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Pinole Valley Senior Named Among Top Hispanic Scholars
The first time Ethan Alon mixed Mentos with Coke he was hooked. But, he didn’t consume the two items--he combined them and then watched the concoction send a soda bottle skyrocketing into the air.
Years later Ethan Alon is still fascinated with combinations, but it is the tandem of math and science that he is really passionate about. A senior at Pinole Valley High School, Ethan was one of just 5,000 Hispanic students recognized nationwide as a member of the National Hispanic Recognition Program by the College Board based on his score on the PSAT/NMSQT (taken in his junior year) and his high GPA. More than 250,000 Hispanic students took the test as high school juniors.
“Ethan is one of a kind, ” Pinole Valley Principal Kibby Kleiman said. “He is a student who sees solutions where others see only problems. He is persistent and creative and it’s those attributes that make him such a gift to his classmates and club mates. Ethan has the type of talents that match what society is looking for. It’s no surprise that he is a charter member of the Rocket club; he is going to reach the stars.”
A native of neighboring Albany, Ethan moved to Pinole during his junior year and hasn’t looked back since. His passion for rockets flourished at Pinole Valley High. He is currently the president of the Rocket Club, where he and fellow members spark and engage fellow classmates in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) field by designing and building rockets.
“I ignored it for a long time,” Ethan said about his passion for STEM and rockets. “But when I got here to Pinole (Valley High School) there was a club already set up for it.”
Ethan’s passions are not limited to the science world. In addition to being the president of the Rocket Club, Ethan is also vice president of the Developers Club, where students focus on coding. He is also a member of the Revitalize Club, which focuses on sustainability and green practices, Anime Club, Youth Advisory Board, Chess Club, and is involved with home economics and performing arts.
“Rocketry is my only child,” Ethan said when asked about his favorite subject. “Not only do we get to create a better environment for the school, but I love being able to get kids excited about STEM/STEAM. Science is pretty cool.”
Additionally, Ethan also volunteers at the Family Justice Center, a place where people who have been affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse, and human trafficking can get the support and services they need, and at the Bay Area Legal Aid office in Richmond.
Ethan has aspirations to study computer programming and eventually become a software engineer developing games or apps. He lists MIT as his top choice with UCLA, UC Irvine, Berkeley, and UC Davis also on the list.
Years later Ethan Alon is still fascinated with combinations, but it is the tandem of math and science that he is really passionate about. A senior at Pinole Valley High School, Ethan was one of just 5,000 Hispanic students recognized nationwide as a member of the National Hispanic Recognition Program by the College Board based on his score on the PSAT/NMSQT (taken in his junior year) and his high GPA. More than 250,000 Hispanic students took the test as high school juniors.
“Ethan is one of a kind, ” Pinole Valley Principal Kibby Kleiman said. “He is a student who sees solutions where others see only problems. He is persistent and creative and it’s those attributes that make him such a gift to his classmates and club mates. Ethan has the type of talents that match what society is looking for. It’s no surprise that he is a charter member of the Rocket club; he is going to reach the stars.”
A native of neighboring Albany, Ethan moved to Pinole during his junior year and hasn’t looked back since. His passion for rockets flourished at Pinole Valley High. He is currently the president of the Rocket Club, where he and fellow members spark and engage fellow classmates in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) field by designing and building rockets.
“I ignored it for a long time,” Ethan said about his passion for STEM and rockets. “But when I got here to Pinole (Valley High School) there was a club already set up for it.”
Ethan’s passions are not limited to the science world. In addition to being the president of the Rocket Club, Ethan is also vice president of the Developers Club, where students focus on coding. He is also a member of the Revitalize Club, which focuses on sustainability and green practices, Anime Club, Youth Advisory Board, Chess Club, and is involved with home economics and performing arts.
“Rocketry is my only child,” Ethan said when asked about his favorite subject. “Not only do we get to create a better environment for the school, but I love being able to get kids excited about STEM/STEAM. Science is pretty cool.”
Additionally, Ethan also volunteers at the Family Justice Center, a place where people who have been affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse, and human trafficking can get the support and services they need, and at the Bay Area Legal Aid office in Richmond.
Ethan has aspirations to study computer programming and eventually become a software engineer developing games or apps. He lists MIT as his top choice with UCLA, UC Irvine, Berkeley, and UC Davis also on the list.