Riverside City Council
May 6, 2025

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•Junior at Riverside Poly High School•Member of Poly’s Principal’s Leadership Council and MVP of the Poly Success Club mentorship program•Highly motivated mentor dedicated to service and giving back to her community. Saidee Acevedo 1 2
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2 •Senior at John W. North High School.•Has her sights set on attending Texas Southern University and plans to purse her Juris Doctor post graduation•Involved with volunteering at Bobby Bonds Park, Cesar Chavez community, and Riverside Museum Associates Multicultural Council.Ausara Bell •Junior at Riverside STEM Academy•Involved in Tutoring at Chinese school and teaching taekwondo and Stem Science Olympiad Team•1stplace in an international Chinese art contest. Ching Chung 3 4
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3 •Senior at Norte Vista High School.•President of Drama Club, NVTV (film) Club and Grit Club •Wants to pursue being a documentary filmmaker of blending story telling and highlighting social issues.Destiny Curiel Arianna Esparza Gonzalez•Senior at Hillcrest High School•Volunteers at the local YMCA and takes classes at RCC.•Aspires to graduate from CSLB and entering medical school with the hope of being a pediatric nurse. 5 6
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4 Cristoval Garcia•Senior at La Sierra High School.•Leadership roles in the Recycle club, Cancer Awareness Club and the National Honor Society. •Full scholarship to Boston University to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering. •Senior at John W. North High School•Organized Cancer Awareness Week, played a pivotal role in recognized over 700 students with the “Husky of the Month” award Program•Plans to major in Deaf Studies and to become a court reporter specializing in ASLStefanny Hernandez 7 8
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5 Alma Sandoval Hernandez•Senior at Norte Vista High School•Dedicated in helping her peers and mentoring her underclassman. •Aspires to understand and address global issues by studying International Relations after high school. •Senior at Poly High School •Over a 1,000 hours of community service through the Hot Meals Program and National Charity league. •Plans to attend Boston College and to major in Political Science.Cora Holmes 9 10
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6 •Sophomore at Riverside STEM High School•Co-Vice President of Activities for the Associated Student Body•Created the C.A.K.T.E.S. club to enrich support in STEM subjects among younger students.Maya Karginova Suwon Kim•Senior at Riverside Poly High School•Involved with several college-level research projects from Vanderbilt University and the Keck Graduate Institute. •Chief Secretary for the U.S-Korea Alliance Association and aspirations to study engineering, radiology, or data science. He aspires to blend his analytical abilities with a desire to help others. 11 12
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7 •Senior at Riverside Poly High School•Tourette Youth Ambassador, A Wellness Peer Educator and involved with Youth Advisory Council•Plans to attend a top college in order to pursue a career in Clinical Pharmacy or Adolescent TherapyNadia Lewis •Senior at Ramona High School•Involved with Dual enrollment at Riverside Community College and co-founded the Ramona chapter of the National Organization for women•Aspires to pursue a degree in civil engineering. Gavin McGowan 13 14
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8 •Dedication to agriculture in the FFA/4-H region•President of Norte Vista’s Agriculture Club and the local FFA chapter•Leads mental health education initiatives on campusCaylee McNaul Coby Merrill•Junior at John W. North High School•First wrestling CIF winner for John W. North and first male wrestling champion since 1996•Aspires to win NCAA titles and obtaining gold in the Olympics15 16 4/24/2025
9 •Achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and raised $35,000 to install 100 narrative panels at March Field Air Museum•Organized multiple blood drives for King High School•Collaborates with researchers at UCR on projectsAiden Scott Pianalto •Attended and won multiple awards at Science Olympiad Competitions•Presented award-winning research at multiple levels•Leadership in the Associated Student Body and role as a student representative to the School Board reflect his commitment to serving othersTom Reznick 17 18
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10 •Driving force in the AVID Christmas Shoe Box Project which delivered gifts to over 100 foster students•Co-created the Bilingual Alvord Tutoring Student to support English language learners in local elementary schoolsAmy Espinoza-Robledo •Junior at Norte Vista High School who advocates for students with disabilities•Won the 2025 CEC “Yes I can” award•Led the volleyball team to the playoffs as captain for the in the first time in a decadeKenya Rodriguez 19 20
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11 •Senior at Abraham Lincoln High School•Immigrated from Afghanistan to the US in 2022 and volunteers at the Human Migration Institute•Plans to seek career in medicine aiming to make an impact.Asma Safi •Embodies the spirit of musical excellence and leadership•Studied at the RUSD Composition Workshop, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Composer Fellowship Program, and Interlochen Arts CampMaxim Michael Strong 21 22
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12 •Immigrated from El Salvador and achieved IB Diploma Candidate status•Leads National Honor Society and is a mentor to fellow students•Aspires to achieve a nursing career after graduatingCamilo Canizalez Tejada •Overcame struggles to foster personal growth•A leader in the National Alliance on Mental Illness club where he transformed his challenges into strengths•Embodies support for fellow students through advocacy and mentorshipJuan Uribe 23 24
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13 •Two-time California History Day State Finalist, Riverside County Science Fair runner-up, and County Champion Mock Trial team leader.•Leader of various extra curriculars such as Cross Country, Bear Pals, Link Crew, and moreOwen Weems •Volunteered at the UCR Botanical Center over the past two years•Purchased and packaged personal care items for unhoused individuals•Embodies collaboration and mentorship, inspiring others to build a stronger, more connected community.Kezia Wood 25 26