Oceanside High School Foundation/Alumni Association

2009 Foundation Scholarships

After graduation, Gabriela will attend USC and major in Business Administration.  She has a sense of Pirate Pride and loves the diversity that OHS embodies.  Proud of her school, Gabriela is involved in the National Honor Society, Interact Club and Girard Prep.  Working part time to help her family, she is currently taking five Advanced Placement classes and has earned the honor of Salutatorian for her graduating class.

Belen Mendez-Cuevas, Jessica LoCurto-Smith, and Gabriela Huizar

Jessica has been accepted and plans to attend Howard University after she graduates.  She intends to major in Political Science and pursue a career as a lawyer and possibly even enter into politics.  Jessica has been very impressed with the cultural diversity she has found while attending OHS.  She has realized that these four years of high school have been her best years where she has made life long friends from different backgrounds.  She has learned that people are people no matter what their cultural backgrounds.  Active in modeling and dance, Jessica was this year's First Princess for the Miss Oceanside Pageant.  She has been on the school's tennis team all four years, and has been active in the African-American Student Union on campus.

"Once a Pirate, always a Pirate," is Belen's true belief.  She is fond of what OHS means to her and is continuing to work hard to be involved in all she can do while in high school.  She has received encouragement from her teachers, counselors and advisors that have given her confidence and determination.  Involved with the AVID Student Leadership Conference this last year has helped to catapult her desire to excel in all she does.  With the pride she has for OHS, she has been involved with sports (tennis), the Global Awareness Club, the European Travel Club and Wilderness Club, and held the role of Secretary in the Spanish Club.  After graduation, will attend Northern Arizona University and major in Social Work.

2009 Calvin C. Gabriel, Sr. Memorial Scholarship 

Caolina has played the violin for over eight years, including being involved with the middle school and Oceanside High School music programs.  As an accomplished violinist, Carolina has earned the honors of the MVP awards while in middle school and in high school.

While at OHS, Carolina has been the lead violinist in the school orchestra for the last two years.  Her classmates admire her determination and often look to her for guidance and help.  Carolina has also been involved in the school's Show Choir, where she is able to perform using her vocal talents as well.

Mr. Mark Phelps, her orchestra teacher once said to her, "Hard work, practice, and the right tools pave the road to success in every field--including orchestra."  Carolina has taken that counsel to heart as she has learned to master the violin and take on leadership roles in and out of the classroom.

Carolina works with the same diligence and determination in her academic classes as well, maintaining a 3.81 overall grade point average, taking college preparatory and Advanced Placement classes.  Besides Show Choir and Orchestra, Carolina has run Cross Country and Track, participated in the National Honor Society, Gerard Prep, and Jr. Civitan clubs.  She plans to attend one of the state's public universities after she graduates and hopes to pursue a degree in science as well as continue with her love of music.

Calvin Gabriel, Jr. with Carolina Arroela

2009 Larry Hatter Leadership Scholarship

Brianna has been involved with community and school activities all of her life, following in the footsteps of her mother, Tina Ortiz.  For the last three years, she and her mother have been the co-captains of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life team in memory of her father.  These events have raised thousand of dollars for the cause.

Not stopping there, Brianna volunteers her time with the Mission San Luis Rey Retreat Center, facilitating the annual Mother-Daughter retreat with her mother.  While at OHS, Brianna has been involved with the Interact Club, a community service organization sponsored by the Oceanside Rotary Club, where she is currently serving as President, and getting involved with all of the community activities that the Oceanside Rotary participates in.

Sports is another interest area for Brianna, participating in soccer all four years and receiving the Coaches Award her freshman year and had taken on the role of captain when she was on the Junior Varsity Team.  Brianna has also played on the Junior Varsity Golf Team and swam for the Varsity Swim program for four years.

Academically, Brianna excels, maintaining an overall grade point average of 3.70, while taking college preparatory and Advanced Placement classes.  After she graduates from high school, Brianna plans to attend St. Mary's College in California and has not yet settled on her major.  She enjoys working with and helping people.

