Elena Carolina Svetlana Arciniega

July 2007

At age 18, Elena Carolina Svetlana Arciniega is a well respected leader and outstanding role model in the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and throughout the county of Riverside, California. Of Mexican descent, she continuously dedicates her time and energy towards improving social, environmental and youth-related causes.

Elena graduated from John W. North High School with honors and was in the state’s top 12 percent. She participated in the International Baccalaureate program which is an accelerated program consisting of honors and advanced placement classes for top students. Because of her academic achievements, Elena has been recognized by the National Society of High School Scholars, National Honor Roll, and Who’s Who Among High School Students. In recognition of her outstanding academic excellence Elena has also been awarded twice the President’s Award for Educational Excellence and has received several scholarships including: California State PTA Scholarship, Carol Riverside Council PTA Scholarship, Rude Parent Teacher Student Association, Ethel M. Silver, Riverside Youth Foundation, Soroptimist International of Riverside, and YWCA Eliminating Racism Empowering Women Award.

Elena has also been actively involved in many local community events including organizing and conducting graffiti clean-ups to beautify local neighborhoods and create a greater sense of neighborhood pride. For several years she helped to organize the annual Youth Summit Conference that brought over 600 young people from all over the county to encourage them to get involved in civic activism and pursue higher education. She has dedicated her time and efforts in programs and organizations such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Clean Air Congress, Operation Safe House, Feed the Homeless Project, blood drives, Adopt-a-Family, Habitat for Humanity, and several others.

Elena has been a member of the Eastern Municipal Water District Directors Advisory Committee for more than two years. At the county level, she has served on the Riverside County First District Youth Advisory Council, and on the Riverside County Youth Commission as co-chair. At the city level, Elena has served for four years on the Moreno Valley Parks and Recreation Commission, during her tenure, the commission promoted a city ordinance to have all City parks tobacco free.

Elena has been trained as Community Emergency Response Team member to assist her community in case of a disaster. With more than 600 hours of community service per year during the last three years, Elena has qualified for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 gold level President’s Volunteer Service Award. Elena will have more than 350 hours of community service for 2007, allowing her to be awarded for the fourth consecutive year with the President’s Volunteer Service Award gold level, having over 2,300 hours of volunteer service for her high school years.

As a freshman at the University of California, Riverside, Elena will be majoring in Biological Sciences and plans to further her education and pursue an M. D. degree.