Grantham, Jones, Stallings and Trujillo are November Students of the Month

Respectful. Intelligent. Determined. Friendly.

Those words were used repeatedly to describe November Students of the Month Jack Grantham, Nicole Jones and Kobe Stallings of Fallbrook Union High School (FUHS), and Ta'Sheena Trujillo of Ivy High School.

The students were honored Nov. 3 during a ceremonial breakfast at the Fallbrook Community Center, where they were presented with Lamp of Knowledge medals from active duty military representatives Cpl David A. Mills, LCpl Alfredo Gonzalez, and LCpl Vincent A. Carreon.

Fallbrook Union High School principal Larry Boone said of the honorees, "I would say the biggest thing is you are not necessarily here for just your grades, you are here because you're also good people with good character. You will make it in college because in addition to intelligence, you have the good hearts, the character and that family support. You make us proud each and every day."

Grantham, a senior quarterback who has made the San Diego Union Tribune's All-Academic Team in three sports (football, basketball and track and field), was nominated by FUHS career counselors Anthony Morrow and Pam Cain and teacher Connie Fellios.

"Besides being one of the top academic students on our campus, you are not going to find an individual with better character than Jack," said Morrow. "You're not going to find a more respectful, inquisitive and intelligent person in this community or any other community. He's a phenomenal athlete, a phenomenal student."

"Jack Grantham reflects an unwavering ambition to work arduously to achieve the high expectations he sets for himself," said Fellios. "Throughout his secondary education, he has not only undertaken a rigorous academic load with honors and advance placement courses, but also maintained an enviable grade point average of 4.2, ranking in the top five percent of the senior class."

Grantham thanked the student of the month committee, his teachers, coaches and advisors, the Marines and veterans in attendance, and his family.

"I’d like to thank my parents for teaching me the qualities of respect, hard work and dedication," said Grantham. "Miss Fellios, you have taught me the values of hard work, honesty and humility through your example each and every day on campus. Miss Cain, you're always kind and brighten my day. Mr. Morrow, you’ve instilled a great deal of confidence in me in who I am. I’d just like to thank all three of you for being role models and people I want to continue to shape my life, and model my life after, after high school."

Morrow and Cain also nominated Kobe Stallings, a senior who has played football, basketball and baseball throughout his high school years. Stallings is being recruited for football by multiple universities.

“The young man that is standing here is the product of growth and maturity, all the things we hope to see in our students as teachers and counselors on campus," said Morrow. "He has grown to take his studies seriously, has worked extremely hard, and now he is starting to see some of these things payoff. Kobe, I know your parents are extremely proud of you. I am extremely proud of you and where you’ve ended up, and knowing the possibilities that you have ahead of you."

"What I want to say about both of these boys here today – and I see both of them every day – they are both gentlemen," said Cain of Stallings and Grantham.

Stallings thanked Morrow and Cain for being "outstanding college and career counselors" and his family and friends for "all their love and support for what I do."

"My dad has coached me in football, baseball and basketball, while my mom has always been there to motivate me to keep up my grades," said Stallings. "This combination has helped me to be the best student/athlete I am today. Next fall I plan on attending a university to play football at the next level. I wish to major in sports management and business."

FUHS teacher Alana Milton nominated Nicole Jones, a well-rounded student/athlete with an impressive GPA.

"Nicole runs cross country and participates in track, and those are very, very demanding sports," said Milton. "Along with that she also has a 4.2 GPA and is in honor classes. She has also been involved in ASB every year. Nicole is always friendly and always comes to class with a smile. She is respectful of everyone and everyone’s attitude. On top of her school commitments, she’s also very, very active in her church and her youth group."

North Coast Church pastor Kirk Jones, who gave the invocation at the breakfast, also spoke highly of Nicole Jones.

"I have been doing youth ministry for North Coast Church and I’ve had the blessing and the opportunity of meeting with, pastoring, mentoring, teaching, and guiding hundreds and hundreds of students, and Nicole somehow stands out among all those people," said Kirk Jones. "She serves in this community, she serves at her school and she serves at her church.”

Nicole Jones thanked Milton for nominating her as well as her family and pastor Jones for their support.

"This is just such an honor and I just want to say thank you so much, I really appreciate it," said Jones. "I want to thank my parents, so much, for everything. I want to thank Kirk for being someone to help me find God and he just continues to improve my relationship there. You’re all so important to me and I just want you to know that."

Ivy High School teacher Amie Macbeth nominated Ta'Shenna Trujillo, calling her "a woman on a mission."

"In a world that has given Ta’Sheena a hundred reasons to quit and to stop, and to not believe in herself, she figured out that she has her best events in her future," said Macbeth. "Every day when my students leave I ask three things of them: have a good day, make good choices, and be a good human being. Ta’Sheena is the epitome of what I hope my students to be, and even more, she’s a woman I’d be proud to call my daughter.”

Trujillo thanked the student of the month committee, Macbeth for the nomination, and all the teachers at Ivy High School.

"I’ve been to Fallbrook, Ivy and Oasis, and the Ivy teachers are the most caring and supportive," said Trujillo. "They really gave me a second chance to redeem myself. Thank you.”