Pacifica Stories

Stratton Chanes is a senior this year at Pacifica, and has been making the most of his high school years before exploring what’s next. At Pacifica, he is the current Associated Student Government (ASG) Student Body President as well as a member of STEM Scholars, the Ambassador program, the Mentor/Mentee program, the Hydrogen Car Race Team, and Yearbook. Outside of school, he competes on a rowing team and pursues photography. Stratton brings excitement and passion to all of these activities, helping to set the campus culture at Pacifica through his genuine investment. 

As the Student Body President, Stratton leads all of the other ASG class representatives and implements campus changes based on the wants and needs of the Pacifica student body. His desire to serve his classmates in this way has been a long-term goal that Stratton has worked towards throughout his time in high school.

“When serving as Freshman Class Rep, I saw the President at the time and wanted that to be me my senior year,” he said. “After my role as Campus Activities Commissioner my junior year, I saw some bigger-picture changes I wanted to implement. I'm proud to serve as President currently and am happy with what I have done so far. My favorite part is the impact I have made and the plans I still have, such as creating a text hotline and shared calendar for club leadership to streamline everyone's schedules.”

Around campus, Stratton is known for his kindness and willingness to help others. He is ready to jump into any task that requires his attention without complaint, and is able to rally his peers to do the same. He is a genuine leader that we are fortunate to have at Pacifica!

Stratton’s investment in the Pacifica student body stems from his love for the community as a whole. He said that when deciding where to go for high school, he could tell that both students and teachers were happy to be here. This has translated into Stratton’s own experience, where he has made friendships across all grades, and knows that his teachers love their jobs and are there to help students. He has found many places to feel at home through classes, clubs, and sports. A special memory for Stratton that epitomizes the Pacifica community is from our beginning of the year student event, MMM (Movies, Munchies, Madness). During MMM, the seniors initiate a school-wide water balloon fight by raining down water balloons from the rooftop. By the end, everyone is soaking wet– from seniors, to new students, to staff members. This chaotic and fun tradition welcomes new students in, and displays the camaraderie of current students.

In addition to campus extracurriculars, Stratton has gained a lot from his classes. His favorite courses at Pacifica have been the two engineering electives taught by Dr. Sumida, where he has gotten to make his own builds and learn how they work. These classes have developed into an interest in engineering outside of the classroom, as well. Stratton is also a part of the Hydrogen Car Racing Club, where he and a team of other students led by Dr. Sumida build a remote-controlled car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and race it against other regional schools. Stratton is a member of the pit crew, which means that while the drivers learn to control the car with the best racing line while conserving power, the pit team works on designing the car and fixing issues that arise on race day. He says that this club continues to teach him many skills that he looks forward to bringing into his future studies.

Stratton is also highly involved in a unique sport outside of Pacifica– rowing. He began rowing on a recreational team at age 13, practicing just one day a week. At this time, volleyball was his primary sport. However, as a 9th grader, he decided to move up to the novice team and increase his commitment to multiple practices a week. He joined the varsity team during his sophomore year and hasn’t looked back since. 

“We practice daily and I love both the physical and mental aspects of it,” Stratton said. “Rowing is always a place where I can mentally set aside everything occurring in my school and social life and have a consistent environment to thrive in. A good portion of the people I row with currently have been on the team with me throughout high school, forming solid friendships. Through competition at races, traveling to regattas, daily practices, and team dinners, rowing has forged one of the strongest senses of community present in my life. We all push each other to become the best we can be in our sport and celebrate our collective successes while supporting one another through our losses. Considering the time I spend at the marina with my teammates, rowing has become a second home to me. I am so thankful for all of the aspects of my growth as a person through rowing and the relationships I have formed with my fellow teammates.”

Recently, Stratton traveled with his rowing team to Boston for the Head of the Charles regatta. He said that this competition was the highest caliber regatta he has been to, with the best rowers from around the world coming in for the event. While it was a difficult course to complete, Stratton says it was amazing to watch and compete in the regatta.

As he enters his final semester at Pacifica, Stratton looks forward to pursuing his academic and personal passions in college and working in a career he enjoys, whether that be in robotics, engineering, or entrepreneurship. He will carry the lessons of self-sufficiency, good study/learning methods, and friendship that he has learned at Pacifica into these future endeavors.