Every two years, DHS inducts new members into the Downey High hall of fame. This year’s ceremony took place Friday November first 2019 during third and fourth period. 5 new former DHS graduates have been inducted, Johana Hernandez, Dr. Cynthia Lum, Leslie R. Murray, Blanca Nieves Pacheco, and Steve Tapia. Each of these individuals have waited ten or more years since they have graduated before they were considered to be inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Principal of DHS Tom Houts and the rest of the Hall Of Fame committee wish to recognize past graduates for their successes exceeding high school. 

School board members, teachers, councilors, select students and other members of the community as well as the inductees gathered in the DHS theater to watch the ceremony led by Mr. Houts unfold. 

Houts gave a brief introduction then allowed Kirk Cartozian, chair of the selection committee, to explain the process of getting into the Hall Of Fame. Cartozian acknowledged other members of the committee as well as previously inducted members of the Hall Of Fame. Following these acknowledgements, he addressed how one gets inducted into the Hall Of Fame and what the committee does.

“What the committee does is we typically don’t like to make the suggestions or the actual conducting be applications.” Cartozian stated. “They are online, go to the Downey High website. There’s a process by which you can fill out an application. It can be the applicant themself, we prefer it to be someone who knows them well who’s willing to spend the time and tell us the committee who they are.” 

The committee takes a lot of pride in the individuals whom they have the opportunity to induct and the accomplishments that lead them there. 

For example, 2019’s first inductee Johana Hernandez who graduated from Downey High in 2004. Hernandez grew up in the city of Compton while her parents made their living working in sweatshops. Working as the fashion designer, she started her own bridal shop called Glaudi in 2011. With the first store still up and running in Downey, Hernandez has just opened her second store located in Beverly Hills.