Creekside High School and Â鶹ĘÓƵ (IUSD) Virtual Academy at San Joaquin (IVA) continue to reflect IUSD’s commitment to personalized learning and student success. Both schools provide unique, flexible environments where students are supported not just academically, but personally — allowing them to grow, heal, and thrive.
This year, we are proud to share the stories of five outstanding graduates whose journeys showcase the power of resilience, the impact of caring educators, and the strength of a supportive school community.
At Creekside and IVA, teachers work closely with each student to meet their individual needs, offering tailored instruction, social-emotional guidance, and encouragement every step of the way. These schools are more than alternative pathways — they are spaces where students rediscover their confidence, build meaningful relationships, and find the motivation to pursue their goals.
The following stories highlight how this nurturing approach has helped students overcome adversity and reach graduation, often ahead of schedule and with ambitious plans for the future.
Mika Coiley (Creekside)
Three years ago, Mika’s life took a dramatic turn. After her mother suffered a seizure in their Minnesota home, Mika, her mom, and her brother packed into a van and moved to California with the help of her sister and her sister’s wife. The relocation was sudden — and for Mika, overwhelming.
“It was insanely difficult,” she recalls. “I had never lived anywhere else before. And suddenly I was in a new place, a new school, with new people, trying to start from scratch.”
The cross-country move wasn’t just a geographic change — it was an emotional and academic reset. Mika had stopped attending school during the COVID-19 pandemic and struggled with mental health, family conflict, and personal trauma. When she moved to Irvine, Mika found herself without enough credits to attend a traditional high school. That’s when she enrolled at Creekside.
“I didn’t have a choice — it was either Creekside or I wouldn’t graduate,” she says.
She arrived with few academic expectations, but what she found was a turning point.
“At first I was nervous — I don’t fit in easily, and I wasn’t used to people being so supportive,” Mika says. “But the teachers here didn’t give up on me. My math teacher adjusted the way he taught just so I could understand. That had never happened before.”
Her counselor, Sam Lane, remembers the credit situation clearly. “It was one of the more extreme cases — Mika had missed nearly an entire year of high school,” he says. “But from the moment she enrolled, she turned on the jets. Despite everything she was dealing with, she stayed driven and never gave up.”
At Creekside, Mika not only found an environment tailored to her academic needs, she also began to build a social web of support. The smaller student body made it easier to connect, and slowly, her confidence grew.
“I was one of those kids who didn’t think I’d make it,” she says. “If you told me two years ago that I’d graduate on time with good grades, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Mika plans to attend Golden West College in the fall, with the long-term goal of becoming a forensic pathologist. She was initially drawn to mortuary science, but raised her expectations as she discovered her own potential.
“I realized if I could go that far, maybe I could go even further,” she says. “I want to do something challenging, something meaningful. And if I can handle it, why not?”
She’s also an accomplished digital artist, with three of her pieces selected for the District’s honors art show. Drawing has been her creative outlet since age 4, and today it remains a powerful tool for self-expression.
“Art gives me a way to get feelings out when I don’t have words for them,” she says. “And sometimes, after everything I’ve been through, that’s what keeps me going.”
Lane says Mika’s story is a testament to the kind of individualized support Creekside offers.
“Our teachers meet students exactly where they are,” he says. “Mika came in without a foundation — socially or academically — and still managed to build something remarkable. She’s charismatic, insightful, and full of potential. Creekside didn’t make that — it gave her the space to realize it.”
Tanya Jain (IVA)
Tanya knew early on that a traditional high school schedule wouldn’t give her the flexibility she needed — or the space to grow into the leader she was becoming. So when it came time to choose a high school, she opted for IVA.
“I don’t regret a second of it,” Tanya says. “The flexible schedule helped me pursue extracurriculars, spend time with family, and actually understand what I was learning.”
That flexibility became even more important during senior year, when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Juggling hospital visits, college applications, and family responsibilities at home, Tanya leaned on the support of her AVID teachers and the IVA staff.
