The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade
Aaliyah Magana

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor

Senior news editor Aaliyah Magaña has been a dedicated staff reporter on The Accolade staff since 2018. Last summer, Magaña graduated from the 2019 California Scholastic Press Association summer workshop in hopes of strengthening her reporting and writing. Magaña has been volunteering in Eastside Christian Church’s daycare centers for almost two years. After graduating from Sunny Hills High School, she plans to pursue a career in journalism and hopefully work for a local newspaper.

All content by Aaliyah Magana
Art teacher and International Baccalaureate coordinator Brian Wall holds up the 2020 Yale Educator Award after receiving it in the mail last September.

[Photo] And the winner goes to … : Art teacher and IB coordinator reflects on Yale Educator Award

Divya Bharadwaj, Feature Editor • February 17, 2021

Art teacher and International Baccalaureate coordinator Brian Wall holds up the 2020 Yale Educator Award after receiving it in the mail last September.

Since the start of the spring semester Jan. 4, the Sunny Hills hallways remain vacant as students have returned to distance learning like the beginning of the fall semester Aug. 11. Fullerton Joint Union High School District trustees agreed during a Jan. 12 board meeting to wait until the end of the month to decide whether Orange County’s positive COVID-19 numbers have dipped enough to reopen campuses for the first time in 2021.

Sunny Hills to continue with distance learning for rest of January despite majority of public comments to trustees to go back to live instruction

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • January 21, 2021

Despite more than half of the public comments imploring trustees to return to a hybrid learning schedule and allow parents the choice to send students to classrooms, the Fullerton Joint Union High School...

Senior Esther Fee races to the finish line at a 2019 track and field meet at Buena Park High School.

Game Ball: Runner looks to top her achievements

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • January 20, 2021

6:20 a.m.: Warm-up jog around neighborhood and six-mile run to Fullerton College 7:30 a.m.: Water and stretch break 8 a.m.: First period Advanced Placement Government/Economics Zoom meeting with...

After donating masks and hand sanitizers with Karat Packaging, Young Kim (right) meets with firefighters from the Chino Valley Fire District on Nov. 25.

Q & A with congresswoman-elect Young Kim, one of 3 female Asian Republicans to win a House seat

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • December 26, 2020

Young Kim will be sworn in to Congress Jan. 3 after narrowly defeating Democratic incumbent Gil Cisneros in last month’s elections. When that happens, she will be making history as one of three Asian...

The three chromebook models: Acer R11 (left), Lenovo 300e (middle) and Dell 3100 (right) lined up from oldest to newest. Dell Chromebooks have been distributed to freshmen on all campuses after the Lenovo models’ manufacturer discovered a defect that caused technical difficulties.

Fullerton Joint Union High School District opts for new Dell Chromebook models for freshmen after Lenovo manufacturer finds defect

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • October 21, 2020

For the second straight year, Sunny Hills freshmen have been given a new brand of a chromebook instead of the Lenovo ones that the Class of 2023 got the year before. The Fullerton Joint Union High School...

Classrooms will reopen on the Sunny Hills campus on Nov. 2, nearly eight months after the coronavirus pandemic sent students and teachers home and shuttered classrooms nationwide.

Sunny Hills scheduled to reopen for hybrid learning classroom instruction Nov. 2

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • October 6, 2020

After nearly an hour of listening to public comments and discussing the school reopening issue, the Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] board voted unanimously Tuesday to offer hybrid learning...

Senior Aaliyah Magana puts her binder away in her cubic box in a six-by-six foot bookcase, a part of her at-home learning system for the new school year, after the online school day has ended.

The good, the bad and the ugly of my remote learning 2.0 experience

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • September 21, 2020

I never expected to start the fall semester of my senior year at Sunny Hills like this -- with distance learning 2.0. As the previous school year ended there were rumors from various close friends that...

When the 2020-2021 school year starts Aug. 11 at Sunny Hills, students will not be able to greet each other in person like in past first days of school. Sunny Hills, along with all public and private high schools, will for the first time in state history be closed as distance learning 2.0 begins. California Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this summer had mandated that schools in counties with high COVID-19 cases remain closed.

COVID-19 slashes another educational tradition: the first day of school

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • August 9, 2020

This was not how rising senior Jason Thomson imagined his first day of the 2020-2021 school year would go when it starts Aug. 11. “I mean, I imagine coming to school and seeing all my friends like...

Senior Phillip Kim is shown hot gluing wires to headlights for commercial vehicles and airport signals under a fan to speed up the drying process. Image used with permission from Phillip Kim.

Last Senior Internship class to be offered at Sunny Hills includes student’s experience working for Anaheim manufacturing company

Kayla Lozada and Aaliyah Magana • May 28, 2020

Accolade staff writer Aaliyah Magana contributed to this story. Heading into the 2019-2020 school year, senior Philip Kim wanted to bulk up his college resume. He signed up for an elective, Senior Internship,...

Senior Samuel Kho is one of the 12 valedictorians in the Class of 2020. Image posted with permission from Samuel Kho.

20 Questions for Top of the 2020 Class: Samuel Kho stays organized while graduating at the top of his class

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • May 26, 2020

In lieu of our senior print issue, The Accolade has decided to conduct a Q and A with each of the 12 valedictorians for online posting. Question #1: What are your plans after high school? Answer:...

Senior Jenny Lee smiles for a picture in her neighborhood after filming a video for Sunny Hills High School's virtual graduation. Image posted with permission from Jenny Lee.

