. Oram
Siena CY Orlick
Cristian Alonso Orozco
Montserrat Ortega
Joshua Robert Ortiz
Sara A. Ortiz
Dallon James Osborne
Paige Noel Osborne
Avilene Aguilar Otero
Brittany Mendez Oviedo
Lindsey Michele Owens
Justin Alexander Pake
Jacob R. Palmer
Miguel Panduro
Claudia So Young Park
Ben Nicholas Parker
Chelsea Mariko Parlett
Cristina Lissette Parra
Amairani Yomali Pastor Cruz
Rianna Pearson
Anthony Michael Pelleriti
Pablo Hernan Peña
Yiliang Peng
Eric David Penuelas
Hedilberto Perez
Jacinto Javier Perez
Karla Araceli Perez
Zachary Kenneth Perry
Michael Anthony Perryman
Taylor Nicole Peterson
Max Randall Philips
Jonathan James Phillips
Alexis Janay Pickering
Pedro Pineda
Sophia Marie Christine Plessier
Clark Allen Poppa
Elizabeth Claire Josephine Postigo
Nancy Preciado
Casey Robin Przybylak
Jake Anthony Puchalski
Engelbert Rudolf Quechenberger
Roselle S.C. Querido
Arturo Quintero
Sean James Rafferty
Daniela Ramirez
Katherine Azayradema Ramirez
Marie Patricia Ramirez
Avery Ray
Erin Nicole Reckinger
Thaddeus Allen Reese
Alanna Lee Reeve
Chad Ferdinand Reimer
Payton Matthew Reisman
Michael John Renuart
Jose Alfredo Gonzalez Reyna
Alexis Morgan Richardson
Laurel Eve Rigsby
Casey Marie Ringler
Emily Risbrough
Aracely Marie Rivera
Bryan Eduardo Rivera
Carlos Rivera
Candido Roan
Henry George Robbertse
Samuel Mark Robison
Alejandra Rodriguez
Anthony Michael Rodriguez
Hector Anuar Rodriguez
Joshua Leslie-Charles Roe
Daniel Alejandro Romero
Jessica Romero
Alexis Doreen Ross
Amanda Lee Ross
Nicholas W. Rotberg
Nicole Anna Ruback
Hannah Julie Ruiz
Ryan Peter Ruiz
Blanca Fabiola Ruiz Zarco
Alexander Jon Russell
Colin Gabriel Ryan
SJHHS Graduates Cont.
Austin Villanueva Sabado
Luis Antonio Sabay
Zachary Joseph Sacco
Nichole Joy Sackett
Sterling Joseph Sackey
Negeen Sadeghi-Movahed
Yenitze Saines
Tori Kristian Salazar
Julio Cesar Saldana
David Hector Saldivar
Daniel Salgado
Brooke Kaori Salicos
Nain Salinas
Garrett Blake Samson
Andres Sanchez
Isabel Sanchez
Marvin Sanchez
Miguel Sanchez
Sarahi Gabriela Sanchez
Lauren Elizabeth Sandor
Leianna Lucille Sandoval
Tanya Mariela Santillan
Dominic Jesse Scarantino
Meredith F. Scarpato
Desirae Bianca Gerda Schauer
Cody Scott Schmitz
Ginny Marie Schneider
John Taylor Sky Schneider
Christopher Wayne Schutter
Henry Aaron Schutz
Mikaela Anne Secor
Jill Seegmiller
Austin Charles Seidel
Yadira Analy Serafin
Jericha Dawn Shaw
Anthony Robert Sherlock
Landon Allen Sherwood
Danley Rose Shimasaki
Adriana Sierra
Dan Silva-Mercado
Devon Mckenzie Simpson
Paul Christian Skipper
Anthony Michael Smith
Garrett Austin Smith
Kaitlin Marie Smith
Michael Morgan Smith
Natalie Somma
Cameron Seung Tun Song
Ruth Soria
Thomas Francis Spaulding
Jacob Matthew St. Onge
Melissa Standish
Lauren Elizabeth Steelman
Avalon Marie Steen
Jacob Thomas Stephan
Carissa Jean Stivers
Daniel Masashi Stoll
Christian Garner Stubbs
Samantha Avery Suit
Carlie Shea Sutherland
Charlie William Swanson
Daniel Chong Sy
Mychal Y. Tamaki
Amy Rae Tamillo
Ruiyi Tang
Ezekiel Tapia
Eric Duncan Taylor
Mallory Kristine Taylor
Owen Edward Taylor
Tierra Ashly-Yvette Terrell
Zachary Lydell Thompson
Parker Scott Tinsley
Miguel John Tiotuico