“They’re like a family to me,” she says. “I honestly don’t know how I managed to stay on top of everything, but I did — and it’s because I had help from people who really cared.”
Tanya graduates as ASB President, a role she held while also founding the school’s Business and Entrepreneurship Club and participating in AVID since her sophomore year. She organized in-person events that brought the online student body together — including a “trunk or treat” Halloween celebration and movie night for elementary, middle, and high school students.
“I think what I’m most proud of is helping build a sense of community here,” she says. “I’ve been at IVA since it started. I helped choose the school mascot and the colors. Watching it grow year by year — and being part of that — has meant a lot.”
Throughout high school, Tanya balanced rigorous academics with a deep involvement in her community. In ninth grade, she 3D-printed a custom wheelchair for her paralyzed dog. Later, she served as president of the Jain Center Youth Council, wrote award-winning essays, and discovered a love for leadership, writing and business.
Her efforts have earned her numerous honors, including the prestigious Princeton Book Award and first place in the Irvine Rotary Club’s Peace Writing Competition. She’s also a recipient of the President’s Award for Educational Excellence.
Tanya will attend Cal State Fullerton in the fall as an honors business student. She hopes to explore marketing, accounting or real estate — and one day, start her own business.
“I come from a family of small business owners,” she says. “I love the idea of setting my own schedule and creating something that reflects who I am. IVA gave me the space to realize that.”
Avianah Melby Sondrol (Creekside)
When Avianah Melby Sondrol moved from Minnesota to California halfway through her sophomore year, she arrived with zero high school credits and a difficult past. She had been out of school, struggling with personal trauma, and unsure whether she’d ever graduate.
“I’d basically given up,” she says. “I wanted to drop out. I didn’t see a future.”
But something shifted. She realized that if she made the right changes — including a fresh start in a new state — she still had a chance to turn things around.
That chance came in the form of Creekside High School. After an interview with a traditional campus revealed she wouldn’t be able to graduate on time, she was referred to Creekside, where the structure and support were exactly what she needed.
“I loved the school almost immediately,” she says. “The teachers and staff were so kind. They made it feel safe, and that helped me adjust not just to school, but to living in a completely new place.”
Avianah connected quickly with both staff and students, including a supportive boyfriend she met her first week — someone she says helped carry her through emotionally during her two years at Creekside.
But it was the school’s environment and educators that made the biggest difference.
“Ms. Yadon, my counselor, helped me get situated. And Mrs. Chung — I don’t even have words,” Avianah says. “She’s the greatest teacher I’ve ever had. She cared so much and was really my rock that first year.”
Creekside’s flexible structure also allowed Avianah to thrive. The no-homework model helped her stay focused during the day without feeling overwhelmed at home. That flexibility, along with personalized support from teachers, helped her overcome old habits of skipping work and falling behind.
She not only caught up — she graduated a quarter early, all while working weekends at a donut shop to support herself. “My boss was super understanding,” she says. “Working gave me structure and made me feel independent. It was a lot, but I’m proud that I made it through.”
Her resilience was tested again during her senior year, when she lost her best friend of 13 years. The grief nearly derailed her. “I didn’t have motivation for months,” she says. “But then I thought about what he would have wanted — and I knew I had to finish for both of us.”
Avianah credits her success not only to the support of those around her, but also to her faith. “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without Jesus by my side,” she says. “That gave me strength I didn’t know I had.”
Now back in Minnesota, she is attending community college to pursue a career as an esthetician. Inspired by a calming facial appointment with her aunt in California, she knew it was the kind of environment she wanted to work in — peaceful, personal, and creative.
“I want to open my own beauty shop one day,” she says. “It’s going to be called Pretty Is Pain — because beauty takes effort, but the result is worth it.”
She also dreams of building an app where users connect through poetry — a reflection of her love for writing and human connection.
Looking back, Avianah says she’s most proud of the relationships she built at Creekside — especially with her teachers. “I used to have a hard time with authority,” she admits. “But at Creekside, the staff really cared. You could feel the love. That made me want to do better.”
