More than 1,500 students from Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo sat quietly, some brushing away tears, during a school assembly this week that featured a mock car accident scene and special guest Jon Wilhite, the sole survivor of the 2009 DUI crash that killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other friends.
The Orange County Register wrote a piece about Wilhite’s visit to Trabuco Hills High this week, which was part of the school’s annual DUI awareness campaign Every 15 Minutes, organized by the California Highway Patrol, Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and Mission Hospital and Care Ambulance. The event was designed to teach students the dangers of drinking and driving.
A drunk driver who ran a red light struck the car Adenhart, Wilhite and the two friends were riding in Fullerton eight years ago. Adenhart had just pitched six scoreless innings for the Angels before the crash. In an emotional speech, Wilhite told Trabuco Hills students he still doesn’t remember the crash, but thinks daily about the friends he lost.
Here are more education stores from this past week:
- As part of a video project, a Mission Viejo High sophomore with a condition known as skeletal dysplasia simulated scoring a touchdown for the Diablos with help from the team’s regular roster.
- Newport-Mesa Unified students attended the Field of Valor dedication ceremony at Castaways Park to honor soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
- A veteran educator who spent the last 15 years as principal of a continuation school in Costa Mesa is credited with providing transformational leadership as retirement nears.
- During the 14th Annual Orange County Cappies Gala, awards were presented to Orange County students in a variety of performing arts categories, from acting and singing to costume and set design.
- An Anaheim Elementary School District teacher shared observations from her recent trip to Senegal, arranged through the Teachers for Global Classrooms immersion program.
- Samueli Academy, which opened four years ago after receiving a charter from OCDE, is about to graduate its first class of seniors.
- OCDE’s Services for Language Learners team honored local educators, community liaisons and parents who are championing biliteracy and bilingualism in Orange County.
For more education news stories, visit news.ocde.us.