The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
Math teacher Samantha Zimmerle celebrates with her family. “My dad is a teacher, so I always saw him just being so in love with his job,” Zimmerle said. “So just seeing him love that and me being good at math it was kind of just always where I was going to go.”

Math Teacher Samantha Zimmerle Stands Out in the ‘Equation’ as IUSD Teacher of Promise

Tyler Kim and Ruhi Samudra | January 31, 2024

Math teacher Samantha Zimmerle received the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) high school Teacher of Promise award on Jan. 17, recognizing her dedication to teaching and demonstration of potential...

Portola High alumnus and Calvin University junior Josh Steinberg celebrates with teammate Charlie Trey-Masters after winning gold at the 2023 Pan American Maccabi Games in an open men’s 3v3 basketball tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Portola High Alumnus Josh Steinberg Finds the ‘Key’ to Success Through Basketball

Camille Clement and Maya Tedini | January 29, 2024

Only 3% of high school basketball players go on to play men’s NCAA basketball. Portola High alumnus and Calvin University junior Josh Steinberg took his basketball career to the next level after graduating...

Defensive center midfielder, captain and senior Jaydn Kohan kicks the ball to the other side of the field for her teammates to receive. “I think it was a fair result, but I also thought we had a chance to win if we got one or two of the chances that we had,” head girls’ soccer coach Joshua Stringer said. “Our goal was to kind of counter into the space that we created by defending a little bit farther back in the field.”

Girl’s Soccer Puts Up a Valiant Effort Against Northwood High

Claire Chan and Maitri Allani | January 26, 2024

Girls’ soccer (1-10-1) lost their recent home game against Northwood High on Jan. 12. The team is looking forward to improving their skills at their next away game on Jan. 30 against Northwood High. Twelve...

Student host and junior Audrey Kim serves as a referee for a qualification match. A triball, a green, blue or red pyramid-shaped object, scored in a goal is worth five points, and a triball scored in an offensive zone is worth two points.

Portola High Hosts First Ever VEX Robotics Regional Competition

Michael Sun, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor | January 26, 2024

Portola High hosted a VEX Robotics regional competition, named Bulldog Rumble, totaling 40 participating teams from all over Southern California on Jan. 14. The competition was a collective effort,...

After a recent knee injury, junior Samira Khan warms up before her back-day workout with deadlifts at LA Fitness in the Woodbury Town Center. “Because of sports mostly, [weightlifting] helped me develop a lot of my skills, be stronger and do better in everything in that area,” Khan said.

‘Set’ On Success, Portola High Students Take Up Weightlifting

Camille Clement and Nina Krish | January 26, 2024

From increasing strength to boosting confidence, weightlifting is a growing hobby among Portola High students. Using home equipment or visiting community gyms in their free time gives students the means...

Senior Raghav Iyer attempts to dislodge his opponent’s arms using his elbow. “I tried for the lighter weights,” Iyer said. “Usually people are quicker on their feet and they try to get low shots in their ankles. So I tried to stay quick on my feet and get good sprawls out.”

Wrestling Looks Forward to Successes After Narrow Loss to Woodbridge High

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | January 24, 2024

Wrestling (3-3) lost 36-39 to Woodbridge High on senior night in the gym on Jan. 10. Though at first the Bulldogs gained a point lead over the opponent and won several duels, the Barrons gained a three...

Team captain and senior Deyanna Hashemi playfully attempts to steal the ball from utility player and sophomore Isabella ‘Bella’ Detloff. “It helps you, knowing what that person is gonna do and being able to trust them,” Hashemi said. “If I pass to Bella, I know she's not going to lose the ball. She's gonna make a good pass or shoot it.”

‘Diving’ into Friendship: How These Girls’ Water Polo Passing Partners Bond In and Out of the Water

Alice Ahn and Kayley Winata | January 23, 2024

In team sports like water polo, the key is not individual success but rather the cohesive communication shared among players. We interviewed duo, utility player and sophomore Alexis ‘Lexi’ Minasyan...

U.S. House of Representatives member Mike Levin (CA-49) awards seniors Zonglin Zhang and Terry You (rightmost) for their app, Ember, which aims to help youth feel more open in conversing about mental health. Although Ember is still being refined and not available on the app store yet, it can be viewed on the U.S. House of Representatives’ website, in the U.S. Capitol Building or requested for a demonstration, according to Zhang.

Seniors Terry You and Zonglin Zhang Help Teen Mental Health with Congressional App Challenge Winner ‘Ember’

Catherine Li and Ruhi Samudra | January 19, 2024

From learning coding as a hobby to having their skills recognized on the national level, seniors Terry You and Zonglin Zhang and their teammates, Santa Margarita Catholic High seniors Jingwen Mao and Liam...

Senior Nithila Francis sings “Warrior” by Demi Lovato. Most of her extracurriculars involve singing, so she wanted to perform an activity that she was the most comfortable with, according to Francis.

Creating a Performance Opportunity: Students Showcase their Skills in the Talent Show

Stephanie Hwang, Assistant News Editor | January 19, 2024

Full of music, singing, dancing and laughter, the talent show created an opportunity for talented musicians to shine on Jan. 11. This year’s show included more performers who did not already take...

Goalie and freshman Chantal Alexander kicks the ball back into the playing field after Northwood High’s soccer team tries to score a goal. “She is a little more aggressive, a little bit more dynamic. Every game she has grown, so she has a bright future at Portola,” head girls soccer coach Joshua Stringer said.

Girls’ Soccer Goalie and Freshman Chantal Alexander Defends Her Way to Success

Maitri Allani and Claire Chan | January 18, 2024

The swoosh of a ball. The slap of hand in an effort to block. Varsity girl’s soccer goalie and freshman Chantal Alexander lunges for the ball as the opposing team attempts to score.  Alexander started...

Clubs would greatly benefit from being offered a second chance to restart their clubs in second semester. “I think that allowing these clubs to have a second chance would help them appreciate their culture and their passions, and allow students to draw closer and to keep some continuity in our own likes and values,” president of the Black Student Union and senior Gabe Mutsvangwa said.

Clubs Should Be Given a Second Chance in Second Semester

Shaina Taebi and Marianne Chan | January 18, 2024

Clubs are often deemed an essential aspect of the high school community. The wide range of clubs at Portola High provide students with various opportunities, both academic and nonacademic, to explore a...

ROP Career Specialist Gage Peterson sits at a table that the counseling office set up during lunch on Jan. 12 to give students information about Coastline ROP. Peterson said ROP courses are great opportunities for all kinds of students, from those who have a specific trade or vocation in mind for their futures to those who want to explore new fields and interests or prepare for a preferred subject of study at a four-year university. Opportunities to interact with students and staff like this are what have shaped Peterson’s experiences at Portola High so far. “It's just been a great, great place to learn and train and see how to best serve students — by learning from the counselors that are here and then also the students,” Peterson said.

Meet Our Staff’s Newest Bulldog: ROP Career Specialist Gage Peterson

Cindy Mei and Maya Tedini | January 17, 2024

Not everyone walks the same path of life after high school. For when many students seek guidance when preparing for their future, new staff member and ROP Career Specialist Gage Peterson comes in. Peterson...

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