RIVERSIDE – When Maria Selene Castillo was honored at the Riverside County Office of Education’s Student Academic Awards in 2019 as one of the top graduating students in Riverside County, the recognition activated a sense of pride and belonging in the Desert Mirage High School student when she confidently stepped on campus as a college freshman at the University of Southern California that fall.
“The award reminded me that I was not only prepared academically, but that I carried the support and strength of my community with me. That recognition helped me step into a new environment, knowing I had earned my place there,” Castillo said in 2026. After graduating from college, she returned to the Coachella Valley Unified School District and now serves as the Public Information Officer.
A total of 166 outstanding students, like Maria Selene Castillo from the class of 2026, were honored at the 20th Annual Riverside County Student Academic Awards on Tuesday, April 21, for their extraordinary accomplishments during their thirteen years as students in Riverside County’s public schools. More than 32,000 seniors will graduate from Riverside County high schools in the class of 2026, and these students represent the top of the class…