Brianna Ortiz with Larry Hatter

2009 Billie Warner Scholarships

Susann Uffelman

Suzann will attend the University of California, Santa Barbara.  This college was her top choice and she was very happy that she was accepted.  She plans to major in Business.  Her future goal is to become either a CEO of a major corporation or an entrepreneur.

Justin will attend Idaho State on a football scholarship.  He plans to major in Sociology and minor in Communications.  He has been a member of the Young Life Christian Organization for the past two years.  He is also a mentor to the junior high school students through Young Life

2008 Foundation Scholarships

Diego states that attending Oceanside High School has influenced his life to be the best student he can be and to work at having a successful future.  He has been active in numerous clubs and activities on campus, to include the Latino Club, Spanish Club, Interact Club, and the Anti-Defamation League Club.  Through these club activities Diego has worked on cultural and social issues, both on campus and in the community.  Through these experiences, Diego has helped others learn how to appreciate different races without discriminating.  They have also taught him the importance of serving in his community. He has also participated all four years on the school’s Track and Field team, teaching him how to manage his time with his schoolwork and helping his family.  Diego’s goal is to attend MiraCosta, transfer to a university, eventually obtain a Master’s Degree in Mathematics and become a Mathematics teacher.

Eduardo Diego, Mikayla Garvin, Marcos Farr

One of the things that Marcos realizes about Oceanside High School is the strong sense of school pride and spirit and the remarkable history of OHS.  His involvement on the OHS State Championship Football team his senior year has instilled in him a tremendous respect for his fellow teammates and his coaches.  He felt that winning this championship was not only won for his school, but for the entire community of Oceanside.  Besides his four years playing football, Marcos participated on the school’s wrestling team as well as played soccer for two years. Marcos is an Honor Roll and California Scholastic Federation student and  plans to attend Cal State University at San Marcos in the fall and study Business Management, and hopes to work in the field of firefighting.  With his father in the Marine Corps, Marcos has moved every three years, but with the promise from his parents, Marcos was able to remain and will graduate from OHS.  He feels grateful for the experiences and for the talented teachers and coaches who have prepared him for his future.  (View his thank you letter.)

 Mikayla thanks her teachers and Senior Project Advisor at Oceanside High School for their support and assistance over the years, stating these individuals have helped shape her dreams and guided her direction for her future.  When she entered her freshman year in high school, Mikayla was in a situation where she had to leave many of her friends, but she said she soon found many new friends and quickly fell in love with Oceanside High School.  She has been involved in the school’s choral music program all four years, singing in the Concert Choir and, in her senior year, the select Chamber Choir. Mikayla is a member of the National Honor Society, and has been active in the Junior Civitan Club.  Mikayla plans to attend the University of California at San Diego and obtain a degree in Mechanical Engineering, with the hopes of becoming a NASCAR technician.  She says her teachers here at OHS have helped her to realize that her dreams will come true.

2008 Calvin C. Gabriel, Sr. Memorial Scholarship 

Terra Aguilar 

Throughout her high school career, Terra had been involved in various music classes at Oceanside High School. Since her freshman year she has participated in the Marching Band, Color Guard, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and also the winter Drum Line, enrolling in just about every instrumental music class offered at OHS. Terra plays the sousaphone and tuba and has played solo pieces in music festivals.  Her junior and senior years she was the tuba section leader and horn sergeant for the entire marching band.  She is proud to report she taught three students who have never played tuba, how to play the instrument.

Her music teacher at Oceanside High School, Mr. Mark Phelps, says that Terra is a great student, talented musician and leader. Serving as section leader and equipment crew captain, she has organized and set up for concerts, Mr. Phelps states she is a tremendous worker, as well as an accomplished musician.

Terra plans to attend MiraCosta College in the fall and eventually transfer to a university to continue her education and major in the performance field or become a music teacher.

Terra Aguilar