“I’m the fourth generation to graduate at Colton High School,” Joleena Silberman tells me with pride.

Her family history means the world to her. “It just means a lot because I know my grandma, my grandpa, my mom, her siblings—they all just want to see me succeed here in Colton the same way they succeeded.”

For her senior year, Joleena chose to recognize her family roots by changing the name on the back of her volleyball jersey from “Silberman” to “Reynosa.” Reynosa is the name of her mother, Heather, who works as a long term sub at CHS. The name switch honored her mother’s side of the family, and made it clear that this is who she is.

Who Joleena is is part of a family deeply rooted in Colton, who deeply love the high school. In addition to Joleena’s mother working at the site, her aunt, Ashton Reynosa, is a teacher in the TOPS program, and her grandmother, Kathy Reynosa, works as an instructional assistant.

Outside of school, the family is active in local community service. Her grandmother, Rita Acueto-Colton, is active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapter. Joleena likes to help out when her schedule permits to serve meals to veterans on Taco Tuesdays, or for posole and menudo fundraisers. She also supports her family’s involvement at an annual golf tournament held at the Colton Golf Club.

“I always go and help as much as I can because it gives me a chance to go help back on my community,” Joleena said.

At first glance, it would seem that community service is a family obligation, but not for Joleena. Maybe at first, but she figured out early in her freshman year that she loves being a part of something bigger than herself.

Joleena joined ASB in her freshman year and was immediately impressed with what goes on behind-the-scenes to put on the activities many students take for granted. “They don’t also see the background of all this happening, which is also just as fun as the actual event itself.”

Being part of that team showed her the value of being involved and supporting others.

And it’s a constant reminder of why she loves this city her family is so committed to making a better place.

“I love how close everybody is,” she says about the Colton community. “This community is basically a bigger family that isn’t just blood related.”

Service plays a part in all this, obviously, as does Joleena’s athletic activities. She has been a part of both the school’s volleyball and soccer teams for all four years. Not to mention, she also spent the last two years as a football team manager. All those sports and activities obviously take a toll, and it should come as little surprise that Joleena’s favorite hobby is sleeping.

“I like to sleep. Like all the time at home. Like if I have a chance to take a nap, I’ll take a nap.”

Before thoughts of narcolepsy take hold, Joleena explains a bit more. “I was always doing sports,” she said. “So, like, either before practice, or after practice, I would just fall asleep.”

With all of her sports involvements officially over, Joleena is finding that she is not sleeping as much. This may have something to do with all the energy she has to run for Prom Queen.

As Saturday nears, Joleena is excited to be included among the nominees on Prom Court. She finds herself in an unusual place also occupied by nominees Colton Suchil, Yahir Rodriguez, and fellow Queen candidate Mercy Mgbemere. None of them are dating one of the other nominees. But Joleena thinks she has a solid chance of winning.

Overall, she hopes that people might see more of who she is. “People kind of see me just as this athletic person who’s just always doing sports, or something sports related. But I feel not a lot of people see the Joleena outside of sports.”

She wants them to see this side of her. Because like her family, she’s proud of who she is, and what she stands for.