Don Kendrick, Mayor City of La Verne

I attended Bonita High School beginning in the Fall of 1962 and graduated in the Spring of 1966.  It was an almost new campus with students from both La Verne and San Dimas.  Sports consisted of opportunities for boys with girls only participation was a GAA (Girls Athletic Association) program, but very limited.  All students entering Bonita came from  K-8th and was a shock to most of us.  Today, Bonita is a school with successes in all areas.  Academic, Sports and the Arts.  Senior projects by students, that when I have had the opportunity to judge, have overwhelmed me with the maturity of our high school seniors.  The level of quality in Bonita today is far superior to the Bonita of my day.  Our community is proud of the accomplishments of our students.  It is also proud of the community service our youth give back to our community in helping to make La Verne the fine community we live in today.

Charlie Rosales Retired, Pasadena Police Department La Verne City Councilman

Bonita High School provides a variety of experiences for our young people in a safe and secure environment. The learning process is all encompassing and our students are well prepared for their future.

Robin Carder, La Verne City Councilwoman

As a past School Board Member and now as a City Council member, I have watched Bonita High School achieve outstanding standards in Education, student achievement and community involvement. BHS stands in the central area of our city and everyone shares in the pride of having this great High School in our community.  The clubs and athletic teams continuously are involved in community events and fundraising activities.   Their senior projects are a great way to get more community involvement as we look forward to mentoring and/or judging their final presentations.

Wayne Hurley, LUTCF Solutions Insurance and Financial Services Board Member La Verne Chamber of Commerce

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bonita High School as a parent, served as Treasurer for the Bonita Boosters, and now as a Board Member for the La Verne Chamber of Commerce.  Bonita’s dedication to both the students of La Verne and the community of La Verne is astounding.  The staff and administration go to great lengths to help the students, the student-athlete, and the business community thrive in La Verne.  It has been a sincere pleasure working with Bonita High School to help grow and improve our community.

Donna Redman, La Verne City Councilwoman Bonita Parent

Bonita is a school that puts their students first.  I have witnessed this from the faculty all the way up to top administration.  Through the City, I work with many members of the Bonita High School Family and each one of them has our community’s student’s best interests at heart.  They all provide support, encouragement, praise and recognition.  All students are treated equally, whether they excel in academics, athletics, visual and performing arts and extracurricular activities.  If they are struggling personally or academically and need a bit of extra support and TLC the staff is there to support them.  Bonita High School is the epitome of an exemplary school, providing a supportive learning environment led by highly effective, caring faculty and staff.

Todd Halabrin, Parent

Bonita High School has been a positive influence on both of my sons.  This school takes pride in both their academic and sports programs which helped by oldest to become a successful college student, and instrumental in my youngest son’s progress towards obtaining his high school diploma in spite of his developmental disability.  What really makes this school special are the staff members; administrators, teachers, proctors, office staff, and others who always go out of their way to help all students become successful in school, and always strive to develop positive relationships with parents and community.  Bonita High School has, and will always have a special place in my heart.  Go Bearcats!

Jon Boulware, Parent

What makes Bonita special is its people.  In a culture that is increasingly becoming more and more apathetic, contentious, and divisive, it’s refreshing to see the teachers, administrators, parents and coaches all pulling on the oars in unison and in the same direction to do what’s best for the students and their education.  For the most part, everyone is willing to put aside their own agenda’s for the betterment of the students.

Tamara Baze, Class of  2013, 2015, 2019

I’ve been lucky enough to have had 3 children attend Bonita High. Two are now in excellent colleges and I currently have a sophomore at Bonita.  All of my kids have had fulfilling and enriching experiences at the high school.  My two oldest were placed in classes that were accelerated and made them good candidates for outstanding universities, but it took more than just their classes to make them contenders for the competitive colleges.  There are many factors that are key for student success and Bonita provided all they needed.  The teachers made the classes enriching, challenging, and engaging.  Their counselor was/is diligent when it comes to making sure that they were on track for reaching their goals.  Many opportunities are present for the kids to get involved with extra-curricular activities, and they are presented with various choices for volunteer hours.  In addition to preparing our children for their college careers all three children felt they were in an overall safe and friendly environment.  All three of my kids developed healthy relationships with fellow students and with many of their teachers.  Each child knew that they could meet with certain teachers before school, during lunch, or after school with school related challenges and all were and are treated with respect.  Each of my children are extremely diverse from one another but each of them was able to develop a sense of connection with Bonita and feel at home while attending.  I’m thankful for the balanced education and sense of community that Bonita High provided and continues for my children.

