DEBATE TEAM
The Grauer School’s speech and debate team recently won first place in a countywide parliamentary debate competition held at Carlsbad High School. The victory is particularly significant for the Encinitas-based private school because this is only the second year of the competition speech and debate program. The team competed against students from Francis Parker School, La Costa Canyon, The Bishop’s School, Oceanside High School, Carlsbad High School and Pacific Ridge Academy, among others.
VISTA HEROES
The following people were recognized during the 2026 Heroes of Vista on Nov. 6: CMSgt. Holly Kress-Hall, USAFR (Ret.) as Veteran of the Year, Dr. Matt Doyle for Lifetime Achievement, Conor Frasher as Firefighter of the Year, Deputy Michael Rodriguez as Sheriff of the Year, Jennifer Edwards, who works for the city, for Excellence in Public Service, and Bill Hornung of Humble Pie Communications as the Nick Ljubic Chamber Champion. Together, the Vista Chamber of Commerce and Vista Education Foundation honors community leaders and supports programs for students and educators through the event.
PIZZA CHEF
Less than a month after opening Trinacria Pizza Company in downtown Oceanside with his father, 20-year-old Damiano Trupiano earned sixth place at the 2026 Pizza Tomorrow Summit in Florida, a national pizza competition. With his new business, the young pizza chef has taken on developing and executing four distinctive styles: New York, Chicago Tavern, Detroit and Sicilian.
RECOVERY RUN
Cardiff resident and San Diego-based entrepreneur Mitch Flippo recently completed the New York City Marathon, during which he raised more than $21,000 for addiction recovery through his apparel company, MitchFlippo MFG. The apparel collection honors his great-grandmother, a Seattle nurse known as “Torchy,” who dedicated her life to helping people recover from drug and alcohol addiction.
SUMMER GRADUATES
The following students graduated over the summer from the University of Maryland Global Campus: Jesselyn Kaye Cox of Carlsbad, Isai Perez of San Diego, Jennifer Oyarzo of Vista, and Alexandro Arellano, Timothy Gregg, Kree Laing, Julio Martinez, Cory Seibel and Anthony Taienao of Oceanside.
STUDENT SUCCESS
MiraCosta College was named a 2026 Pathway Champion by the Campaign for College Opportunity, earning two statewide honors for helping students complete transfer-level English during their first year of college. The school was recognized in two categories: Campuswide English Success and Black Student Success in English.
