Alumni building club to bridge half century of Maricopa High history

Despite more than a half century of Maricopa High graduates since the school opened in 1959, there had never been a forum for alumni to reconnect with the school and each other. Eddie Rodriguez and Tracy Davis are changing that.

Rodriguez, deputy fire marshal for the Maricopa Fire Department, is a member of the Class of ’79. Tracy Davis is a former teacher, governing board member and parent of students in the district.

“We’ve never had one since the high school was first built 55 years ago,” Rodriguez said. “I figured it was time to have one.”

Rodriguez said MHS Principal June Celaya was pushing for a group to be started.

“June Celaya was a good motivator to twist my arm and get this thing started as a way for alumni to connect and know what’s going on at the school,” Rodriguez said.

It began with a Facebook page for Maricopa alumni a year ago.

“Through the page we have reached out and messaged anybody who might have attended or been faculty at Maricopa High School in the past,” Davis said.

The group has almost 100 members and is in the process of registering as a nonprofit organization to maximize its opportunities to strengthen the relationship between the school and its alumni.

“We are continuing to try and get the word out and form the actual organization,” Rodriguez said. “We have community members who are ready to donate to the organization, but we can’t accept any donations until we officially form it through a nonprofit.”

The alumni group was involved in this year’s homecoming festivities as it helped coordinate the community bonfire and parade.

“I was floored by how many community members came out for our homecoming parade and bonfire,” Rodriguez said. “It was the first time there had been a bonfire since 2007 when the high school went through some renovations and it wasn’t a possibility to have it on the athletic field anymore. The kids suggested having it at Copper Sky this year, and it turned out great.”

The parade brought back some nostalgia for Davis.

“It was the first time there was a homecoming parade since my family moved here in the ‘90s,” Davis said. “We used to start at the high school, go down Honeycutt Avenue, then turn down Taft Avenue, Edwards Road and the 347 and back down Honeycutt Avenue into the high school parking lot.”

Rodriguez and Davis are both invested in bringing Maricopa’s past and present together.

“What really motivates me is seeing people who lived or graduated from here years ago come back for homecoming or special events and see how far the school and community has come,” Rodriguez said.

“We really want to build a sense of pride in the community and get alumni to come back and be proud of the school they graduated from,” Davis said.