Ten high school seniors from throughout Poway Unified will be honored by the Kiwanis Club of Los Rancheros for being stellar student-athletes.
The third annual Breakfast of Champions will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 3 in San Diego Oasis’ Rancho Bernardo center.
During the event two finalists — one male and one female — will be awarded $4,000 college scholarships. The others will each receive $1,000 scholarships, for a total of $16,000 distributed.
“I’ve been involved in interviewing three separate groups of students and every year I turn to my associates and say they exceeded expectations,” said Kiwanian Reed Reichert, who co-chairs the event with Tom Baxter.
“These are young men and women who are incredible,” Reichert said. “It is an honor to sit and talk with the recipients of these awards.”
The 2025 finalists and the sports they play are:
• Del Norte High: Mirabelle Anderson (soccer, varsity flag football, volleyball and softball) and Elliot Anderson (lacrosse).
• Mt. Carmel High: Samantha Cheng (girls tennis) and David Slaughter (track and field).
• Poway High: Sophia Grimm (varsity field hockey and varsity softball) and Edwin Sierra (wrestling).
• Rancho Bernardo High: Kate Hendrickson (cross country, soccer and track and field) and Ricardo Shojgreen (volleyball and cheer).
• Westview High: Bailie Govek (girls soccer and beach volleyball) and Mahir Desai (varsity basketball and varsity baseball).
The finalists were nominated by their schools’ athletic directors based on input from their coaches and teachers, Reichert said. The top scholarship recipients are determined by a group of Kiwanians based on interviews with all finalists.
The keynote speaker at the event will be Poway Unified School District Superintendent Ben Churchill. Westview High will be this year’s host school, providing entertainment and a performance of the national anthem.
Returning to speak will be San Diego police Sgt. Anthony Elliott, while the invocation will be given by Kyle Moss, executive director of impact at The Church at Rancho Bernardo.
Elliott was shot in the head in December 2023 by a suspect police were trying to apprehend outside the 4S Ranch Ralphs grocery store. The injury left him paralyzed and he almost died, but after extensive treatments and rehabilitation he was able to return to duty a year later.
Elliott was invited to return to speak at the breakfast “because he was so incredibly well-received last year and his journey continues,” Reichert said. “It is an opportunity for us to continue sharing in that journey … that is touching to hear. His book is not finished and by his own ission a work in progress.”
Because of The Church at Rancho Bernardo’s reputation for being very active with service programs, Reichert said he anticipates Moss will touch upon the importance of service “and how that is good for the soul.”
While the breakfast and recognition ceremony is mostly by invitation, Reichert said that as of April 16 there were a couple dozen tickets remaining. Those interested in attending can call him at 858-705-8118 for details.
This year the Poway Kiwanis Club will be assisting by preparing the pancake breakfast for the anticipated 190 attendees, Reichert said.
