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Nerves were threatening to get the best of Samantha Sadoff, the 17-year-old President of Live Oak High School’s Future Business Leaders of America, as she awaited her turn in front of judges for the leadership conference’s national competition for public speaking in Chicago.Sadoff, who bested the regional and state fields prior to the national event held June 29-July 2, was already chosen as one of 14 finalists from a field of 104 competitors representing their respective states during the preliminary round. The LOHS senior—a budding actress, accomplished filmmaker and ambitious student—was the only Californian to reach the championship round among the 8,500 “best and brightest high school students” from across the country.“The morning of the final round I was so nervous. I barely got any sleep the night before. I didn’t eat a good breakfast. I was too nervous to even think straight,” said Sadoff, who was in a back room with the other “Step Up to the Challenge” finalists waiting for her name to be called.Three hours went by before it was her turn to give the public speech she had practiced and performed dozens of times—modifying it here and there along the way—about what the FBLA had done for her career path. Sadoff hopes to study film in college and become a director.“As soon as I start speaking, I get in that zone and I just came alive,” said Sadoff, who shook off the nerves and believed she had given her best performance in front of the three-judge panel. “I could tell by looking at them they were satisfied....When I was done, other students came over and congratulated me (on my speech.)”The next day at the awards ceremony, Sadoff again waited three hours before 10 of the 14 finalists in the “public speaking two” category (for juniors and seniors) were called up on the stage. Sadoff was glad to just be in the top 10, but she got ever more excited as the judges started announcing the place-winners beginning with 10th place and working up to first.“It was really exciting watching people getting called and receiving their awards,” said Sadoff, whose trip to Chicago was paid for by a $1,000 sponsorship from the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club. “Then, there were fewer and fewer people and I was excited to be top five, then just elated to be top three and then it was just me and one girl. Then they called her name for second place and I knew I won. It was the best moment ever.”Chamber President John Horner said he first heard Sadoff’s speech at a Morgan Hill Unified School District school board meeting after she won the regional competition and was immediately impressed. Horner later invited her to speak before the Kiwanis Club and again scheduled her as one of the speakers at the Chamber’s August breakfast.“What an amazing young lady,” said Horner of Sadoff. “She’s obviously a very talented young lady in a lot of different dimensions. She has the passion, the skill set and the vision for using that for positive change.”For her public speaking prowess, Sadoff took home a glass trophy as well as $1,000 prize from her category sponsor Balfour. Participants, who qualified in any of the 68 categories, competed for a total of $175,000 in cash awards, according to FBLA event organizers.“It was really cool,” said Sadoff, who was accompanied by her brother on the trip. “Going to Chicago in itself was exciting because I’d never been there. Getting to go and represent the entire state of California was such a huge honor.”Earlier this year, Sadoff was named as an Honorable Mention Award recipient for her short film in the 2015 White House Student Film Festival. Sadoff, who also plans to study psychology and/or neuroscience in college, has appeared in commercials for McDonald’s and Walmart. She has also earned acting roles in “Tropic Thunder” starring Ben Stiller, Disney’s “Monsters University” and several independent films.

Los Paseos Elementary School teacher Lori Ross, selected as the Morgan Hill Unified School District’s 2015 Teacher of the Year will be recognized by the Santa Clara County Office of Education at the 46th Annual Teacher Recognition Celebration later this year.

Accusations of two Brown Act violations by the Morgan Hill Unified School District and its board of education surfaced this week—one coming from the Santa Clara County Office of Education that is being sued by the district, and the other from three of its own school board trustees.

Are you interested in meeting people from other countries? Do you want to make a lasting impact on the life of an international student and make a friend for life? Do you have a spare bedroom and live in the Morgan Hill/Gilroy area? Then Green Planet’s homestay program in partnership with Oakwood School want you to consider hosting an international student this fall.Through our partnership with Morgan Hill’s Oakwood High School, gphomestay is offering this opportunity to nurturing, qualified families in the surrounding area, according to a press release. The program is currently looking for host families for fall 2015.To offset the costs of hosting a student, families will be provided with a $1,300 monthly stipend. Families also have access to ongoing local support. Students arrive with their own insurance and spending money.The partnership also offers a $300 referral bonus for any approved host family that lists your name as their source of referral on their application, the press release states.You can begin the process of becoming a host by completing an online inquiry form atgphomestay.com.  For more information, please email [email protected] or call (781) 996-0429.  

Presentations on the New Generation Science Standards and the 2015 summer school program as well as a quarterly update on Measure G projects and an announcement of Seal of Biliteracy awardees will be part of the busy May 26 Morgan Hill Unified School District school board meeting.

What inspires you?What inspire me are successful people. I see where they are at in life and it motivates me to do my best because I want a great future for me and my family.What is your favorite subject in school, and why?My favorite subject in school is History because I like to learn about the past and how the life was different from ours. I also enjoy learning about war.If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?If I had the power to change one thing in the world, I would change the way people view other cultures.If you could go anywhere, where would you go?If I could go anywhere, I would love to go to the moon because only four people have been to the moon. I also think it would be a great experience.Name one big challenge in your life right now.One challenge I was facing was that I wasn’t gonna be able to graduate.  I did a lot of work to be able to graduate and in the end that work will pay off.What is your dream job?My dream job is to one day own my own company.What are your three favorite things?My favorite three things are education, body building and basketball.What is your favorite book?My favorite book is “Of Mice and Men.”What do you want to do after high school?I want to go to college after high school.Something that makes you smile:Family and friends makes me smile.Most played songs on your phone/ipod:The song I played the most is “Too Young” by Post Malone.

A nonprofit legal center representing a sixth-grade student at San Martin/Gwinn Elementary School contends that a classroom teacher violated several children’s constitutional freedom to not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Morgan Hill Unified School District will lose more than 75 years of educational experience come June when two top district officials plan to step down from their posts.

What inspires you?I find inspiration in many things: art and entertainment that I respect, the beauty and potential of the world, and my fictional/real-life heroes.What is your favorite subject in school, and why?It changes from year to year. Different teachers make different subject more/ less frustrating. Currently, it is civics.If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?The apathy of mankind.If you could go anywhere, where would you go?To a point in our future where mankind is an interplanetary space faring species.Name one big challenge in your life right now.Finding the drive to dedicate myself to fighting my flaws.What is our dream job?Oh, I can’t pick just one. When I grow up, I want to be anchor/director, screenwriter, playwright, editor, cinematographer, and singer/songwriter.What are your three favorite things?Movies, music and theatre.What is your favorite book?“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury.What do you want to do after high school?Move to Los Angeles and begin my artist career.Something that makes you smile:My girlfriend Alexa's humor and spirit.Most played songs on your iTunes, iPhone or iPod:My most listened to artists are One Republic, Eminem and Taylor Swift.

A gold rush hit Morgan Hill Unified School District’s four secondary schools last week as they all received multiple 2015 California Gold Ribbon Awards for having model programs at their sites.