STUDENT INVENTORS
Two student invention teams from Ada Harris School in the Cardiff School District earned top honors at the California Invention Convention State Competition and will advance to the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals on June 5-7 in Dearborn, Michigan. The inventions are “Session Savor” by Quinn Gates, which resembles a hanger that pushes air through surfer wetsuits using two small fans to dry faster, and “Mission Fire Safety” by Caden Newsham and Kaden Lain, a kit that encourages regular practice of fire safety in the home.
FFA AWARD
Gunnar Wiessner, a member of the Fallbrook Future Farmers of America, was named 2026 Southern Region winner for the John Justin “Standard of the West” Award, which celebrates FFA seniors who exemplify the spirit of agriculture by demonstrating integrity, honestly, perseverance, helpfulness, a strong work ethic, academic achievement, and consistent school attendance while remaining dedicated to their FFA chapter.
COUNTY TEACHER
Katie Andan, a fifth-grade teacher at La Costa Heights Elementary School in the Encinitas Union School District, was named a 2026 San Diego County Teacher of the Year. She is one of five teachers recognized out of more than 20,000 teachers in the county. Andan has 20 years of classroom experience and has taught fifth grade at La Costa Heights for 12 years.
NISER AWARD
Lily Martinez, a special education teacher at Orange Glen High School in Escondido, earned the NISER (North Inland Special Education Region) Excellence in Special Education Award. The award honors individuals whose teaching and leadership skills encourage students to achieve their full potential, enhance student self-esteem and dignity, and support schools in providing exceptional services to students with disabilities.
COLLEGE GRADUATES
The following students graduated from their respective institutions: Wayne Ager of Oceanside from Trine University in Indiana, and Michelle Bazan of San Marcos from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont.
HONOR SOCIETY
George Bode Horton of Encinitas and Kylie Kim of San Diego were inducted into Biola University’s baccalaureate society, Epsilon Kappa Epsilon.
CHANCELLOR’S LIST
The following students made the chancellor’s list at their respective universities: Billy Moore of Carlsbad at Troy University in Alabama and Jaden Sokolowski of San Diego at Western Carolina University in North Carolina.
PRESIDENT’S LIST
The following students made the president’s list at their respective universities: Matthew Huebscher at Bob Jones University in South Carolina and Cyrus Parsario of San Diego at Trine University.
DEAN’S LIST
The following students made the dean’s list at their respective institutions: Ricky Johnson of Oceanside at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois; Brady Leppien-Christensen of San Marcos at University of Jamestown in North Dakota; Karla McCunn of Carlsbad at PennWest University in Pennsylvania; Kian Sanchez of San Diego, Mason Kelley of San Marcos, Laura Enfinger of. Encinitas, and Arlette Alcocer and Anthony Lloyd of Oceanside at California State University, Stanislaus; and Lauren Littlejohn of San Diego, Katelyn Hnatek and Jett Foreman of Carlsbad, Samantha Kates, Kailer Brown, Jacob Santorelli, Sadie Holsten, Hazel Roy and Ella Greupner of Encinitas at Belmont University in Tennessee.
MUSIC AWARD
The MiraCosta College Oceanside Jazz Orchestra, commonly known as MOJO, earned the 2026 DownBeat Magazine Student Music Award for Outstanding Performance, one of the most prestigious honors in jazz education. This latest recognition brings MOJO’s total to 10 DownBeat Student Music Awards and raises the music department’s overall total to 22 awards since the community college category was introduced.
PALA RESORT
Pala Casino Spa Golf Resort is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The Pala Band of Mission Indians, comprised of the Cupeño and Luiseño people, opened the resort in 2001 as part of a broader movement toward tribal self-reliance in the state. Since then, the resort has grown into a premier destination for gaming, hospitality, dining and entertainment in Southern California.
NEW BBQ
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, the largest Hawaii-based restaurant chain, is celebrating its 100th location in California with its new Carlsbad store at 7610 Via Campanile, Ste. 142, within La Costa Town Square. Franchisee Chloe Tran, who recently opened locations in Colton and Jurupa Valley, owns the Carlsbad location.
BUS SAFETY
For the first time in history, the North County Transit – San Diego Railroad (NCTD) earned the Bus Safety Excellence Gold Award. With the award, the American Public Transportation Association recognizes transit agencies that have designed and implemented proactive, highly effective programs to reduce preventable accidents, improve driver training and enhance the safety of both passengers and transit workers.
