Visit to the White House An Experience We’ll Never Forget

I knew Logan Heine was a very good student when he was in my journalism class at Cabrillo. He was one of many motivated, bright future writers.

But I was really surprised when at the end of the semester he told me he was the valedictorian at Scotts Valley High School. Like a lot of people, I assumed if you were at the top of your class at a very good school, you would head straight for a four-year college, maybe even in the Ivy League.

But Logan had a different idea, and so did his brother, who was the salutatorian at the same high school. They chose to attend the local community college to take care of their requirements and prepare for a four-year college after two years at Cabrillo.

Did he have any regrets? No. In fact, says Logan, “I was able to learn a lot by going to community college, which prepped me for the experiences to come at university unlike any high school. I better understand the ways classes can be structured, the trials and tribulations of planning one’s schedule, and a variety of other micro and macro tips.

“Being an honors and IB student in high school, I was also able to pursue similar standards with the Honors Program at Cabrillo, which helped me step up my game and translated toward my university experience.”

It feels great to share his first-hand experiences now with families considering where to send their soon-to-be grads to school. I know our community college is great, but I feared I was biased because I’ve taught there for more than a decade.

To hear it from a valedictorian, who is on his way to a state college, was great evidence of what the school has to offer. (“Show, don’t tell,” is what I always tell my students and he did!)

I hope you enjoy and learn from that cover story.

Meanwhile, I can’t believe it’s time for school already. What happened to starting after Labor Day? I wish I was an elementary school teacher who could read all the summer vacation essays. (send us your best and we’ll print them!)

I assigned one to my soon-to-be third grader and he highlighted what I called our summer of the 80s. We visited the White House for Fourth of July, where we had front row seats for a speech by President Joe Biden. My boy, Parker, was awed. So was I. Even if we were disappointed that the secret service called him off before we could get selfies with him.

Then, I took Parker to see another octogenarian, Mick Jagger, who put on the show of a lifetime in Santa Clara. I wanted him to see a legend and worried that the music wouldn’t reach his generation, but it did. In between, Parker went to film camp at Thomas Farm Films in Aptos, in which he was in four movies and loved every minute of it.

And then, in the blink of an eye, it’s time for school again.

Thanks for reading,
Brad Kava,
Editor and Publisher