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Martin Cruz, Fillmore High School College and Career Counselor said, “Fillmore High School celebrated its 38th annual Senior Awards Night on Wednesday, May 27, where students saw the fruits of their labor. Seniors begin applying to scholarships in the Fall semester all the way through the Spring semester, and eagerly wait for Senior Awards Night to find out whether they are recipients of awards and scholarships. This evening, the ceremony was attended by more than 32 community members who were awarded recognitions or scholarships to students. The awards and scholarships included: the VIP Scholarship, George Thompson “Diamond In The Rough”, Marine Corps High School Award, Association of Old Crows (AOC) Commander William J. Coffey Memorial Scholarship, Fillmore Athletic Booster Club, Southern California Wrestling Officials Association, Baldin/Scanlin Scholarship, Fillmore Rotary, Fillmore Unified Teachers’ Association Scholarship, Gaitan - Piru Scholarship, Henry Mayo Newhall Scholarship, P.E.O Women’s Education Award, Soroptimist International Club, Sespe Players Scholarship, Heritage Valley Blazers Scholarship, Fillmore High Alumni Association Scholarship, Fillmore Women’s Service Club Scholarship, Never Change Scholarship, Fillmore Lions Club, Rosie Torres for Future Teachers, Piru Petroleum Club Scholarship, James Jimenez Scholarship, Ventura County Community Foundation, Santa Clara Valley Wellness Foundation, 20th Century Onyx Club Scholarship, Elks National Foundation Scholarship, AMG Associates Inc. (Future Builders Scholarships), Hensel Phelps Construction Co., and the Edison Scholar. The four main educational awards included: the California Scholarship Federation, Seal of Biliteracy, Golden State Seal, and the Class of 2026 Valedictorians. At the end of the night, more than $363,200 in scholarships was awarded. A special thank you to The Candy Bar (balloons), La Flor Bonita (flowers), for adding their special touch to the evening, and to the photographer, Veronica Gonzalez (E.A.O.P. Coordinator at Fillmore High School).”

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Ventura County Fire Department announced today that Truck 29 has officially been placed into service, enhancing fire protection and technical rescue capabilities for the Santa Clara River Valley and the entire county.
Truck 29 is a new 100-foot tractor-drawn aerial apparatus manufactured by Rosenbauer and equipped with specialized tools and equipment designed to support highly technical rescue operations and structure fire response throughout the region.
Until the completion of the new Fire Station 29 in Santa Paula, Truck 29 will temporarily operate out of Fire Station 27 in Fillmore.
The addition of Truck 29 was recommended in the recent Standards of Cover study conducted by Citygate Associates, which evaluated fire protection and emergency response needs throughout Ventura County.
“Truck 29 represents our continued commitment to providing the highest level of emergency response and rescue capabilities to the communities of Ventura County,” said Fire Chief Dustin Gardner. “By strategically placing this specialized apparatus in the Santa Clara River Valley, we are strengthening our ability to protect lives, support our firefighters, and serve all of Ventura County.”
For more information, please contact the VCFD Public Information Office at (805) 389-9769.

Each year the Fillmore Rotary Club presents Graduation Sashes to the seniors who will be going into the military. Rotary member Kelli Couse started this when she realized these students were not recognized at graduation. The students who received sashes this year are Michelle Setty who will be going into the Navy, and Sofia Ibarra who will be going into the Coast Guard. Not pictured is Alexander Ramirez who will be going into the Marines. Pictured right is FHS Principal Cinda Francesa with Michelle Setty and Sofia Ibarra. Photo credit Martha Richardson.

Posted on 5/27/2026 3:34:00 PM, courtesy https://www.vcoe.org/news/ArticleID/10242/
Teen-Journeys-Solo-to-the-US-to-Pursue-His-American-Dream
Juan Garcia will soon walk across the stage at Fillmore High School to receive his diploma. For many of his peers, graduation is an expected milestone. For Juan, it is the hard-won realization of a dream that began thousands of miles away, fueled by sheer determination and an unwavering belief in himself.
He was born in Camarillo, but his family returned to Mexico when he was just eight months old. He grew up on a remote ranch perched on a mountain peak in the Mexican state of Michoacán, surrounded by sheep, horses, and chickens. While his family provided for his basic needs, there was no money to fund his dream of higher education.
At just 14 years old, Juan made a life-altering, courageous decision: he would return to the United States alone.
As a U.S. citizen, he was able to board a plane, but arriving in California without his family was a daunting reality. “It was very scary because nobody was there to help me,” Juan recalls. “But I was not afraid to work to sustain myself.”
That work ethic quickly became his defining trait. Settling first in Camarillo and later moving to Fillmore to find more affordable rent, he became a student at Fillmore High School and did whatever it took to survive. Last year, he balanced a grueling 37-hour work week at a local restaurant with his full-time high school classes. “My eyes were black because of how little sleep I got,” he said, remembering fighting exhaustion while juggling the demands of work and school.
During the years he spent at his family’s remote Mexican ranch, with few nearby resources, Juan developed a talent for finding solutions to his problems out of necessity. That skill turned into a passion for auto repair. “When I lived on the peak of the mountains, I didn’t have mechanics to help me,” Juan said. “That’s why I wanted to learn how to fix cars.”
Back in the U.S., he was determined to hone his craft, so he walked into a local auto shop and asked for a job. Today, he works 20 hours a week at the shop while also running his own mobile mechanic business. It is not uncommon for him to finish a job at two in the morning before heading to school the next day.
Juan credits his English Language Development teachers for helping him find his footing and master his most important asset. “To the immigrants who come here, I tell them to learn English. It is the most powerful tool,” Juan advises. He also expresses deep gratitude to Norma Pérez-Sandford, a counselor with the Fillmore Unified School District, who he describes as “the most wonderful woman in the district.”
When asked about the increasing negativity toward immigrants, Juan responds with empathy rather than anger. “They grew up with a house, with food, not having trouble. They don’t understand how immigrants grow up. In the United States, it is easier to get food and go to school.”
Juan has already registered at Ventura College to earn a degree in automotive technology, with the ultimate goal of opening his own shop in Ventura or Los Angeles. Though his parents can’t attend his graduation, they will be celebrating from Michoacán, knowing they raised a son who took their lessons in self-reliance to heart.
“My principal dream when I came to the United States was to finish high school,” Juan said. “And I’m going to do it.”

The Fillmore Lions Club would like to announce the students from Fillmore High School that were awarded scholarships for 2026. The scholarship award process is rigorous and requires students to submit an essay, community service log and high school transcript. A scholarship review committee is formed to review these requirements, and though all the students were highly qualified, only eight students were selected.
Three types of scholarships are awarded. The first one is the Hank Carrillo Memorial Scholarship. This was awarded to Brayden Ibarra and Casey Spore. The second scholarship is for students seeking an associate’s degree or vocational school and this scholarship was awarded to Diego Tapia and Aideth Gonzalez. And the third scholarship is awarded to those seeking a bachelor’s degree and this scholarship was awarded to Ruby Bronsten, Lizbeth Mendez, Christine Nguyen, and Anndee Bacerra.

On Monday, May 25, 2026, at approximately 1:21pm, officers from the California High Patrol were in pursuit of a white Subaru in the area of Briggs Road and SR 126. The pursuit was headed toward the City of Fillmore and CHP requested our assistance, as the vehicle was registered to an address in the 500 block of Finch Court in Fillmore. The pursuit ended as the male driver arrived at his residence on Finch Court and was detained by deputies and CHP officers. No arrest was made. CHP handled the investigation. Photo credit Angel Esquivel.