This month’s Turlock Unified School District Students of the Month are Roselawn High School seniors James Wernet and Jonathan Miller.
Wernet provided the inspiration during last week’s TUSD Board of Trustees meeting, speaking about perseverance and resiliency – character traits he is very familiar with.
When he was six years old, Wernet was taken from his mother. He has grown up in the foster care system, residing in 23 different facilities throughout the area.
“Going through the system is not easy. At times I felt lonely and confused. Fortunately I’ve met several individuals who have helped me and provided guidance. I am thankful to my teachers and the group home staff for their support,” he said.
Wernet set a goal to graduate high school, and he reached that goal in December. He says he decided to take responsibility for his own decisions and worked to complete his school tasks.
“I learned to take responsibility for my own actions. As an individual, I have control of what I choose to do. There are a lot of bad influences and temptations but when all is said and done, it is me who makes the choices,” he said. “Whenever I made a mistake, I learned from it and did not make the same mistake twice. I made no excuses nor used my past to justify not following through with my plan. I stayed focused and followed my plan no matter what.”
Wernet’s current goal is to join the U.S. Army and eventually become a police officer.
Miller was selected as student of the month for his well-known respectful attitude towards teachers at Roselawn High School.
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