Jasmine B. Class of 2019, Softball, Football Stats, FCA

There are many reasons why I think Bonita High School is a special place. First are outstanding athletics. We also have an outstanding performing arts program as well.  The teachers help students to learn.  Bonita does not have a lot of discipline issues.  The intervention class gives me time to catch up on my work.

Logan Z. Senior 17 – Football, Basketball, CSF, Choir

Bonita High School is special for number of reasons. I believe that the teachers really care about their students.  The academic program is challenging and make you work. We have great athletic and performing arts courses. The coaches and performance directors are outstanding. The campus is safe and clean. The school has outstanding counselors and administration who try to help students.

Destinee L. Class of 2017, Softball, Football Stats, ASB

I like the relationship between teachers and students at Bonita.  There is also an atmosphere of respect between people at Bonita.  I also like being involved in ASB and putting on great rallys.

Jordan Hoff, Class of 2016, UC Berkeley Class of 2020

In the little bit of college I have experienced there have been many instances where I felt at an advantage to my peers because of my experience at Bonita. The academic transition wasn’t too challenging because of the high expectations of my high school teachers and all the knowledge they passed onto me. Because of the experience I gained in my senior project, I have an adequate resume to apply for positions I would not be able to get otherwise. Most importantly the sense of community at Bonita still has a lasting impact many miles away. There is a tight-knit network of Bonita alumni that exists not only at my school but in the greater area that stays in contact and always offers support.

Mackenie L. Class of 2018, Athletic Training

I like Bonita because of the number of friends I have here.  I like how everyone gets involved in school.  There are lots of sports and ASB activities.  I also like that the school is safe and there is a lot of assistance for student needs.]

Berkeley Rothwell, Class of 2014, The Evergreen State College, Class of 2018

The teachers that I had showed me support and encouragement even in small ways. They wanted to see their students succeed. On a fund-amental level, BHS prepared me for college level writing, thinking, and learning. The academics at BHS, including the final P.A.C.E. project, prepare me for what college classes and academics actually are. To this day, I have not struggled with academic learning while in college, and I think a big part of that is because of BHS.

Michelle Okayama, Teacher, Athletic Trainer, Athletic Director

Bonita students and staff do more than show support for their school – they are socially and actively engaged.  Our students demonstrate school-pride and spirit in a positive manner and are involved in more activities on campus than any other school I have worked at. Our students and staff have a sense of pride that will last far longer than their four years at Bonita.

Chris Mayer, Social Studies Department Chair

Staff and teachers at BHS actually care about their students’ well-being. We are willing to bend over backwards to help our kids succeed.  I didn’t always feel that way when I was a student, myself.

Gabe Sanchez, AP Government, AP Psychology Instructor, Head Golf Coach

As both a parent who has had two boys graduate from Bonita (2010 & 2016) and also as an educator who has been teaching at Bonita for the past eighteen years, Bonita is a phenomenal place for a student to grow and discover themselves, their talents, and their abilities.  As an educator, I feel exactly the same; Bonita has given me the opportunities to grow and discover my talents and abilities and passion that I can then share with my students.  Bonita has given me a sense of community, for my family, my students, and myself.  As I have shared with high school teachers from around the country, I have learned how special we are in how we treat our students and the opportunities and expectation that we have are what makes Bonita special.

Momi Britt, Custodian 12 years Bonita Parent

Bonita is special because of the great support system which starts with our amazing staff, community and student body which all together represent the “Ohana” spirit.

Don Roberts, District Maintenance Mechanic 21 years.

After 21 years of work for the Bonita Unified School District, I have found that Bonita High School is made special by the teamwork exhibited by the faculty and staff.  They all work together to provide the best education, facilities, and safe experience for all students.

Ashlie Venegas, Receptionist, BHS Class of 2004

Bonita is special for a ton of reasons.  I appreciate the fact that La Verne is a close community and that translates into the students/children in the city.  Thera is a certain school pride and city pride that you feel on campus.  Being a student here and now working here you see all of that come full circle.  When my sister was younger she told my parents she had to be a “Bearcat” and now that she is in her senior year, I can’t wait for my little ones to become a “Bearcat”. The camaraderie on campus is truly unique and amazing to be a part of for both staff and students.