Fabian A. Torres
Lindsey Nicole Treff
Mary Teresa Angelique
Rose Turner
Amanda Carolyn Urell
Brandon Steve Urrutia
Arinze Enyinnia Uzo-Okereke
Angelica Maria Valencia
Brendon Scott Van Vliet
Zachary Michael VandenBosch
Nicholas George Vansell
Jacob Vargas
Leslie Vargas
Midnyte Vargas
Tracy Sarai Vargas
Michael Velasco
Manuel Angel Velazquez
Justin Maxwell Venegas
Miguel Angel Verduzco
Nancy Villegas
Cassidy Lee Walker
Andrew Mark Walton
Zachary R. Ward
Issabelle Jane Wardle
Kelsey Lorayne Watson
Ian Douglas Kendle Webb
Isaac Gregory Wence
Chris Michael Werner
Samantha Lorraine Wiebort
George Philip Winckel
Samuel Weston Worley
Mireya Xocua
Justin Tyler Young
Horacio Zamarripa
Jose Victor Zamarripa
Cristal Zaragoza
Bryan Franco Zarate-Garcia
Jeffery Ryan Zawoysky
Veronica Raquel Zax
Araceli Zepeda
Alec Christopher Ziencina
Briana Nicole Ziff
Delia Zuniga
*Bold denotes Valedictorian
JSerra Graduates
The Junipero Serra
Catholic High School
Class for 2011:
Kyla Agbayani
Christopher Amloyan
Dylan Andrews
Victoria Arcuri
Michael Arenal
Mahta Ariarad
Bradley Ashworth
Vlaho Asic
Courtney Avila
Amber Ayemin
Lauren Baerg
Natalie Baker
Ciana Barrom
Francis Bastone
Brock Batliner
Shirley Berber
Riley Bergendahl
Alexander Berman
Jennifer Blair
Madeline Blount
Trent Boras
Jennifer Boyle
Shannon Brady
Jacob Broderick
Carter Browning
Sean Byrne
Karina Cadiz
Bridget Cahill
Alexander Cain
Grace Canady
Macrae Carden
Dylan Carter
Kathleen Cascino
Alexandra Celentano
Maxfield Champion
Hailey Chisholm
Jung Hyuk Choi
Casee Clauser
Trenton Coggins
Sean Conway
Hayden Cornwell
Georgie Courtney
Andrews Coyle Jr.
Dillon Cullinan
Haleigh Cummings
Lucas Dall’Orso
Michael Darcy
Andre Darville
L. Grant Davis
Cody Dean
Luke Decker
Jacob Decker
Stefan Deitos
Salutation Francis “Frankie” Bastone, son of former Mission Hospital
CEO Peter Bastone and JSerra Award recipient—the highest honor a
JSerra student can receive. Courtesy photo
Katherine Delaney
Lauren Denault
Riley Diehl
Dominic DiSano
Joseph Donovan
Allison Driver
Jessica Dueker
Connor Dugard
Kassandra Dyakon
Brett Eusey
Jonathon Evans
Elizabeth Evers
Michael Fassett
Merissa Fernandez
Ashley Franco
Vanessa Garcia
Bryce Gerson
Hailey Gillis
Katherine Girgis
Anthony Graceffa
Alyssa Graham
Juan Gutierrez
Matthew Halbasch
Jeremy Hall
Kaley Halliburton
Marina Hanna
Annika Hathaway
McKenna Hayes
Austin Hedges
Allison Heinrich
Kenneth Hendren
Kirsten Hibbard
Chelsea Hills
Riley Houser
Joseph Hughes
Christine Huston
Carter Inman
Stephan Jasper
Courtney Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Ashley Jones
Emery Jones
Kathryn Jones
Kimia Kabir
Natasha Kanamouie
Chloe Kempf
Joseph Kimpler
Nicholas King
Otto Knottnerus
Tyler Krause
Tara Lanigan
Rachel Lee
Taylor Leseth
Joseph LiMandri
Shelby Lindholm
Katie Linehan
Weston Littlefield
Jacob Loflin,
Jessica Lopez
Chad Lowell
Mark Luburic
Jake Lucier
Michael Lyons
Michael Maben
Brett Maida
Ryan Male
Kieran Manciet
Ann Marsolais
Jarryd Martin
Katherine Matthews
Brynne McCord
Jenae McDonald
Nicollette McDonald
Jessica McFadden
Chloe McGrath
Cody McLane
Chandler Melanson
Samantha Mera
Luke Meyer
Michael Meyers
Charles Mills
