A personal tragedy experienced by one member of an educational program that's dedicated to community service has prompted a blood drive Dec. 5 at Pioneer Valley High School.
Student Aliya Mendez, who is part of AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) 2015 Class, made the decision to help others after a relative had a car accident and the blood type was not available in the Santa Maria Valley.
More than 150 students are part of the PVHS AVID program that requires 50 hours of community service each year. The students are active at Marian Medical Center, churches, libraries and numerous charities.
"I just want to get more people involved in school and help the community,'' Mendez said.
AVID Elective Teacher Brooke Baarstad’s students have nearly completed the huge task of organizing the event from the ground up.
"They have shown a great deal of leadership and discovered how to apply the skills they have learned managing, promoting and soon hosting the event,” Baarstad said.” They will serve many communities in the future.”
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District has more than 400 AVID students, who also attend Santa Maria and Ernest Righetti High Schools.