Dunbar’s Students of the Year: Andrea Zavala Beiza ?and Nadia Alquezada

Fifth grade best friends Andrea Zavala Beiza, above left, and Nadia Alquezada have been named Students of the Year by Dunbar Elementary School in Glen Ellen.

Student of the Year Andrea Zavala Beiza has been at Dunbar since first grade. According to the school, she was an instant 'hit' with staff and students alike from the moment she arrived. Zavala excels academically at school, and her teachers report that she is a very strong student. She is a second language learner who now helps others by translating and explaining instructions to peers who are still learning English. In addition to her studies, Zavala excels in Dunbar's student leadership group, always pitching in where needed. Staff members report that she exemplifies life skills of friendship, kindness, perseverance and personal best. She is described as having outstanding work habits, a positive attitude and being a pleasure to have in class.

Zavala was in Kathleen Krempely's second grade class the year Krempely passed away. Zavala organized a tree planting and helped make sure that all the students were included in the planting ceremony and dedication, and the tree remains a gathering spot on campus. Despite being quiet and soft-spoken, Zavala demonstrates academic excellence, personal best, caring and social responsibility. For these attributes, Andrea Zavala-Beiza has been honored as Dunbar's Student of the Year.

Student of the Year Nadia Alquezada has been a student at Dunbar since kindergarten. She is known to embody the qualities that Dunbar values including scholarship, leadership and empathy for others. Scholastically, she is a high achieving student, consistently qualifying for the honor roll. She is part of the District's Gifted and Talented Education program and last year worked hard to achieve straight As by the end of the year. Alquezada's family is bilingual and she quickly achieved high scores on her CELDT test for English language fluency.

Teacher Nora Alexander-Short, reports that Alquezada is a very kind, loving and a positive role model for others. Her willingness to work cooperatively with others embodies the teamwork espoused at Dunbar and she truly shines in her leadership skills and in her friendships and kindness toward others.

She is also very talented artist, winning the Clover Stornetta milk carton art project in the third grade. Her unique combination of scholastic merit, leadership, friendship and moral compass far beyond her years, combined to make Alquezada Dunbar's choice for 2014-15 Student of the Year.

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This article is the third in a series for the 2014-15 school year honoring Students of the Year at each campus in the Sonoma Valley Unified School district.