This year, 20 high schools selected four students each to be recognized for excellence in scholarship, leadership, and school and community service. Students were then paired with professionals from across Kern County for a day of job shadowing, providing a firsthand look at different careers and the people who help shape our community. The day concluded with a luncheon celebrating these exceptional young people.
Liberty High School is honored to recognize four outstanding Patriots:
- Joseph Jephson – Scholarship
- Maddie Porter – Leadership
- Maren Seals – School and Community Service
- Farah Fuller – Glendon Rogers Award, recognizing excellence across all three areas.
For Joseph Jephson, the day offered an inside look at the many ways city employees keep our community running. He was partnered with a group of civil engineers who work for the city government and had the opportunity to explore several of their projects and operations.
"I was partnered with a group of civil engineers who worked for the city government. As part of shadowing them, I got to see one of their most recent projects which was a rebuild of the ice machine in the Valley Children's Ice Center. I also got to see and hear about the very complex machines and infrastructure in place to help keep Bakersfield clean. They also took my group to look at the room where all the traffic lights and intersections are monitored and managed. Overall, it was a very fun and insightful experience to learn about all the behind the scenes work conducted by city government employees."
For Maddie Porter, the day provided a firsthand look at the dedication and responsibilities of our local first responders. She had the opportunity to shadow Battalion Chief Alexander Clark with the Bakersfield Fire Department.
"I was lucky enough to shadow the fire department's battalion chief, Alexander Clark at Teen City Government Day. I learned about the 48 hour shifts the firefighter work, their physical and mental fitness upkeep, and got to handle some of their firefighting equipment. I'm so grateful we have these brave people to keep us safe in Bakersfield."
We are incredibly proud of Joseph, Maddie, Maren, and Farah. They represent the very best of Liberty and demonstrate what it means to live out the Patriot Way. Congratulations to these students, and thank you to the professionals and community members who continue to invest in our young people and help them envision what is possible for their futures.