Sweetwater Union High School (commonly referred to as SUHi and SUH within the district) is a secondary school located in
National City, California
National City is a city located in the South Bay region of the San Diego metropolitan area, in southwestern San Diego County, California.
The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the ...
, United States. Established in 1920, it is one of the oldest high schools in
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...
. Flagship of the
Sweetwater Union High School District
The Sweetwater Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Chula Vista, California. , the school district is the largest secondary school district in California.
The union high school district serves over 42,000 high schoo ...
, SUHI predominantly serves the National City community with an enrollment of 2,675 students.
In 2009, Sweetwater High School was named on ''Newsweek's'' list of the top 1,500 public high schools in the United States. In 2016 it ranked 2065th on ''
U.S. News & World Report''s list of best high schools.
History
Built in 1882 near the present site of Central Elementary School at 9th Street and E Avenue, National School was the South Bay's first high school. National's successor, National City High School, was built in 1908 around that same location, where Central Elementary School now stands. To accommodate the growing population of high school students, Sweetwater Union High School was built in 1921 at 2900 Highland Avenue. The present day administration building was originally two-stories with the library upstairs.
The New Gym was added in the early 2000s and is the blue print for many of the gyms of other schools built in the 2000s part of the
Sweetwater Union High School District
The Sweetwater Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Chula Vista, California. , the school district is the largest secondary school district in California.
The union high school district serves over 42,000 high schoo ...
.
Thanks to
Proposition O, the Sweetwater Union High School District was able to fund a remodel of SUHI's aging campus. This extensive upgrade, which incorporates some of the classic architecture in the new design, with a new three story building housing the new counseling center, administration, library, theater, teacher offices and 31 classrooms. This portion was completed in the summer of 2011. Originally 80% of the campus was proposed to be redone, with a new quad and the replacement of the bungalows, but due to the “pay-to-play” scandal in the
Sweetwater Union High School District
The Sweetwater Union High School District is a school district headquartered in Chula Vista, California. , the school district is the largest secondary school district in California.
The union high school district serves over 42,000 high schoo ...
only the “new building” was built after the contractors were fired.
Demographics
According to ''
U.S. News & World Report'', based on the 2013–2014 school year, 99% of Sweetwater's student body is "minority enrollment", with 87% of the student body coming from an economically disadvantaged household, determined by student eligibility for California's
reduced-price meal program.
Approximately 25.5% of SUHI's student population are designated English Language Learners, and 12.8% are students with disabilities.
Academics
The Sweetwater High School staff consists of 201 teachers, administrators, counselors, and support staff. Their 101 teachers offer a variety of AP courses in English Literature, English Language, Spanish, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, World History, United States History, Art History, Calculus, Statistics, Computer Science, Government, Economics, and Psychology. SUHI is home to marching and concert band as well to Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps
MCJROTC. The Red Devil Corps is a class 2A marching band that performs in the SCSBOA circuit.
Sweetwater High School has also integrated a career technical education program that consists of educating students in the medical, fire fighting, and other technical fields such as welding.
In order to increase the number of SUHI students who continue on to post-secondary education, the school has formed partnerships with
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is ...
,
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
(through
Compact for Success
Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to:
* Interstate compact
* Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines
* Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in Britis ...
), and
Southwestern College.
Clubs
SUHI is home to several clubs including Link Crew, Media, MECHA, AIA (Asian International Association), Band Club, BSU (Black Student Union), Choir Club, Do Something Club, Folklorico Club, Football, Girls Who Code, Key Club, MECHA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán), Remember Your Roots Club, Rowing Club, Salty Crew (Fishing Club), CASC, Team R.E.D. (Respect Every Devil), Sweetwater Red Cross Club, Mabuhay Club, Academic Decathlon, the Marine Corps Junior ROTC
MCJROTC, Travel Club.
Many of these clubs have been around at SUHi for over 3 decades.
SUHI Foundation
Found in 2006 with the help of SUHI alumni, The SUHI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) group that provides scholarships, student financial aid services, and awards students in need.
Awards
* SUHI is a
California Distinguished School
California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately 5-10% of California schools are awarded t ...
recipient.
Notable alumni
*
Orley Ashenfelter
Orley Clark Ashenfelter (born October 18, 1942) is an American economist and the Joseph Douglas Green 1895 Professor of Economics at Princeton University. His areas of specialization include labor economics, econometrics, and law and economics. H ...
- Class of 1960; professor of economics at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
*
Joe Corona
Joe Benny Corona Crespín (born July 9, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Swedish club GIF Sundsvall, on loan from Houston Dynamo.
Youth and college
Corona began playing organized soccer at the a ...
- Class of 2008;
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo FC (formerly officially, but still commonly, called the Houston Dynamo) is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Establish ...
professional soccer player and
United States Men's National Soccer Team
The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.
The U.S. team h ...
*
Roberto de la Madrid
Roberto de la Madrid Romandia (February 3, 1922 – March 19, 2010) was a Mexican elected official who served as governor of Baja California from 1977 to 1983. He was the first American-born governor of a Mexican state. He was a member of the I ...
- Governor of
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
from 1977 to 1983
*
Rebekah Del Rio
Rebekah Del Rio (born 10 July 1967) is an American singer/songwriter and actress from Chula Vista, California.
The San Diego Union-Tribune voted Del Rio one of the "Top 10 Singers in San Diego", after which she moved to Los Angeles in 1989 to f ...
- Class of 1985; recording artist on several motion picture soundtracks
*
Gail Devers
Yolanda Gail Devers ( ; born November 19, 1966) is an American retired track and field sprinter who competed in the 60 metres, 60 m hurdles, 100 m and 100 m hurdles. One of the greatest and most decorated female sprinters of all time, she was t ...
- Class of 1984; sprinter, three-time Olympic 100 m champion in
National Track and Field Hall of Fame
The National Track and Field Hall of Fame is a museum operated by The Armory Foundation in conjunction with USA Track & Field. It is located within the Armory Foundation (the former Fort Washington Avenue Armory) at 216 Fort Washington Avenue, ...
*
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez (born February 23, 1975) is an American songwriter for musicals, best known for co-creating ''The Book of Mormon'' and ''Avenue Q'', and for co-writing the songs featured in the Disney computer-animated films '' Frozen'', its seque ...
- Class of 1977;
El Vez
Robert Alan Lopez (born 1960),"El Vez", ''St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture'', Thomson Gale 2005–2006reproduced online at BookRags.comand accessed online 28 April 2007. better known by his stage name El Vez, is an American singer-songwrit ...
*
Gino Minutelli - Class of 1982; former MLB baseball player
*
Vidal Nuño
Vidal Vicente Nuño ee-dahl' nooh'-nio(born July 26, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamond ...
- Class of 2005; MLB baseball player
*
Dan Saleaumua
Raymond Daniel Saleaumua (born November 25, 1964) is a Samoan American former American football player in the National Football League. He played professionally for the Detroit Lions, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks.
Early life ...
- Class of 1982; former NFL football player
Notes
External links
Official School WebsiteDistrict Website
{{authority control
High schools in San Diego County, California
National City, California
Public high schools in California
Educational institutions established in 1921
1921 establishments in California