Standout 8th Grade AVID Students Honored at Angel Stadium

ORANGE, CA — May 26, 2015 — Orange Unified School District is proud to announce that three OUSD AVID (Advancement Via Individualized Determination) students were honored at Angel Stadium last Monday.

The annual AVID 8th Grade Standout event, held in partnership between Orange County AVID, Angels Baseball and Angels Baseball Foundation, recognizes exceptional 8th grade AVID students with scholarships.

Delaram “Della” Heshmatifar from Cerro Villa Middle School, Elizabeth Ha from El Rancho Charter Middle School, and Tinh Nim from Portola Middle School were recognized for their hard work and dedication to the pursuit of their college dreams.

“Della is a standout student who epitomizes courage, perseverance, integrity, leadership, responsibility, character and dedication to her studies,” commented Lisa Hedspeth, AVID teacher at Cerro Villa.

“Elizabeth has always demonstrated the qualities one would expect in a leader, such as determination, strong work ethic, caring of others, and a strong sense of self,” stated her AVID teacher, Allyson Reeds.

“Tinh is a hard-working, positive, and energetic girl who is a role model for others,” added Allison Helsper, AVID teacher at Portola.

As a special surprise this year, Angels Baseball and Toshiba granted a laptop computer to each of the 46 students recognized, causing the crowd of school board members, District personnel, site administrators, teachers, and families to erupt into in a standing ovation. Six students were also awarded $10,000 for college, which will be held in a trust until they graduate high school and attend a four-year university. 

The theme of this year’s event was “Changing the Course of History.”