Sonoma’s Creekside High School names its Students of the Year

Student of the Year Yubani Herrera attended El Verano Elementary School, Adele Harrison Middle School and Sonoma Valley High School before transferring to Creekside High School in December, 2018. He lives with his mom, Guadalupe, who has raised Yubani since his father passed away when he was young.

Faculty and staff raved about their admiration for Yubani and the leadership role he has taken since coming to Creekside.

“Yubani has taken full advantage of what Creekside has to offer,” said teacher Walt Williams. “He is an independent thinker who prioritizes school over any personal drama. This focus on what is important has enabled him to excel in classes and become a quiet leader in the classroom. He is willing to go beyond what is required of him, volunteering for projects outside of school while maintaining employment and a busy work schedule.”

Holly Seibold describes Yubani as a great addition to Creekside.

“Yubani shows a level of maturity that serves as a role model for other students,” she said. “He is dependable, honest, and respectful. These character traits are something he should be very proud of.”

Yubani said before he attended Creekside, he was very quiet and didn’t want to talk to anyone.

“Creekside has offered me a home where I can be more open,” he told his teachers.

After high school, Yubani will attend classes at the Santa Rosa Junior College and study mechanics. He is a young entrepreneur and took an initial $500 investment to buy his first car and has fixed up a total of six cars and sold them and now is the proud owner of a Ford F-150.

Student of the Year Edgar Ponce attended Flowery Elementary School, Adele Harrison Middle School and Sonoma Valley High School before transferring to Creekside in the spring of 2017. Edgar lives with his mother and father and his sister Naybi, who is a sixth grader at Adele Harrison.

Edgar’s teachers said that when he first started at Creekside he was a quiet young man who, although polite, wasn’t terribly focused on getting his work done. Over time, he grew more outspoken and emerged as a leader.

“This newfound attention also brought to light his charming personality and quick sense of humor,” said Seibold. “Edgar truly emerged as a mature, focused, hardworking role model. He’s a perfect example of what can happen when a student makes the conscious decision to look toward his future and make it become a reality.”

His other teachers described Edgar as a calming influence who always has a smile for those around him

“I would never do school work prior to attending Creekside,” recalled Edgar. “The teachers at Creekside went the extra mile all the time and I always felt 100 percent supported. This motivated me to do well in school.”

Edgar is currently taking SRJC classes while working full-time at Oso restaurant. He plans on earning a vet-tech certificate.

The article is the final in a series highlighting the Students of the Year across the Sonoma Valley Unified School District campuses.