AnnElise Acosta and Ibette Sanchez have been selected as December Students of the Month and were presented checks for $100 at the Elks Lodge weekly meeting. The awards were in recognition of their achievements in the classroom, extracurricular activities and for their volunteer work in the community. They are both seniors at Hood River Valley High School.
AnnElise Acosta is a very creative person with an energetic personality. She is an active member of the youth group at Riverside Church and a member of the Hood River Valley Chamber Singers. This group toured Ireland in March 2013 and is highly ranked in State competition. She is a 13-year member of the Columbia Gorge Dance Academy and performed in the Academy’s “Scenes from the Nutcracker” until 2012. She also interned at The Next Door, a local social services organization, for four months in 2014. AnnElise has been a member of the varsity tennis team since 2013 and is also a member of the National Honor Society.
Her community service work includes preparing food packages and distribution for the Oregon Food Bank and the FISH Food Bank, and as a Link Crew leader helping freshman with orientation at the high school. She has also been involved with her church group babysitting, helping raise money for various church projects and activities. Through the Riverside Church youth group, she went on a five day trip to the Yakama Nation to learn about various programs on the Indian reservation and learn about the current situation of Native Americans in our country.
AnnElise is the daughter of Orlando and Melody Acosta. She has two younger sisters, Olivia, 15, and Celia, 12. Next fall, AnnElise will attend Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. She will major in International Studies and Spanish. She would ultimately like to be involved in some type of social services work. Her spare time is spent backpacking, traveling and playing the piano.
Ibette Sanchez is a very charismatic and outgoing young lady. She is very involved
in various projects at school and in the community. With the high school Health Media Club, she helped produce theater ads and radio PSAs, and has given a number of presentations in the community to promote healthy and safe habits among young people. Her junior year, she was treasurer of MECHA Club and this year is club president. She is a member of the National Honor Society and has been a member of the Prom Committee, helping organize the annual dance.
Her community service work includes meetings with Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Coalition, where she will update others on what the high school is doing, along with future plans and activities. She also works with the Drug Free Communities Coalition, giving updates on HRV Health Media Club. Other volunteer work includes serving food at the fall Wy’east Eagle Fest, and talking to stores to remind them not to sell tobacco products to minors and designing stickers and tagging alcoholic beverages to remind adults not to provide alcohol to minors. Ibette has worked in concessions to raise funds for the prop and purchased, wrapped and delivered Christmas gifts for needy families in the community. She has worked many hours for St. Mary’s church at their annual summer camp, organizing meals and camp activities for kids aged 8-12.
In July 2012, Ibette was invited to represent our county in Nashville, Tenn., at the semi-annual Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. She attended workshops with the club advisor and learned of strategic plans for successful prevention in the community. This past year, she did work with the Mid Valley dancers, helping teach three different dance groups and styles. She helped choreograph a song by herself, practiced three times a week for six months and attended performances while working with kids 5-10 years old.
Ibette is the daughter of Esteban and Isabel Sanchez. She has an older sister, Vanesa, a Portland State University graduate, and younger sister Briseida, a Hood River Valley High School freshman. After school, Ibette will continue her studies at either Portland State or Western Oregon University. She would like to study social work for elementary education and become a licensed state social worker working with children and families, or an elementary school teacher. Her outside interests include going for an occasional run or making crafts.
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