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Thirteen Montecito High School students were awarded more than $15,800 in scholarship funds at a Senior Awards ceremony on May 14.
Scholarships ranged from $300 to $2,750, but most of them were either $500 or $1,000 each.
One of the standout scholarship winners was Liana Yorba, who received just under $5,000 for four scholarships combined.
Yorba, 18, said her awards, which included a $2,750 scholarship from the Ramona Garden Club, were based on her scholastic achievements and her involvement in extracurricular activities.
“I’m very proud of myself,” said the 2025 salutatorian who has earned a 3.0 grade point average the past three trimesters. “I think my hard work paid off. In my two years here at Montecito I’ve tried to maintain good grades and be more responsible with my life choices.
“Since my junior year I’ve gotten a job at the Ramona Montessori Children’s House and received a driver’s license, and learned a lot, of things that will help me in the future,” she said.
Yorba attended Mt. Woodson Elementary and Olive Peirce Middle schools before she enrolled at Ramona High School. When she was struggling in some of her classes there, she said she decided the school wasn’t the best fit for her and transferred to the Montecito campus in her junior year.
“Montecito helped me out in so many ways,” she said. “The teachers care about the students individually here and they have all helped me get my grades up. I can ask for any kind of help here and I will get it.”
In addition to helping teachers with instruction and nap times for 2- to 5-year-olds at Montessori Children’s House, Yorba has volunteered the past year in a kindergarten classroom at Ramona Elementary School.
“It gives me responsibility and I love helping them achieve their goals and just being there for the kids,” she said.
Yorba said she hopes her experiences with children will help her reach her career goal of becoming a teacher for young children, but she’s also become involved in other activities for personal enrichment.
One of those is learning the construction trade through Montecito’s construction pathway. Now in her third construction class, Yorba has been competing in SkillsUSA trades competitions as part of the school’s TeamWorks team. She contributes her skills in steel studs and masonry, but all four team members help each other out, she said.
Her team won first place in the regional and state SkillsUSA competitions and will be advancing to the national competition in Atlanta that starts June 23.
“We will go up against every state in the United States,” said Yorba, who touted construction teacher Nicholas Jordan. “He explains things in a way that I can remember and teaches strategies on how to save time and how to fix our mistakes.”
Yorba also learned agriculture skills through Ramona High’s FFA program and continued with the Ramona Paisanos 4-H club after transferring to Montecito. Yorba has been raising pigs for about eight years with her brother, Richie Yorba, a 15-year-old freshman at Ramona High. Last year, she won a Grand Champion Swine award at the Ramona Junior Fair for her 260-pound pig named Shortstack.
“I love all of my animals as they are pets, but it is hard to say goodbye to each one,” she said. “I give them plenty of love while I have them.”
Yorba has also been involved in sports as manager for the school’s soccer and basketball teams and she trains in boxing twice a week at the Odyssey Training Center in Linda Vista. Boxing keeps her focused and active, she said.
Her next goals include taking general education and child development classes at Palomar College in the fall and later transfering to either Cal State University San Marcos or San Diego State University.
“All of these activities will help me out in the future,” said Yorba, whose parents are Ramona residents Richard and Sarah Yorba.
Connie Sabon, Scholarship Committee chair for the Ramona Garden Club, said the club chose to award Yorba its $2,750 scholarship because the members were impressed with her drive, determination, intelligence and her efforts to turn her life around at Montecito High.
“She is a responsible young lady with a range of interests covering academics, construction, sports, teaching and raising livestock to name a few,” Sabon said. “We wish her all the best as she begins college in the fall.”
Since 2008, the Ramona Garden Club has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships that are funded by spring and fall plant sales and biennial home garden tours. The club helps students continue their education in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, botany, conservation, and other plant and land management fields.
One of Montecito’s other dozen scholarship recipients this year is Leonardo Martinez, 17, who was awarded a $500 Jerry Zawilenski Memorial Scholarship.
