By RANDI ROSSMANN THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Petaluma born and raised, high school senior Jessie Peterson plans to be a lifelong resident and turn her agriculture interests into a local career. Active for most of her life in 4H and FFA programs, Peterson also works at a local veterinary [...]
By KEVIN McCALLUM THE PRESS DEMOCRAT A few years ago, Austin Hay thought it would be cool to build himself a tree house. But then he got to thinking: Why put all that work into something he couldn’t take with him when he went off to college? Then [...]
By MARY CALLAHAN THE PRESS DEMOCRAT It was barely more than five years ago that Zeltzin Campillo, then a shy middle-schooler, moved to the United States knowing no one beyond her immediate family and speaking little English. Now an outgoing Windsor High School junior whose debate-team experience and [...]
By KERRY BENEFIELD THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Piner High School track and cross country coach Luis Rosales said there may be more gifted runners out there, but there are not a whole lot of athletes who work harder than senior Matthew Mulligan. "People look at him. He has gotten [...]
By BRETT WILKISON THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Brooke Cichosz has core beliefs and interests that propel her through busy days in her senior year at Maria Carrillo High School. The Santa Rosa 17-year-old is keen on the craft of storytelling and has pursued that art through a full schedule [...]
By ROBERT WILCOX HEALDSBURG HIGH SCHOOL, 16, JUNIOR Imagine you are applying to colleges, and you set you sights on one particular school. You just love this school, and it is your dream to go there. The cost is a little high, but you will find a way [...]
By GRACE ACKLES HEALDSBURG HIGH SCHOOL, 17, SENIOR Everyone has their share of “first-world problems,” whether they are aware of it or not, and many will go though life continuing to get upset about such things as not being able to get the latest version of their smartphone [...]
By CLARK MASON THE PRESS DEMOCRAT On her 16th birthday, Leah Kaufman woke up with her eyes swollen shut. A big fan of romance comedy movies, the Santa Rosa High School student initially thought “maybe I cried too much at the romantic comedy last night.” But her body [...]
By BRYCE ASTON PETALUMA HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR, 16 It’s true. E-readers are the new black in the world of literature. At Petaluma High, one can find converts in every classroom, with their sleek new Kindles or Nooks, separated from all those who still deal with old-fashioned paper and [...]
By ZAC COOPER PETALUMA HIGH SCHOOL, 15, SOPHOMORE That special touch or feel we get from reading a traditional book cannot be replaced. The feeling of accomplishment every time the page is flipped is amazing. But gone should be the days when humans don’t care about the Earth. [...]