CITY OF INDUSTRY – Hacienda La Puente Unified’s modernization efforts will shift into overdrive as it aims to transform Glen A. Wilson High School’s campus media center into a state-of-the-art space stocked with cutting-edge technology thanks to nearly $850,000 in Community Project Funds delivered by Congresswoman Linda Sánchez.
Funding for the media center project at Glen A. Wilson High was announced during the 22nd Annual 38th Congressional District Student Art Competition on April 26. The funds were presented in the form of a giant check and presented to Glen A. Wilson High School Principal Dr. Danielle Kenfield and District representatives moments after two Hacienda La Puente Unified students were named first- and second-place art show winners.
“What an amazing day for our school and District community,” Kenfield said. “First, our talented artists received the highest recognitions and scholarships for their exceptional pieces and then were presented with beautiful words and support from Congresswoman Linda Sánchez. Our students, staff, and community have long awaited such a renovation to modernize this highly utilized space on campus that will undoubtedly benefit and better serve our students and we are so grateful.”
Glen A. Wilson’s media center has served as a learning hub since the late 1960s and is still a meeting place for parent and community meetings and for students to collaborate on project work. The center is set to undergo significant upgrades beginning in the 2024-2025 school year and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2026.
Associate Superintendent of Business Services Manoj Roychowdhury applied for the grant in fall 2023, which included preliminary designs for the re-envisioned space and a detailed breakdown of prior funding sources from the District and the total amount requested to complete the project. The media center upgrades will featurea floorplan with open collaborative and individual areas for student work, partitioned offices for greater privacy, a standing desk work area, casual space with bean bag-style chairs, and large windows for increased natural light.
"As we embark on this exciting journey oftransformation, we are deeply grateful to the Wildcats community for their unwavering support," Roychowdhury said. "After five decades of serving you, we are thrilled to begin this project to upgrade the facilities, ensuring our Wildcats have a high-quality learning environment. The media center, the second largest building on campus and the cornerstone to many of the school's gatherings will soon be a space that encourages exploration, creation, and collaboration."
Each year, Sánchez hosts the Congressional District Student Art Competition event to recognize the artistic talent of youth in her district and to stress the importance of the arts in local schools. This year, Sánchez’s office received more than 115 art submissions for the district art contest. The competition was judged by a group of professional artists, including longtime local artist Wendy De Leon; entrepreneur, writer, and artist Frank Hahn; and international award-winning photographer Roberto Chavez. The three judges reviewed all pieces in six categories including drawing, photography, computer-generated art, painting, and mixed media. They evaluated students’ technical abilities, composition, and message.
Los Altos High School senior Amber Juarez won first place with a $1,000 scholarship, and Wilson High freshman Samantha Hung took second place with a $400 scholarship. As the grand prize winner, Juarez will represent the 38th District at the national Congressional Art Competition in Washington, D.C. Her piece, entitled “Love Sorrow,” will compete against student artwork from across the country and will be on display at the U.S. Capitol for one year. Hung, who took second place overall, won first place in the mixed media category for her piece entitled “Deep in the Temple.”
This school year, Wilson High School was one of four Hacienda La Puente Union School District schools to earn a 2023 Blue Ribbon School distinction from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of its academic excellence and success in closing achievement and opportunity gaps. Additionally, Kenfield was named one of the nine National Blue Ribbon School administrators to receive the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership from the U.S. Secretary of Education. In March, Wilson was also named a 2024 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education for demonstrating exceptional student performance and achieving accelerated academic growth.
“On behalf of the Board of Education and myself, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Congresswoman Linda Sánchez for her unwavering support and belief in our mission,” Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez said. "We also extend our thanks to our Associate Superintendent of Business Services, Mr. Roychowdhury, for his hard work and dedication to make this possible. Lastly, thank you to our students for developing preliminary design renderings to help inspire the future of the modernized media center. At Hacienda La Puente Unified, we are committed to providing our students with top-notch facilities to ensure their academic and personal aspirations and we deeply value the support of our community in this endeavor. I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition.”
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
HLPUSD_WILSON1: Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, District representatives, and Glen A. Wilson High School administrators receive $850,000 in Community Project Funds during the 22nd Annual 38th Congressional District Student Art Competition on April 26.
HLPUSD_WILSON2: Hacienda La Puente Unified celebrates its first and second-place art competition winners' achievements at a Student Art Competition on April 26.
