The Rotary Club of Ashland announces Students of the Month for November and December

The Rotary Club of Ashland named seniors Aiden Espinoza as Student of the Month for December and Tess Hobein as Student of the Month for November. Rotary Club of Ashland photo
December 26, 2023

Tess Hobein, Aiden Espinoza, earn high praise from teachers, have ambitious plans for college

Rotary Club of Ashland

Ashland High School Superintendent Samuel Bogdanove recently presented Tess Hobein as Rotary’s Student of the Month for November. She is a member of the class of 2024. Tess plans to pursue a college career at Pacific University with a pre-med path, and plans to play both volleyball and softball.

Among many statements expressing words of praise for her accomplishments was one from Paul Huard, her professor of Advanced Placement U.S. History: “I have educated high school students for nearly 20 years, and Tess is among a handful that I would call the most motivated and diligent pupils of my career. She is a superb scholar who earns top grades.”

And from Peter Bolling, government teacher: “There is a quote that I ran across recently by author Tom Hughes that I think epitomizes much of what I admire about Tess Hobein. It goes something like this, ‘He who has disciplined his own spirit has conquered the whole outward world.’ I see that quality in Tess often. She is not afraid to challenge herself because she has learned through experience that she can trust her own capabilities.”

Joining Tess as a Student of the Month is Aiden Espinoza, also a 2024 senior, who was named Student of the Month for December. For his future, he plans on attending a four-year university in California with a major in physics and a focus on astronomy. Following his undergraduate studies, he plans on pursuing a doctoral degree and hopefully work at NASA. He also would like to play soccer in college.

Aiden also received many written comments from his teachers about his extraordinary time at Ashland High School. Maryetta Jacques, culinary and design teacher, commented: “Aiden is one of those students you look forward to seeing in class each day. He has a generous and kind spirit about him and elevates the people around him. He has a natural curiosity and commitment to his work and always goes the extra mile. And he makes a mean pizza!”

McKael Kenfield, anatomy and physiology teacher: “Aiden works hard on his academics and applies it to his volunteer work at the forensics lab. He is a very driven and an amazing kid inside and out of the classroom. It has been a delight getting to know him and his scientific volunteer work!”

The Rotary Club of Ashland meets at noon Thursdays in Wesley Hall at the First United Methodist Church, 175 N. Main St., Ashland. For more information, go to ashlandrotary.org.

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Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

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