On March 24, 2026, the Board of Trustees announced that FHS seniors Rotem Ben David and Judith Primitivo Lopez were the new FHS ‘Poster Students’ for the 2025-26 school year. Ben David and Primitivo Lopez were recognized for this achievement due to their outstanding contributions towards FHS and the community. Ben David and Primitivo Lopez are two of the 12 students who represent the FUHSD student body, and their profiles will be displayed on the FHS website and in the office with corresponding blurbs attached to them.
During the ceremony, Assistant Principal Andy Walczak introduced Primitivo Lopez, and Principal Bryan Emmert introduced Ben David. Each speaker shared a heart-warming and personal anecdote about their respective honoree. Teachers have also weighed in on the impact that Ben David and Primitivo Lopez have made on campus. World History and ASB teacher Jeff Kakes, who has been Ben David’s ASB teacher for four years as well as history teacher in her sophomore year, reflects on Ben David’s contributions.
“She is phenomenally good at listening to people who have diverse viewpoints, and being able to bring those [ideas] together, and synthesize them in a way that makes people heard,” Kakes said. “Rotem has an extraordinarily large heart; she is always looking for solutions that will help as many people as possible.”
Known for her humility, Ben David has received accolades for her achievements and the numerous extracurricular activities she takes part in. Most notably, Ben David is the current Intra District Council President (IDC), part of the FHS Site Equity Action Team (SEAT), FHS Robotics and varsity field hockey team, and volunteer at Israeli-American Council (IAC) Eitanim. Ben David has overcome obstacles such as immigrating to the U.S. at 8 years old.
“She came here not knowing the language,” Kakes said. “She struggled through school, feeling like she was an outsider. She’s somebody that we should look up to because she worked hard to get where she is.”
Along with Ben David, Primitivo Lopez has experienced hardships, but still continues to thrive despite these circumstances.
“In seventh grade, my dad was diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer, and in freshman year, he passed away,” Primitivo Lopez said. “I feel like my testimony of being a student who overcame and still succeeded, not just survived, but also thrived, may resonate with other students who see themselves in me.”
Primitivo Lopez’s personal experience sparked her interest in oncology. Over the summer, she did an internship at Stanford University involving cancer research. On top of this interest, Primitivo Lopez is a thespian, playing leads in many FHS drama performances, such as Cyri. She is also part of ASB, varsity cheer, a church nursery teacher and has made immense efforts towards the ELD program. FHS literature and AVID teacher Aisha Lomando speaks on Primitivo’s qualities and impact on campus.
“I saw her be a patient and nice person and she’s a very genuine and a great person to know,” Lomando said. “[This award] is recognizing her hard work, all the effort she’s put in, and how she is a student that represents Fremont really well.”
The Poster Student acknowledgement chooses students who have created a positive impact on campus and are role models for the FHS student body. The recognition is a way of honoring the influence that Ben David and Primitivo Lopez have made on campus.
“[This recognition] is a very nice summary to a very long high school journey, in the sense that there have been so many ups and downs,” Ben David said. “Make the most of every opportunity you get. Appreciate the things you have, work towards the things you want, and you don’t need a title to make a difference.”
