Canyon Springs High School’s theater program honored for outstanding performances by the prestigious Hamilton Education Program!

Moreno Valley, Calif. - Canyon Springs High School’s theater program was recognized for two projects on May 6-8, 2025, by the Hamilton Education Program, a prestigious national competition in which only ten programs are selected annually nationwide. 

“Canyon Springs’ double recognition is a testament to the exceptional talent of our students and the dedication of our amazing theater teacher, Autumn Earle-Rodriguez,” said Sean Roberson, principal of Canyon Springs High School. “Congratulations to all involved!”

According to a press release, the Hamilton Education Online Program provides students in grades 6 through 12 with a free, tailored curriculum that combines the study of the Founding Era with the performing arts. The program website offers a collection of primary source documents, historical figures, events, and more. Students use these resources to create original pieces such as songs, rap, poetry, or scenes, which they can submit to both a national competition and a lottery.

The three winning students from Canyon Springs High School – Benjamin Briggs, Truth Roach, and Amiya Davis – were ecstatic to be honored alongside their teacher for their talent and efforts in the two projects they submitted. As part of the recognition, all three students were invited to a matinee performance on Broadway in New York!

“I feel a mixture of emotions. I’m obviously happy and excited, but mostly validated. I’ve struggled with my confidence in my talent(believe it or not), and this just kind of proved something to me,” said Benjamin Briggs, a tenth grader. “I believe if people can see the benefits and opportunities that come from the performing arts, they’ll be more likely to give it a try. This is the first time I’ve been recognized on this level, and I honestly don’t think it’s really fully hit me yet. [Ten] projects in the entire nation were recognized, and 2 of them were from our school. That’s a big deal; that’s a huge accomplishment. I’m super excited to see what opportunities this may bring and even more excited to be sharing this experience with my friends.”

Briggs credits his hard work and dedication to his teacher, Autumn Earle-Rodriguez. 

“Mrs. Rodriguez constantly pushes me to be better … Rodriguez always stayed there by my side. I want to thank her for presenting me these opportunities and helping me pursue them. I also want to thank her for continuing to push me to be my best.”

Briggs is not the only one to feel a big impact by this recognition. Amiya Davis shares her excitement about the news and what it means to her.

“I’ve been recognized from the county and state, …but never nationally. Like a celebrity, almost!” she said. “Being gifted and talented taught me that you will lose friends, but when one door closes, another opens. So embrace change and surround yourself with real and positive people.”

Truth Roach, 12th grader, is also passionate about the performing arts program and his school, sharing that he hopes this will bring more recognition to his school and community for the work that goes into developing youth and the resources provided to support performing arts. 

“This is actually the first time this recognition has been earned for our school,” said Roach. “It goes to show that with persistence in this craft, eventually, the work you put out there will be seen. At the heart of it all, this opportunity has shown me that taking that leap of faith pays off. Our project was put out last September and was seen on a national level 5 months later. Mrs. Rodriguez put her trust in our work, and eventually, it yielded an extraordinary experience. Every great achievement starts with effort and belief, so keep pushing, keep striving, and never doubt what you’re capable of.”

The Moreno Valley Unified School District superintendent Dr. Alejandro Ruvalcaba also shares his excitement at the school’s recent accomplishments. He states, “We are very proud of our talented Canyon High School students for bringing national recognition to our school district. Congratulations to them and to our hard-working Theatre and Choir Director, Mrs. Earle-Rodriguez.”

Although Autumn Earle Rodriguez leads an outstanding program and is continuously recognized by students, staff and families, she is truly humbled by this news. 

In Hamilton, composer Lin Manuel Miranda's lyrics state that Hamilton "writes like he is running out of time." Rodriguez says, “the quote resonates with me as I try to provide as many opportunities as I can to my students in the short time they are in high school. I want them to see that the sky is not the limit and that they too, can be ‘in the room where it happens!’ I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my 25th year teaching in the Moreno Valley Unified School District than accompanying these award winning theatre students to Broadway!”
 

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