Congratulations to Riley Gordon, the Student of the Month for Ponderosa High School!  Riley joined us on Zoom along with her parents Jarret and Eileen Gordon and English teacher Dana Swanson.

Riley has served the Ponderosa community in a variety of roles, including as reporter for the Technology Student Association, on Link Crew, and as parliamentarian for National Honor Society.  Riley is the founder of the Outdoor Classroom Task Force, a project to create an outdoor learning space at Ponderosa. Ms. Swanson commented in particular on Riley’s multi-year involvement with PeaceJam, which she currently serves as the co-president.  (PeaceJam is an international organization whose mission statement is "to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities, and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Peace Laureates who pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody.")  Riley has also served the larger community by volunteering at food drives and food shelters, by mentoring elementary students in reading during the summers, and by writing to seniors in retirement homes who were isolated during the COVID pandemic.

Riley plans to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to study biomedical engineering with a minor in Spanish, with the goal of eventually becoming a surgeon.  Congratulations on all your achievements, Riley, and we wish you all the best!

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