Her advice to incoming students? Keep an open mind.
“People think Creekside is for bad kids. But it’s not. It’s for kids who’ve been misunderstood or didn’t have the right support before,” she says. “If you’re open to it, Creekside can change your life. It changed mine.”
Omar Shehab (Creekside)
When Omar Shehab transferred to Creekside High School at the start of his junior year, he was facing far more than academic challenges.
“I wasn’t really a stay-in-class kind of kid,” he says. “Freshman and sophomore year, I just wasn’t in the right headspace. I’d leave class, skip assignments, and I wasn’t really there mentally.”
Much of that struggle stemmed from home. His father was diagnosed with kidney failure and began dialysis treatment. The emotional weight of his father’s condition, combined with family stress, took a heavy toll.
“Once we found out, it was like I didn’t know how much time I’d have with him,” Omar says. “So I stopped going to school. I just wanted to be home and spend every moment with him.”
The family even traveled to Jordan for two months to seek alternative medicine, hoping for a breakthrough. When that didn’t work out, they returned to Irvine — and Omar enrolled at Creekside.
“It was the restart I needed,” he says.
With encouragement from his counselor, Ms. Yadon, and support from the staff, Omar found the motivation to re-engage. “There was a switch in me. I realized I still had time to turn things around.”
And he did. In just a year and a half, Omar made up all his missing credits and is now set to graduate on time. He was recently honored with the ACE Award from the Irvine Exchange Club, recognizing students who’ve overcome significant obstacles to succeed in school.
At home, his father remains a driving force in his life — both literally and figuratively. Despite his illness, Omar’s dad still drives him to school each morning, alongside his younger brother.
“I’m so proud of him,” Omar says. “Even though he’s sick, he’s still doing everything he can for us. I want to make him proud.”
Omar plans to attend Irvine Valley College in the fall, with a goal of becoming a nurse — a decision shaped by the care he saw given to his father.
“I want to be the person who shows up for someone during their hardest moment,” he says. “To be that safe spot, like so many were for my dad.”
Preetha Thirunavukkarasan (IVA)
When Preetha Thirunavukkarasan moved from Cupertino to Irvine the summer before her senior year, she expected challenges. What she didn’t expect was that those challenges would spark some of the most rewarding growth in her high school career.
Preetha enrolled in IUSD Virtual Academy. “I’d taken AP courses before, and it didn’t make sense to stop in my senior year,” she says. “IVA was really responsive — they helped me get the classes I needed right away.”
Though she initially feared the shift to online learning and navigating a new community, IVA quickly proved to be the right fit. “The office hours and small classes made it easy to get individualized help,” she says, pointing to teachers like her AP English and AP Physics instructors, who provided one-on-one support. “It felt a lot more personal, and I didn’t feel lost in the crowd.”
That sense of connection also extended to home. Her younger sister, who also attends IVA, became a steady source of support, making the transition feel less isolating.
Outside of class, Preetha found her calling in advocacy. She’s the founder of AutasticlyMe, a nonprofit dedicated to creating fun, engaging educational experiences for neurodiverse children — especially those on the autism spectrum. The idea came after a close friend with autism was bullied during the pandemic. What started as Zoom calls blossomed into a full summer camp, tutoring sessions, and creative lesson plans where math became detective work and reading turned into interactive stories.
“I wanted to make learning joyful,” she says. “Each lesson became a little adventure, and that helped the kids remember and engage.”
Preetha’s passion for supporting others has shaped her future goals. She’s heading to UC Berkeley this fall, where she plans to study public health to better understand healthcare beyond the clinic. “I want to explore how policy, prevention, and community programs can make a difference — especially for people with different learning needs,” she says.
About Creekside High School and IVA at San Joaquin
To learn learn more about these outstanding schools, visit:
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To read more about Omar Shehab’s ACE Award, see IUSD’s orĚý pages.
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