Shelby Milosch
Casey Mims
Cody Moore
Yanni Morales
Nicole Mormann
Brittany Morris
Austin Mulder
Victoria Munoz
Chandler Nason
Laura Nava
Kaitlyn Neighbours
Christopher Nguyen
Kaitlin O’Hara
Kaitlin O’Neill
Noah Ortiz
Jack O’Shea
Matthew Park
Robert Parker
Miles Pereira
Rachel Pesota
Danyka Peterson
Kyler Pettis
Kevin Pham
Jesse Phan
Kyle Pierce
Mark Poliquin
Joseph Ponder
Alexandra Poore
Lauren Portice
Michael Portillo
Alexa Post
Jenna Puccinelli
Joseph Rabello
William Rawlings
Riley Raynsford
Evan Realmuto
Andie Reed
Theodore Reimer
Dillon Reinwald
Elizabeth Rizo
Kelly Rovzar
Garrett Rowley
John Russell
Zac Russell
Alyssa Ryan
Victoria Salazar-Hudgins
Jonathan Schaefer
Leanne Sears
Dylan Seedman
Brittany Seibert
Kyle Shackleford
Madeleine Shaver
Zachary Sigler
Tyler Simkins
Keaton Siomkin
Jessica Sitton
Morgan Sloss
Bianca Solorzano
Mary Sparacino
Sacheen Steinmann
Daniel Sullivan
Steven Summers
Derek Tademy
Jack Teah
Courtney Teskey
Nicholas Thomas
Michelle Vaday
Andres Valentin
John Van Valen
Dylan Varner
Hillary Wagener
Alex Wasilewski
Liam Whaley
Brian White
Christopher White
Cole Williams
Morgan Williams
Clay Williamson
Taylor Williamson
Kristy Winn
Thomas Witt,
Katherine Yaru
Salvatore Zaharson
Lauren Zappas
Jennifer Zaremba
Samantha Zuck
*Bold denotes Valedictorian
St. Margaret’s Graduates
The St. Margaret’s
Episcopal School
Class of 2011:
Arya Amirhekmat
Elizabeth Arriaga
Beatrice Ary
Marcos Avila
Andrew Balcof
Katherine Berchtold
Kirsten Bleiweiss
Melissa Bond
Emily Boone
Mario Brenes
Molly Brooks
William Brynjolfsson
Amelie Byun
Maxwell Carpenter
Nicholas Carpenter
Andrew Chen
In Kwon Chung
Blakely Collier
Olivia Collins
Wyatt Corman
Charles Cox
Nicole Craigmile
Victoria Davidson
Douglas Davis
Martin Dolan
Maryann Doudna
Michael Dougher
Devin Dreyer
Amanda Edington
Davis Edwards
Andrea Ellis
Ashtin Evans
Katherine Everett
Matthew Faris
Bryan Flores
Jessica Fonseca
Michael Friedman
Nicholas Geller
Daniel Golly
Mary Grace Gordon
Sarah Greenberg
William Griffith
Brooke Grogan
Hannah Hess
Natalie Hiles
Chloe Hoff
Adam Holden
Grant Hosinski
Dillon Itri
Michael Jones
Michael Kartiko
Shannon Kelly
Shayna Kerry
Farrah Kharazmi
Andrew Kim
George Ko
Nicolas Kouris
Alexander Krafcik
Michelle Lancaster
Xav Langton
Jonathan Li
Lauren Lindquist
Berenice Luna
Samuel Malagon
Mitchel Marmelstein
Alison Martens
William McCarthy
Anna McGregor
William Mech
Hunter Meece
Ramtin Mehrvijeh
Kelley Meredith
James Murayama
Kristin Murray
Brett Nicholas
Stephanie Ornelas
Sarah Paddon
Erika Page
Seema Patel
Mitchell Pok
Carlye Porrazzo
Cameron Price
Sara Reindl
Emma Rice
Shirin Sadri
Kayla Schmitt
G. Jared Schoeffel
Russell Sego
Colin Shaffer
Ashley Short
Whitney Simon
Brennan Smith
Margarita Solazzo
Alexandra Solon
Sarah Sorensen
Felipe Soto
Zachary Stoddard
Erin Thomas
Hamida Valji
Jessica Warren
Laura Whitney
Valerie Wu
Matthew Yamada
*Bold denotes Valedictorian
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Valedictorian Built Impressive Resume
t 18, Johnny Li has already presented a research paper on cancer cells in Brazil, met
President Barack Obama and founded a
non-profit tutoring program.