Martinez and his classmate, Savannah Shadoff, received the Toro Award, which is the highest distinction among the school’s honors.
Martinez said he transferred from Ramona High to Montecito High in his junior year, and since then has worked hard to improve himself.
He has maintained a 3.0 GPA for the past three trimesters and is part of the winning TeamWorks team that will be competing at nationals. His specialty is plumbing and installing roof rafters but he is also skilled at putting up walls and assisting as needed.
Being part of school activities such as captain of Montecito’s soccer, basketball and flag football teams has really made a difference, he said.
“I like the environment of the school,” he said. “I felt like I could actually talk to the teachers and get help. It gave me more one-on-one with the teachers and gave me the confidence to try harder.”
This is Martinez’s second year raising pigs in the Ramona Paisanos 4-H Club. Last year he won third place in marketing for his class of pigs at the Ramona Junior Fair.
After graduating on June 3, his goal is to work for Swinerton, either in plumbing or steel studs.
“Before Montecito I didn’t like school,” Martinez said. “The only class I passed was math because the teacher was really nice and cared for the students. At Montecito, the teachers have been really supportive and tried to motivate us to do better.”
Other students who were recognized at Montecito High’s 2025 Senior Awards event are the following:
Valedictorian Huula Kolb – Awarded $1,000 scholarship by the Ramona Chamber of Commerce and a $750 scholarship by Soroptimist International of Ramona.
Salutatorian Liana Yorba – Awarded $500 by the Ramona Rotary Club, $500 by the Ramona Unified School District Administrative Leadership Team (ALT), $2,750 by the Ramona Garden Club, and $500 by the Jerry Zawilenski Memorial Scholarship.
Kiana Bugos – Awarded $1,000 by the Ramona Real Estate Association and $500 by the San Diego Blood Bank.
Nicolina Jordan – Awarded $1,000 by the Ramona Chamber of Commerce and $500 by the Ramona Teachers Association.
Mari Jane “MJ” Moore – Awarded $1,000 by the Soroptimist International of Ramona and $1,000 by the Ramona Women’s Clinic.
Beorn George – Awarded $500 by the Association of California School Administrators (ASCA) Palomar Chapter.
Grace Hasley – Awarded $500 by the Ramona Unified School District Administrative Leadership Team (ALT), and $500 per semester for two years by the Ramona Food & Clothes Closet.
Savannah Shadoff – Awarded $500 by the San Diego Blood Bank and $500 per semester for two years by the Ramona Food & Clothes Closet.
Braxton Harris-Zenon – Awarded $500 per semester for two years by the Ramona Food & Clothes Closet.
Noah Koeberlien – Awarded $300 by the Ramona Unified School District Classified Employees Association (CSEA).
Thomas Webb – Awarded $500 by the Jerry Zawilenski Memorial Scholarship.
Leonardo Martinez – Awarded $500 by the Jerry Zawilenski Memorial Scholarship.
Devanie Vandenbergh – Awarded $500 by the Jerry Zawilenski Memorial Scholarship.
Other Student Awards and Recognitions:
Toro Award – Leonardo Martinez and Savannah Shadoff.
3.0 GPA for the Past Three Trimesters – Natalie Alva, Beorn George, Huula Kolb, Leonardo Martinez, Lily Mulvey, Nova Purcell, Alexander Salazar, Angelina Saldana, Devanie Vandenbergh.
Tri-Sport Athletes – Albert Alvarado, Leonardo Martinez, Braxton Harris-Zenon, Elijah Lieb.
Nico Diaz Award – Sheree Hernandez and Natalie Alva.
Perfect Attendance – Jeffrey Swanton.
Career Technical Education Construction Pathway Completers (three complete courses) – Paulina Banuelos Gamino, Leonardo Martinez, Angel Ramirez, Devanie Vandenbergh, Thomas Webb.
Early Graduates – Avery Hagler and Ryan Libsack.
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