For Yaquelin Guadalupe Acosta Vasquez, a recent graduate of Arvin High School, believing in herself opened the door to opportunities her younger self never imagined possible. This fall, the first-generation college student will attend Yale University after earning admission to the prestigious institution and receiving a Gates Scholarship.
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Students in KCSOS’s RISE program celebrated more than graduation Saturday morning. Speakers reflected on overcoming adversity, breaking barriers, and proving that difficult circumstances do not define a person’s future. The Class of 2026 embodied the program’s mission of Reaching Individual Success through Education.
The Superintendent’s Award once again honored Valley Oaks Charter School students whose resilience, leadership, kindness, and personal growth have made a lasting impact both on campus and behind the scenes. The recognition celebrates students whose achievements may not always fit traditional definitions of success, but whose actions continue to inspire those around them.
From carrying a football through the halls of Wasco High as an eighth grader to earning a full academic scholarship to UCLA, Braydon Ricks’ journey has been shaped by perseverance, sacrifice, and the lessons instilled by the grandmother he simply called “Mom.”
English learner students are being recognized and celebrated for making strides toward fluency. This week schools from the KCSOS RISE program, formerly known as Alternative Education, celebrated students who showed significant improvement in their English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) tests.
A small cohort of 25 adult learners proudly walked across the graduation stage at Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest last week with not just a certificate, but the beginning of a new career path. The students are part of a Spanish-language child development cohort supported by a partnership between the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) and the college.
After being named a recipient of the prestigious Gates Scholarship, Highland High School senior and first-generation college student Myah Wright will attend University of California, Berkeley this fall to study mechanical engineering, marking a new chapter in her journey of self-confidence and personal achievements that shaped her high school years.
A group of Kern County students was honored Tuesday evening not for grades or athletic accomplishments, but for the compassion, empathy, and everyday acts of kindness that have made a lasting impact at their schools and in the community.
Nine outstanding school employees from across Kern County were recognized as 2026 Classified Employees of the Year during the annual Education Champions ceremony, celebrating the essential behind-the-scenes work that helps schools operate smoothly every day.
Four students in the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) RISE program were honored during the 2026 Graduate Memorial Awards ceremony for demonstrating extraordinary empathy, perseverance, optimism, and integrity while overcoming significant personal challenges on their path to graduation.
This week, students were honored at the second annual Student Voice Ambassador Program (SVAP) Award Ceremony, where they received either the California State Seal of Civic Engagement or the Pathway to Civic Engagement Award in recognition of their year-long civic engagement and community improvement projects.
For Liberty High School senior Imanni Brar, success has never been measured by what you gain, but what you give. An entrepreneur and philanthropist from a young age, Imanni has set her sights on the University of California – Los Angeles, where she plans to study Business Economics and further her nonprofit enterprise.
After years of surpassing expectations and pursuing his passion for film and animation, Josh Benitez is taking the next step toward independence and his dream career after being accepted into UCLA’s Extension Pathway Program.
Every year, dozens of Kern County educators rise through the ranks of their school and their district to be named Teacher of the Year, but only three become finalists to earn recognition from the state of California. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) office recognized all these outstanding individuals Thursday evening at the annual Kern County Education Champions of the Year celebration Thursday evening at the Historic Bell Tower Plaza. There, KCSOS announced the three finalists for the prestigious 2026 Kern County Teacher of the Year award. The trio is now eligible to apply for the California Teacher of the Year program.
Students from across Kern County shared bold ideas imagining how they would improve their community during the Kern County Superintendent of Schools annual Speech and Essay Writing Contest. From expanding healthcare access and reducing homelessness to planting urban forests and improving public spaces, winning students delivered thoughtful speeches aimed at creating a better future for Kern County.
Coming soon, students in the Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District (RBG) will be riding to campus in style in a new fleet of electric school buses. The district broke ground Wednesday on its new electric school bus depot, which will house and support charging infrastructure for eight new zero-emission electric school buses.
Four seniors from Burroughs High School in the Sierra Sands Unified School District are leaving behind their homes in Ridgecrest and preparing to take their next steps after graduation, each carrying with them a story of perseverance, leadership, and service. From medicine and law to engineering and military service, these students have turned ambition into achievement while making a difference in their school and community.
On May 2, 2026, approximately 1,200 fourth- through eighth-grade students participated in Kern County’s annual STEAM Olympiad sponsored by the Sentinel Peak Resources, Kern County Science Foundation, Kern County Math Council, California Math Council, and Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Check out the results.
Students from across Kern County put their creativity and technical skills to the test during the 2026 Kern Codes Skoolcade, a game design competition that brought together aspiring developers in grades 4 through 8. Held April 23 at LER, the annual event challenged students to design and present original video games, blending storytelling, coding, and problem-solving into interactive experiences.
From sketching owls to coding with microbits, after-school learning in Mojave is sparking creativity and curiosity in new ways. A growing STEAM program is connecting students to real-world learning—and inspiring future educators along the way.