Oh, and he’s also the St. Margaret’s Class of 2011 Valedictorian.
A St. Margaret’s student since he was 3, Li very early on
demonstrated talent in mathematics, taking high school
math classes beginning in 5th grade and college courses
at UCI in 8th grade. He earned 5s in three AP exams in
math and physics before graduating middle school. He
later scored all 5s in 8 of the most challenging science AP
exams. Consequently, he received the 2010-2011 Siemens
Awards for Advanced Placement, annually given to one
male and one female student in each of the 50 states. In
total, he has excelled in 16 AP exams.
He also took 16 math and physics classes at UCI, maintaining a near-perfect GPA.
Li enjoys academic challenges and has participated
in many math and science competitions. In 6th grade,
he became the youngest MATHCOUNTS champion in
Orange County. He twice won first place in California in the
American Mathematics Competition. He is a 4-time USA
Mathematics Olympiad (USAMO) qualifier and ranked as
one of the top 250 pre-college mathematicians each year.
In 9th grade, he was selected to participate in the United
States Mathematics Olympiad Summer Program (MOP)
for the top 50 high school mathematicians in the nation. In
Physics, Li was twice selected to the United States Physics
Olympiad Team comprised of the nation’s top 20 high
school physicists. He was also a member of the Orange
County Chemistry Olympiad team three consecutive years,
and qualified for the National Chemistry Olympiad exam.
Johnny Li. Courtesy photo
In 2009, Li began pursuing science research with UCI
Professor John Lowengrub. He presented his research
paper, “The Effects of Cell Compressibility, Motility and
Contact Inhibition on the Growth of Tumor Cell Clusters” at
the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Society for Mathematical
Biology in Brazil and submitted his first authored paper for
publication to the Journal of Theoretical Biology. His work
was profiled in a CBS Evening News segment.
Li was named a 2011 Intel Science Talent Search Finalist.
As such, he met President Barack Obama at the White House
on March 15. In addition, Li was a 2010 Davidson Fellow
awarded to top 20 pre-college scientists annually, a Siemens
Competition Semifinalist, and the 2011 California State Science Fair Student of the Year, awarded to the one student
who best exemplifies the qualities of a successful scientist.
He twice won the Senior Sweepstakes Awards at the Orange
County Science and Engineering Fair and represented Orange
County at both the State Science Fair and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2010 and 2011.
Li not only excels in math and science, but has also devoted more than 1,000 hours toward Orange County Math
Circle (OCMC, www.ocmathcircle.org), a student-run nonprofit community service organization he founded in 2007. In
four years, OCMC has grown from an idea into a small army
of more than 50 devoted volunteers from 30 schools and has
been offering lectures, tournaments, and events serving more
than 1,000 students from 75 schools in Southern California.
Under his leadership, OCMC offers three annual math tournaments and monthly lectures on math problem solving. In
a partnership with the Santa Ana School District, he established Santa Ana Math Club where OCMC volunteers teach
math to underprivileged students. Li wrote grant proposals,
solicited donations and raised more than $8,000 in the past
two years. In addition, he secured free classroom facilities
from local schools to host the events. Li has won numerous
prestigious scholarships for his dedication to improve STEM
education in Orange County, including the 2011 Coca-Cola
Scholarship, the 2011 Disneyland Resort Scholarship and the
2011 National Federation of Independent Business Young
Entrepreneur Foundation Award.
