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July 3, 2025
PFS 2025: Week 3 Highlights
Dear PFS Community,
Though this week was shorter in length, it was nothing short of exhilarating. Week 3 brought powerful voices, hands-on learning, and unforgettable moments of inspiration across all our campuses—both in and out of the classroom.
We had the honor of welcoming Dr. Catalina Lara—a first-generation college graduate, educator, and Senior Manager of Minor League Education and Learning for the Los Angeles Dodgers—as part of our Career Speaker Series at Poly. Dr. Lara shared her inspiring journey from the classroom to professional sports, where she now supports young athletes across the U.S. and internationally, including at Campo Las Palmas in the Dominican Republic. With over 20 years in education and a deep commitment to equity and inclusion, she reminded our Scholars that success is rooted in purpose, perseverance, and heart.
We were also thrilled to host Gina Zapanta, lawyer, CEO, and founder of Empowered with Gina. Ms. Zapanta spoke passionately to our students about their constitutional rights and the power of their voice, inspiring many to consider a career in law.
At Westridge, Scholars tapped into their creativity and tech skills by learning to assemble and program their very own robots. This hands-on project encouraged teamwork, problem-solving, and future-focused learning.
At Chandler, students dove into art and history during their visit to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, where they explored storytelling in film and the cultural impact of cinema.
Our 10th grade Scholars had an exclusive opportunity to tour Caltech squid and battery research labs, where they got a behind-the-scenes look at groundbreaking scientific work and connected classroom learning to real-world discovery.
Meanwhile, Mayfield Junior Scholars were busy solving quadratic equations and plotting points on a plane—and taking it one step further by manipulating equations (linear, absolute value, quadratic, square root, and circles) to recreate favorite cartoon characters, logos, and other symbols or objects. It was a creative and rigorous blend of math and art that brought equations to life in unexpected ways.
As always, we are so proud of the enthusiasm, curiosity, and courage our Scholars bring to every day of the program. Thank you to our incredible teachers, interns, guest speakers, site directors, and partners for creating an unforgettable third week.
I encourage you to click on the site-specific highlights below to read more about this week’s journey. And don’t forget to follow our summer adventures on Instagram: @pfspasadena
With gratitude and excitement,
Dr. Jessica Pérez del Toro
Executive Director
Chandler Highlights
Scholars created Area and Perimeter Robots, met surprise Time Travelers, explored character archetypes, designed emergency medicine containers and 3-panel comics, and dove into storytelling at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Westridge Highlights
Scholars brought innovation to life—sharing stories, building robots and marshmallow rocket landers, and tackling team challenges. From creativity to collaboration, community and connection were at the heart of it all.
Mayfield Highlights
Scholars wrapped up a week of creativity—putting the finishing touches on their Art and Digital Design projects—then brought the energy to Morning Meeting with a “Guess the Song” teacher edition that had everyone laughing and cheering!
Poly Highlights
Caltech lab tours, college panels, visits from Oxy and Scripps admissions, and powerful talks from professionals in sports and law—coupled with all the rich learning happening in classrooms—this week inspired our Scholars to dream big.
Important PFS Dates
Please mark your calendar with the following important dates!
July 4: Independence Day Holiday
July 11: PFS Alumni Day
July 14: PFS at Chandler Family Night
July 15: PFS at Westridge Family Night
July 16: PFS at Mayfield Junior Family Night
July 17: PFS Graduation and Poly Family Night
July 18: Last day of PFS 2025
Site Director Contact Information
For site specific questions and information, please contact the appropriate site director.
Polytechnic, Grades 9-13
Scarlette Oregón
Mayfield Junior, Grades 7-8
Juan García
Chandler, Boys in Grades 5-6
Paul Camargo
Westridge, Girls in Grades 5-6
Dr. Vicki Garrett
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