Thank you for visiting our blog about Sweetwater Union High School District Hall of Fame Success Stories. This blog is dedicated to Jerry LaRussa who created the district Hall of Fame as a way to honor students from our community who graduated and made a difference in our world.
Please take a look at the honorees we have inducted into the Hall of Fame and add your comments to those you know or have impacted your life.
If you have someone in mind to nominate for the Hall of Fame or other issues or items concerning the Sweetwater District, make a post here.
Disclaimer: This blog is not affiliated with the Sweetwater District and no taxpayer funds have been used in its creation. This blog is paid for by Friends of Jim Cartmill – FPPC ID# 1245974.
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Adolfo Gonzales, Ed.D.
2006 Hall of Fame for Public Service at Montgomery High in 1974
Dr. Adolfo Gonzales is National City's Police Chief - the only chief in San Diego County with a doctorate degree and the only Latino chief. His 26 years of experience in law enforcement have culminated in a strong form of leadership in National City. While at the top post for just over a year, Dr. Gonzales has been instrumental in reducing the rate of violent crimes by 19%. Rape incidences are down nearly a third, and homicides have dropped from 11 to 3 in that time. Dr. Gonzales is also active in regional issues and cross-border relations, serving on a variety of boards and donating his time to numerous organizations.
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Allan J. Camaisa
2006 Hall of Fame for Business at Bonita Vista High in 1977
Allan Camaisa has been a true business leader in San Diego County. His High Technology Solutions, Inc., grew to a worth of more than $44 million and employed more than 400 workers before Camaisa sold it. Camaisa was awarded the 1998 Ernst & Young Regional Entrepreneur of the Year in the Internet & Software category and numerous other awards. His current role is founder and CEO of Anakam, Inc., an online security solutions company.
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Francisco Javier (Frankie J) Bautista
2006 Hall of Fame for Arts at Southwest High in 1995
Frankie J is a popular hip-hop artist who is quickly on his way to becoming one of the top stars of his time. After getting started performing with A.B. Quintanilla's Kumbia Kings, he set off on a new career venture. His solo albums include What's a Man to Do and The One.
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Jeff Phair
2006 Hall of Fame for Business at Hilltop High in 1970
Local developer Jeff Phair helped design the City of Chula Vista's first planned community with the EastLake Development Company. His creation, the Phair Company, has surpassed the $200 million threshold in new construction in commercial, industrial and multifamily developments. He has been a major benefactor for charities, including sponsorship of the Bonita Road Runners 5K to benefit local schools, the funding of the John Rindone Memorial Scholarship at Hilltop High and numerous other contributions. Phair has also served as the men's and women's track and field coach at Bonita Vista High for the last 11 years.
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Kile Morgan, Jr.
2006 Hall of Fame for Community Service at Sweetwater High in 1964
Kile Morgan serves as the President and CEO of Ponderosa Homes, Inc., in northern California, but has not forgotten his South Bay roots. He has become an active supporter of numerous charitable organizations across the state. His partnership in the Boys & Girls Clubs of National City has grown exponentially over the years, with a recent contribution of $400,000 as a challenge grant to help the organization start an endowment. His own Morgan Family Foundation is currently assisting 23 students with their college education - all Sweetwater High graduates.
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Noah (Wuv of P.O.D.) Bernardo, Jr.
2006 Hall of Fame for Arts at Montgomery High in 1991
MOH graduates Traa, Sonny, Wuv and Marcos make up the triple platinum-selling rap-metal group P.O.D. that embraces Christian values; several albums released.
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Paul (Sonny of P.O.D.) Sandoval
2006 Hall of Fame for Arts at Montgomery High in 1991
MOH graduates Traa, Sonny, Wuv and Marcos make up the triple platinum-selling rap-metal group P.O.D. that embraces Christian values; several albums released.
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Stephanie Ludi, Ph.D.
2006 Hall of Fame for Academia at Hilltop High in 1989
Blind; B.S. in Computer Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; M.S. degree; Ph.D. in Computer Science from Arizona State University; received a grant for $154,000 from the National Science Foundation to improve technology to help the legally blind/partially sighted; teaching assistant and instructor at Carl Poly, and a faculty associate and teaching assistant at Arizona State University prior to joining the faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall 2002; has presented her research on accessibility for the visually impaired to researchers in Boston, New Orleans, Reno and Great Britain; her work researching students, the web and education software was prepared for conferences in Canada and Australia.
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Valerie Zavala
2006 Hall of Fame for Arts at Hilltop High in 1973
Valerie Zavala is currently the Vice-President of News and Public Affairs for the PBS station KCET in Los Angeles. She anchors the nightly newsmagazine Life & Times and oversees the station's news department. Ms. Zavala has earned eight local Emmy Awards, four Golden Mikes, two Imagen Awards for Excellence and a Greater Los Angeles Press Club Award, among others.
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