2019 Volunteers of the Year

Poway Unified Announces the Selection of District Volunteers of the Year

Eric Hellon, Chaparral Elementary School

Eric Hellon is Chaparral Elementary School’s personal hero – referred to as their Man of Marvel. He is the leader of Chaparral’s Dad’s Club, a group of dads who make repairs, do yard work on campus, and fulfills Chaparral’s “To Do” list.

Eric helped forge the trail for Chaparral’s nature path, digging and leveling the path from start to finish. He also helps maintain the Reading Garden – keeping it neat and weed free.

Eric can be found in a number of places on campus. In the classroom he can be found helping first graders with their reading skills in small groups and one to one. He can also be seen in the cul-de-sac directing morning drop off traffic, ensuring a smooth and safe start to the school day!

By the end of the year he is still going strong and sets up the Olympic Field Day; organizing classroom rotations with 900 students and the taking it all down at the end of the day! Eric dedicates both his time and talent to the students and staff of Chaparral all year long, and encourages more dads to get involved in their children’s education by leading by example.

Ed Oliva, Twin Peaks Middle School

Ed Oliva lives by the quote, “We rise by lifting others.” He feels compelled to share his time, talent and treasures with others and to be a good steward of his good fortune, despite his very humble beginnings as the son of Texas farmworkers.

He began his volunteer service to support English language learners in 2008. In his 11 years of service, he has volunteered as a mentor to nearly two dozen students. He meets with them to establish a personal relationship and motivates them towards success. His students all say he has been a significant figure in their lives.

In addition, Ed has arranged for numerous speakers to visit Twin Peaks Middle School to enlighten students on an array of topics that include career focus and motivational speakers. These presentations have helped over 3,000 middle school students see the importance of positivity and perseverance in their pursuit of college, career, and life readiness.

In addition to volunteering at Twin Peaks, Ed volunteers with the City of Poway Fire Department Community Emergency Response Team, the Red Cross as a Disaster Shelter Volunteer, the Knights of Columbus, and at St. Gabriel’s Church as a St. Vincent DePaul Volunteer. His connections have benefitted Twin Peaks Middle School tremendously, serving as a conduit between the Poway community and its students.  

Darlene & Dustin Dunn, Rancho Bernardo High School

Darlene & Dustin Dunn have been involved at Rancho Bernardo High School for the past 17 years! They have had 5 of their 6 children graduate from RBHS with their youngest graduating with the class of
2019.

But they don’t just volunteer their time to programs involving their children. They support students, staff and the community wherever they are needed – and they don’t wait to be asked to help. For 17 years they have offered up their time and talents with enthusiasm and a genuine willingness to help. They are the first to pick up a paint brush or hammer to build a theater production set, or the first to mobilize volunteers anywhere they’re needed.

Darlene has been a Gridiron Club board member for over 10 years and coordinated concessions at home football games – helping to bring in improvements including a new refrigerator, coolers, painting, menu 
boards, grills and more. She has also coordinated senior night activities for football, basketball, volleyball and rugby, and is always a calming influence and voice of leadership as president of the PTSA, assisting with everything from grad night to float building.

Dustin can also be seen at all home football games – as a member of the “chain gang” and even trained incoming freshmen parents so there would always be a pool of volunteers! During Rancho Bernardo’s state championship football game, Dustin served both breakfast and lunch to the team, was seen hanging a banner from the scoreboard, then sweeping the bleachers, and stocking the concession stand. “Off the field” Dustin has served as a mentor to young men who were working on their Eagle Scout projects at school. These included dry walling, painting, working on trophy cases and more.

Together, the Dunns have impacted Rancho Bernardo High School in countless ways too numerous to list, including the creation of a Parent Center where parents can get connected to the school with information and resources.

2019 Poway Unified Volunteers of the Year

The following is a list of all PUSD 2019 school site Volunteers of the Year. All of these finalists are outstanding candidates, representative of the high level of commitment to our students and schools.

Name	Site
Wendy Rauhut	Adobe Bluffs
Noreen Walton	Abraxas
Patty Tokushige	Bernardo Heights
Nancy Bergman	Black Mountain
Kathy Ciano	Canyon View
Jack Cohen	Career Technical Education
Eric Hellon	Chaparral
Archana Ambike	Creekside
Maureen Nevarez	Deer Canyon
Derek Lieu	Del Norte
Teresa Lohmann	Del Sur
Tiffany Waasted	Garden Road
Amy Throckmorton	Highland Ranch
Jeanette Lotze	Los Penasquitos
	Meadowbrook
	Mesa Verde
Teresa Tye	Midland
Judy Camoras	Monterey Ridge
Soumya Chennapragada	Morning Creek
Monte Montemarano	Mt. Carmel
Rachel Kaas	Oak Valley
Craig Crawford	Painted Rock
Lucy Lazo-Isleta	Park Village
Anne Bugayong	Pomerado
Bo Matthys	Poway High
Darlene & Dustin Dunn	Rancho Bernardo
Andrea Hamilton-Dominguez	Rolling Hills
Noelle Berman	Shoal Creek
Cass Kaminetz	Stone Ranch
Sharon Mongold	Sundance
Kathy Shelor	Sunset Hills
Danielle Allphin	Tierra Bonita
Jeanette Magana	Turtleback
Ed Oliva	Twin Peaks
Selena Pankretz	Valley
Krissa Jensen	Westview
April Gleed	Westwood
Susan Ross	Willow Grove