SUBMITTED
BY JESSICA MUZYCHENKO
Editor’s note: Yosemite High School senior Jessica Muzychenko chose
for her senior project to write an article featuring interviews
from fellow students. Due to space constraints, only a portion of
the biographies of the students interviewed for the article is published
below.
The graduating
Class of 2004 has played an important role at Yosemite High School
and in the community.
Members have worked hard to achieve not only the most in school,
but also the most from the surrounding community and its many opportunities.
The following seniors are only a handful of students graduating,
but each has many strong features, making them very well rounded.
Julie
Ruddock
Julie has been involved in the Yosemite High art program for all
four years. She began her study under Ms. Rivka and is enrolled
in Mrs. Bopp’s Advanced Placement art class. She has also had two
years as an art TA, allowing her to spend more of her time involved
in the art field.
She has also been enrolled in numerous advanced placement and IB
classes throughout her high school career. She has been a four year
participant on both the girls’ soccer team and the girls’ track
team. Julie won the Academic Award for soccer and was Second Team
All League in her sophomore year.
Also she has been awarded as a part of the National Art Honors Society.
To achieve this award, Julie volunteered 50 hours in the school’s
Badger Art Gallery and is one of only six to receive this award
from Yosemite High. Aside from school, she also has worked the last
two summers at Miller’s Landing and is working for Ducey’s on the
Lake. She is attending San Diego State University in the fall and
planning to major in the art field.
Garrett
Tompkins
Garrett is one of the talented young film makers at Yosemite High.
He has created the 2002 03 soccer video and the video for his History
Day project, which was the first prize winner. Garrett has been
working on the school’s end of the year video, which is shown at
the end of the year rally. He also has been a member of Yosemite
High’s football and soccer teams. He was a captain of the Varsity
football team this last season and was awarded First Team All League
Defensive Line. He has also been awarded Academic All League for
both football and soccer. He has taken rigorous courses, full of
IB classes. Also he has been a member of the Interact Club, whose
members have volunteered their time to various events, like the
crab feed for Rotary. Garrett has also worked at Miller’s Landing
during the summer; he is attending San Diego State University in
the fall, too.
Samantha
Hunt
A Special Education volunteer for the last year, Samantha says she
has learned so much from that group.
“I love working with the Special Education students because no matter
what happened during the day or how stressed out I might be, the
minute I walk in the door of their classroom, none of it matters.
Watching how much fun they have and how excited they get has shown
me that perfection isn’t that important. It’s all about your effort
and the fun you have!”
Samantha also has held a tough schedule of classes at school and
has maintained a 4.0 GPA. She is one of Yosemite High’s 2004 Valedictorians.
She also has worked at Ducey’s Bar and Grill for the last two years
and has moved up to serving.
She will attend Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in the fall.
Jake
Dodderidge
There is no way to discuss sports at Yosemite High without hearing
someone mention Jake Dodderidge. He has played a major role in a
sport every season this year and has made quite a name for himself.
At the beginning of the year, in football Jake was a dominating
factor on the field. He was named MVP for his team, as well as MVP
for the Central Sequoia League Offensive line. Jake also was named
News 47’s Defensive Player of the Year 2003 and an All Valley Champion
for the “Fresno Bee.” He also was First Team All League Defensive
Back and Cal Hi Sports All State. Playing for the Yosemite High
Basketball team, he was First Team All League and led the [San Joaquin]
Valley in assists. Now on the track team, he has been running the
100 and 200 meter and also has been long jumping. He plans to attend
Allan Hancock Junior College and possibly play all three sports.
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