Salutatorian Lincoln Sailhamer, who plans to major in biology and minor in Spanish at UCLA in the fall, is good at everything. He’s a top student in math, history, science and speaks better Spanish than many native-speakers. So it makes sense that Sailhamer will use his strengths to improve the world, perhaps even through one day joining the Doctor’s Without Borders program.

AP European History teacher Mike Muhovich said he’s impressed that Sailhamer and his family understand the value of travel. 

“I have this bias that traveling will round you out as a human being. Lincoln has already started traveling as a young person, and he’s taken advantage of those situations,” Muhovich said.

Spanish teacher Valeria Ruiz Martinez said she’s impressed that Lincoln has become fluent in Spanish. “He never speaks English in class or when he talks with me or classmates because he wants to practice as much as he can,” she said. “When I asked him about his future, he said he wants to become a doctor who speaks Spanish to help patients without needing a person to translate for him.”

Sailhamer has family that lives in Mozambique and he’s tutored some Mozambique students to help them learn English. During one summer trip, he also taught Mozambican children how to play basketball.

“I helped to run basketball camps for the kids because basketball is something new and exciting there,” said Sailhamer, who was captain of the FUHS basketball team. “tThey welded hoops together before we got there because you can’t just buy them.”

Sailhamer has also impressed his teachers as being particularly polite and grateful. “When teachers give their time or students sacrifice their time to help me, it means a lot.”

As Co-Valedictorian, NHS President, Book Club President, and Girls Tennis Captain, Bonnie Lynch had a big hand in numerous activities throughout her four years at FUHS. Regardless of what was on her plate, Lynch never let the quality of her work decline.

AP European History teacher Mike Muhovich attributes this to her innate need and desire to learn.

“Bonnie wants to sit right up in the front because she believes this way, she’s not missing anything. She thinks that if she’s that close to what’s going on, she’s not gonna miss out,” Muhovich said.

This is something that translates through all the spheres of Lynch’s life. She values being attentive and giving her best effort in any and all endeavors.

Aside from being a role model in the classroom, Lynch also demonstrated great leadership and drive through her other passions including theater, music, and club involvement where she played a large part in managing and organizing major community events.

The success of this year’s spring musical, Mamma Mia, heavily relied on Lynch’s deep involvement and meticulous planning as one of the lead stage-hands.

At the root of her extensive community involvement is Lynch’s passion to serve and help those in need.

This passion to help others was something that deeply motivated Lynch’s choice in becoming a civil rights attorney. Lynch even wrote her IB extended essay on the limitations of Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in educational programs. 

“My extended essay described how the results for Title IX have not been effective, and that’s very disheartening, especially because it’s considered this monumental legislation that kind of seals equality, when it really didn’t accomplish that. So I want to be fighting for actual legislation and actual policy so that women do find equity and educational opportunities,” Lynch said. 

Lynch pursued this career even further by attaining an internship at Camino Immigration Services. Lynch greatly enjoyed her time with this organization as it motivated her even further to fight for equity.

“Seeing this first hand, that lawyers have the ability to make a direct impact on people’s lives in ways that other professions can’t, was powerful. You have the power to implement change in people’s lives and I love that,” Lynch said. 

Lynch plans on pursuing her passion of becoming a civil rights attorney at Scripps College in the fall, where she will be majoring in Political Science.

Co-Salutatorian Rebecca Balarie has major connections throughout Fullerton, as the vice president of NHS and CSF, the treasurer of the Letters of Love club, the girls varsity tennis captain, a member of the Assistings of Fullerton volunteer organization, and one of the few seniors who completed the Inter-Baccalaureate Diploma.

Her long list of achievements from her high school years is no small feat. 

However, her ultimate success was the IB program, as she credits it for leading her towards her career passion for science and healthcare. According to Balarie—who plans to major in biochemistry at UCLA—the IB diploma program, led her to the highest level classes.

“I was in a way forced to take all of the AP and IB classes that our school offers. I took every single one that I could, and found that I really enjoyed anthropology,” Balarie said. “We learned about cultures all around the world, and I got to love traveling.”

Recently, Balarie traveled to the Amazon Rainforest in Peru on a medical mission trip to provide healthcare and medical assistance to underprivileged groups. There, she discovered her passion for science and medicine.

“It was so cool to be able to give back to the community by providing healthcare to those who needed it,” she said.

Co-Valedictorian Francine Bondoc plans to attend UCLA and major in bioengineering. Her reaching the school of her dreams isn’t surprising considering all of the extracurriculars she’s involved in. Some of these activities include being president of both Period Club and STEM Scholars Club.

 Bondoc was also involved in several other student organizations. Francine’s favorite classes were history, greatly attributed to impactful teachers. Bondoc plans to attend UCLA to study bioengineering, inspired by a family background with her parents working in medicine, and her grandparents working in engineering. Bondoc hopes to conduct research in biomedical devices during college and aspires to run her own biomedical company within the next decade. 

Bondoc says she has made impactful experiences through trying new things, and advises underclassmen to do the same. 

“I wish my younger self knew to be more open to trying new things and having confidence. Because I remember I wanted to join a bunch of clubs in freshman year, but then I was really scared to, because what if they don’t accept me? Or like, what if I’m not good enough?” Bondoc said. 

During her freshman year, Bondoc opted to join tennis instead of doing P.E. 

“I joined tennis and I’d never played tennis before. But in doing tennis I was able to like, earn most of the friends I have now, and I grew to enjoy tennis. That was such a great experience for me, and I wouldn’t have experienced that if I did not put myself out there,” Bondoc said. 

Senior Lily Guevara has expressed her passion for teaching in both her exemplary academic and athletic performances. Despite having to balance the rigorous IB coursework with Varsity Swim, Guevara still managed to finish top of her class and achieve the title of Co-Validictorian, along with seniors Bonnie Lynch and Francine Bondoc.

Guevara credits both the Fullerton Aquatics Sports Team and Fullerton Union High School in helping her discover her love for teaching. As a result, Guevara wants to give back to both the places that helped her grow and to kids who were once like her, leading to her working as a swim instructor at FAST. 

“That was where I started my Swim Lessons, so now I get to teach and help a whole bunch of kids.” 

Here is the full list of IB Diploma candidates and their college commitments. Rebecca Balarie (UCLA), Francine Bondoc (UCLA), Hamza Cabrer (UC Irvine), Sophia  Goldblatt (Williams College), Lily Guevara (UCLA), Yae Han (UC San Diego), Kevin Hernandez Perez (Fullerton College), Dylan Juarez (Fullerton College), Eli Kim (UCLA), Emma Kojonroj (University Nevada Las Vegas), Bonnie Lynch (Scripps College)

Celina Perez (Cal State Fullerton), Daniela Perez (UC Irvine), Lincoln Sailhamer (UCLA) , Samantha Saldana (USC), Saray Santiago (UCLA), Ryan Verity (San Diego State), Nicole White (Stanford)