CVCS Graduates
Capistrano Valley
Christian Schools
Class of 2011
James Norman Masataro Akita
Nathaniel John Antoun
Shanley Maguire Berry
Derrick Michael Carter
Connor Anthony Castillo
Kaylea Ann Coleman
David Michael Coppola
Tyler James Creeden
Amy Michelle Dolkas
Lauren Audrey Eggertsen
Genevieve Schei Engelhorn
Cong Feng
Charles Hawkins Gibson
Jessica Alexandra Haro
Toshiaki Hashimoto
Joshua Daniel Hector
David Henderson
Neakzaad Layne Horriat
Photo courtesy of Accent Portraits
Yanan Hu
Jordan Keith James
Yumeng Jiang
Dae Shin Ju
Hyun Kyun Kim
Hyun Seung Kim
Michael Joseph Kourie Jr.
Kyung Soo Lee
Tatjana Masetti Zannini De Concina
Katherine Elizabeth McMaster
Landon Robert Melzer
Jie Miao
Man Ho Na
Nicholas Vaughan Neuwald
Thanh Hoang Thanh Nguyen
Jessica Cherisse Nipp
David Ray Orgill
Harrison Conrad Palmer
Ethan Alasdair Pierce
Cheng Qian
Saddleback Valley Christian Schools Class of 2011
Hannah Rose Schaller—Salutatorian
Jessica Lauren Scheevel
Andrew Robert Lee Sears
Adam Imtiaz Shakeel
Taylor James Shanton
Ricardo Simoes
Hannah Nicole Spraker
Andrew Thor Stevens
Joshua John Tari
TJ Anthony Valois
Elizabeth Ashbridge White
Phillip Michael Wilhelm
Paige Marie Wilhelm
Kevan Amin Zameni
Kaixuan Zhang
Pengbo Zhang
Te Zheng
*Bold denotes Valedictorian
SVCS Graduates
Anna Patrina Karlsen – Scholar of Scholars
Ashlie Ardelle Adams
Amanda Lynne LaFavor
Hannah Noelle Lush
Allesandra Deanne Marandola
Joseph David Molina
Sheryl Carol Rathfelder
Elizabeth Rhee
Libby Frances Wahlmeier
Alyssa Ann Hirsch
Kelsey Marnye Breeland
Cameron Michael Burns
Adam James Cardoza
Brandon Scott Castle
Seong Woo Chu
Robert Tyler Collins
Courtney Ann Davis
Ireland Casey Engel
Luke Makena Gannon
Jacob Michael Garcia
Nicollete Morgan Gino
Hannah Elaine Mason-Goodall
Michael Scott Hamada
Ben Christopher Heisey
Mary Winifred House
Abel Airam Jauregui
Jeffrey Joseph Jones
Collin Robert Kachenmeister
Olivia Elaine Kikerpill
Alex Junho Kim
Tae Yoon Kim
Amber Nicole Kochan
Gabriella Quinn Langston
Joon Kyu Lee
Madison Nicole Lies
Zachary Robert Maffris
Joshua Ryan Markum
Desiree Jenne Marshall
Victoria Rae Martinez
Kathryn Mary McCarthy
Jordan Andrew Mehrguth
Samuel James Mercer
Kira Merwald
Hayley Ranae Montes
Adrina Rose Movsesian
Sarah Elizabeth Mudge
Bryce Olliver Nilsson
Adam Lukas Nishikawa
Justin Michael O’Brien
Sinjin Bruce Ogan
Alexandra Kamrie Okida
Danielle Christine Pelletier
David Peñaloza
Joel John Petritz
Savannah Rae Radison-Lees
Bailey Mae Ray
Zachary Graham Rodarmel
Joel-Tyler Francis Rodgers
Kristen Mae Scheibel
Emily Theresa Simon
Andrew Jack Smith
Kyle Andrew Smith
Ian Gerald Soneff
Dominique Lyndia Spampinato
Mahli Anjelica-Kaetlin Squirrell
Alexandra Monette Stiegler
Christina Annalisa Vogt
Gillian Marie Wade
Austin James Walker
Chung Hang Yui
Thomas Wesley Zimmerman
*Bold denotes Valedictorian