By Jacob Flores, Staff Writer
As Poly High’s 2026 school year is already half way through the first semester, Poly looks back to those who once walked these very same halls in remembrance of their legacy
On October 9, 2026, six new inductees were unveiled at Poly’s Bears Of Distinction Wall right outside of the front office. Poly recognized the names Tom & Karen Tilson, Tiffany Van Soest, Wendy Harris Williams, Rod Piazza, The Bailey Family, and Salvador Lara. The night was filled with honorable tributes, wonderful memories, great stories, and a few tears.
Captain Valenzuela, the emcee for the evening, recognized each inductee by sharing their personal accomplishments and connection to Poly. After being recognized, each inductee was invited to share a sentiment about their time at Poly and how they achieved their accomplishments. The first inductees to speak were Tom & Karen Tilson, known for being former teachers together at Riverside Poly High School from 1972 through 2008.
Tom Tilson was hired as a walk-on coach for the soccer program during his final year at Cal Poly Pomona, while Karen Tilson was hired as the school’s first instructor in the Grizzly Grill. Tom’s reputation for coaching led him to gain the nickname “The Godfather of High School Soccer”, due to his numerous accomplishments for leading Poly to countless league championships and CIF Titles. Both Tom & Karen reminisced on their time together at Poly by saying, “To all the students who experienced soccer or were part of the Culinary Arts program at Poly, we thank them for making our time memorable as it is an honor to receive this award.”
The next inductee to speak was Tiffany “Time Bomb” Van Soest. Graduating with the class of 2007, Tiffany was born and raised in Riverside. Participating in athletic activities such as soccer and track, Tiffany served as Varsity Captain during her junior and senior year of high school for the Poly soccer team, and earned All-League honors in pole vaulting that set a new school record during her sophomore year. Over the years, she transitioned into a professional career in combat sports full time and went on to become the five-time Muay Thai World Champion and became the first female fighter signed to GLORY Kickboxing. Tiffany explained the importance of human touch and the driven passion that one can hold, saying “I never wanted to just become a fighter, I wanted to be great at what I did without it consuming who I was, and experience the emotions and love from myself and others.”
The third inductee to speak was Wendy Harris Williams. From the class of 1979, Wendy Harris Willaims was president of BSU, head varsity cheerleader, and the first African American to win homecoming queen at Riverside Polytechnic. Accomplishing many feats such as earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UCLA, becoming an author, and being a leader in several associations and organizations, Wendy went on to speak about her time at Poly, saying “I look back to all the memories I made here at Poly High School and the history of it that makes it truly remarkable to speak today.”
The next inductee to speak was Rod Piazza. Born in Riverside in 1947, Rod graduated from Poly High School in 1965, where he went on to become one of music’s most well regarded Blues musicians. Forming the Chicago Flying Saucer Band in 1980, Piazza has been touring around the world ever since. In Piazza’s regards to him being recognized, he said “Although I don’t consider myself at the level of everyone else being honored, I thank everyone here for giving me the opportunity to be recognized tonight, and I’m just lucky that I was able to find music along my career.”
The next inductees to be honored were The Bailey Family. Having a history in Riverside County dating back to 1914, the Bailey family has been a part of Poly High School’s roots since 1922. All three Baileys—Russ Bailey, William Bailey Jr, and William “Rusty” Bailey—were honored for their careers, spanning from the justice system and the military, to teaching and becoming mayor of Riverside. The Bailey Family spoke about their honored dedication towards the community and Poly by saying “It’s the family history that makes our story special, and we would never change what we’ve each done to show our thanks and honor to everyone.”
Finally, the last inductee to be honored was Salvador Lara. Born on July 11, 1920 in Riverside California, Salvador Lara graduated from Poly High School in 1938 and carried the deep sense of discipline and responsibility with him into enlisting in the United States Army in 1942. In May of 1944, Lara was deeply wounded on the battlefront during the grueling Italian campaign near Aprilia during World War II. However, despite his suffering and sustaining several injuries, he refused to back down off command. Demonstrating incredible grit and tactical brilliance under fire, he led his squad to save countless American lives. Although he passed on September 1, 1945, nearly seven decades later in 2014, Staff Sergeant Lara received the full recognition he deserved by being posthumously awarded with the Medal of Honor by former president Barack Obama, and was inducted into the Pentagon’s sacred Hall of Heroes. To give a speech in his honor, Lara’s daughter Vivian Lara Hernandez accepted the award by saying “Although my father isn’t here to see this honor, it would be something he would hold deeply to his heart, thank you everyone.”
To each of the inductees, the honor of the award meant something unique to them. Rod Piazza stated, “A former mentor in music told me a long time ago, Rod you’re never anybody in your hometown until you go somewhere else in the world and become somebody, and this honor has shown me that.” Wendy Harris Williams stated, “I’m humbled by this honor, as there is nothing like coming home and being honored rather than traveling and going to other places and being recognized.” Tiffany Van Soest noted, “It’s an honor to be in any hall of fame or to be recognized for your accomplishments and very humbling.” The former team captain also reflected that her time at Poly “was the support that surrounded me…whether it being coaches, teammates, or friends, it was just an amazing experience.”
As Poly dedicates this year’s Bears of Distinction class, it only brings the question of who will be the next person to make a change in Poly High School’s history.