Monday, Mar. 08, 2010
San Luis team hopes to be Florida bound
By Samantha Salas / ssalas@losbanosenterprise.com
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ReprintA team of five students from San Luis High School are prouder of themselves than they've ever been, they said, for two reasons: They've been recently named the state champions for the California State Department of Consumer Affairs' LifeSmarts Competition and, two, their success merits a trip to Miami.
Traci Sumner, team coach and teacher at the school, said the annual competition began with the online-based portion of the contest. Sumner had 80 students participating in the test, with questions on subjects of personal finance, health, technology, environment, and consumer rights. Sumner chose the top five scorers to be her "team" for the next round of competition.
Results for the competition thus far were announced Monday. It was also announced that there would not be a state championship in Sacramento this year, where the first- and second-place teams from the online competition usually attend. So with San Luis' first-place finish, they're headed straight to the national competition, an automatic state title in hand.
But the title came with the work, the students agreed. They've been studying the categories daily since the beginning of February. Yet, even with all the dedication and hard work they had under their belts, most of the five said they were surprised at their win.
"I'm really surprised because we actually had to work at it," Angel Olvarado, a senior said of how the students' hard work paid off. "I'm also satisfied," for the same reason, he said.
Sarah Robertson, an 11th-grader, said she was confident in her testing performance -- she wasn't surprised at her own or the school's winning scores.
"I feel really accomplished because of that," Robertson said.
Stephan Llewellyn, also a junior at the school, said he just wasn't expecting the success, regardless of how hard he worked for it. But he's planning to continue working hard to make sure the team does its best at the national level.
All the students agree planning a trip to Miami is going to be the best part of the entire experience. The national competition is set to take place April 24-27.
Mychaela Robinson, a 12th-grader, said she's preparing for the competition as though it will be harder than she imagines, then the students will be prepared no matter what.
In a matter of a day, the heartwarming tale turned heartbreaking, Sumner said.
After the announcement and congratulatory comments to the team, Sumner received an e-mail from the State Coordinator of the Department of Consumer Affairs stating the department's outreach program would not be funding the students' trip to the national competition, which it has done each year in the past.
Sumner said she may not have had the students enter the competition had she known of the let down. It took the first place announcement to prompt the department to inform the school of the omitted information, she said.
"We've done a little fundraising, but we're short $3,000," Sumner said. "If we can't raise that money, what can I do? I'm gonna have to break their hearts."
Sumner said she puts all her faith into Los Baños to help the students attend the event in April.
"We have to have everything set by April 1," she said. "There's no time to put anything together. What could we even do with such short notice? If we don't get community support, this isn't gonna happen."
Sumner said what is most heartbreaking for the students is the possibility of not being given the chance for the "fantastic" opportunity they've earned.
"They'd meet other students from all over the United States, they'd be exposed to different academic concepts and none of them have ever been in an academic competition, or have been recognized for their academic achievements. It's a huge boost to their self-confidence, no matter what happens," she said. "And their so excited, which makes it harder."
Regardless of whether or not the students make their way to Miami, Sumner said she's happy and proud of how far the students came.
"No. 1, we're state champs. You can't take that away," she said. "I'm proud no matter what. They've proven San Luis students are smart, they are good sports and they can succeed."
Olvarado said the most rewarding part of the experience, thus far, has been the school's win.
"It's winning," he said. "And it's something new for us."
Alyssa Antonucci, an 11th-grader, said while it would be nice to place at the national level, the success they've already earned means a lot to the team going into the event.
"It'll still be worth it," Antonucci said.
Enterprise reporter Samantha Salas can be reached by phone at (209)388-6562 or by e-mail at ssalas@losbanosenterprise.com