20 Questions for Top of the 2020 Class: Jenny Lee’s encouragement from her mother helped her rise to the top of her class

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • May 26, 2020

In lieu of our senior print issue, The Accolade has decided to conduct a Q and A with each of the 12 valedictorians for online posting. Question #1: What are your plans after high school? (which school,...

Senior Peter Park performs a layup during a practice on November 14. Park is one of the 12 valedictorians in the Class of 2020. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake

20 Questions for Top of the 2020 Class: Peter Park graduates as a valedictorian and gives thanks to all of his high school teachers

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • May 26, 2020

In lieu of our senior print issue, The Accolade has decided to conduct a Q and A with each of the 12 valedictorians for online posting. Question #1: What are your plans after high school?  Answer:...

Senior Andrew Tran poses for his senior portrait in early August 2019. Reprinted with permission from Andrew Tran.

20 Questions for Top of the 2020 Class: Andrew Tran graduates as a valedictorian and reminisces about the summer days spent with friends

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • May 25, 2020

In lieu of our senior print issue, The Accolade has decided to conduct a Q and A with each of the 12 valedictorians for online posting. Question #1: What are your plans after high school? Answer:...

Junior Grace Park holds up her two award-winning paintings -- "Rotten" (left) earned her a first-place $100 check and "Hide" netted an honorable mention $10 check, both of which she has since cashed -- that she entered in the 34th annual Fullerton Joint Union High School District Education Art Show. Although the art show was scheduled to begin March 30, it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. District art show organizers were able to send winners their awards as the event was judged before the exhibit took place. Image used with permission from Grace Park.

Annual District Art Show canceled because of COVID-19 outbreak; winners receive certificates, checks by mail

Hannah Yi, Tyler Pak, and Aaliyah Magana • April 30, 2020

The 34th annual Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD] Education Art Show at the district’s Education Center was originally scheduled to begin March 30 -- the first return date that the...

Printed signs like this are taped outside Sunny Hills High School's main office doors between Rooms 3 and 7 as a reminder to the community that the campus will remain closed through the summer unless California Gov. Gavin Newsom lifts his stay-at-home orders in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Photo taken by Accolade adviser Tommy Li

Students, parents react with tears, concerns over school closure for rest of spring semester — likely through the summer

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • April 17, 2020

Senior Sarah Bankhead couldn’t stop refreshing the inbox of her school email on her iPhone 7+ after reading the latest announcement from Fullerton Joint Union High School District superintendent Scott...

Senior Ruben Parker promotes his "Chunti" filter on his Instagram story. It has received over 2 million views. Image used with permission from Ruben Parker.

Instagram Cheetos filter earns recognition for Sunny Hills senior

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • March 19, 2020

Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Twitter. These platforms have become more popular among youth because of word-of-mouth about the latest trends. Instagram entered the fray Aug. 13 by collaborating...

Because the campus has been closed down this week until March 30 after spring break, Sunny Hills students who are on a free or reduced, federal government lunch plan can pick up their to-go, bagged lunches outside the Performing Arts Center between 10 a.m. and noon. Look for the black and gold Lancers color tent. Photo taken by Accolade staff writer Aaliyah Magana

March 16: What it’s like to be allowed to return to campus to pick up my school lunch

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • March 17, 2020

LIVING UNDER THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS This is the first of a series of columns from The Accolade staff about their various experiences during the school closure because of the coronavirus pandemic. If...

New resource officer aims to ensure safety for students, staff

New resource officer aims to ensure safety for students, staff

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • February 28, 2020

Rob Watson could have been fighting fires instead of stopping criminals. “At first I wanted to be a firefighter, and then seeing what my uncle did for the LAPD [Los Angeles Police Department] made me...

Sunny Hills girls cross country runner freshman Jeweliet Fields races toward the finish line during the Freeway League Cluster Oct. 9 at Ralph B. Clark Park in Fullerton. Fields finished 13th with a time of 20.48.93 and helped the Lady Lancers take first place during the race. Photo taken by Accolade staff reporter Kristima Aryal

Sunny Hills girls cross country team takes first in Freeway League Cluster

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • October 27, 2019

This story was updated Oct. 28 with additional quotes from cross country runners. The girls cross country team finished first in the three-mile Freeway League Cluster at Ralph B. Clark Park in Fullerton;...

Maia, also known as mxmtoon, is a Northern California musician who has released her debut album, "the masquerade."

Northern California singer offers a ‘masquerade’ of new songs in debut album

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • October 15, 2019

Chinese-American singer mxmtoon succeeds in her first, self-released album, the masquerade, comprising 10 songs followed by 10 in acoustic format. The 19-year-old Oakland native -- who has yet to reveal...

Freshman Mathias Brown (left) gets ready for one of his kickoffs during the Sept. 6 game against Irvine High School. Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake.

Freshman kicks way to varsity football

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • October 4, 2019

For freshman Mathias Brown, his status on the Sunny Hills football team all changed on one play -- the second one of the first game of the 2019-2020 season. That’s when senior Arnoldo Beltran got...

Librarian technician Laura Prompongsatorn scans one of the new Lenovo model Chromebooks on Aug. 13 in the school library. The Chromebooks were distributed to freshmen at the beginning of the school year. (Photo taken by Accolade photographer Paul Yasutake)

Class of ‘23 gets new Lenovo Chromebook models; sophomores and upperclassmen to keep using Acers

Aaliyah Magana, News Editor • September 24, 2019

After three years of issuing Acer Chromebooks used by the graduating senior class to incoming freshmen, the Fullerton Joint Union High School District has decided to provide brand new Lenovo devices to...

Load More Stories
Donate to The Accolade
$475
$1000
Contributed
Our Goal