Class of 2021: Senior Spotlight

As the first graduating class whose entire senior year was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Class of 2021 faced many challenges on the way to earning a diploma. These outstanding seniors have overcome the obstacles and are looking ahead confidently to college life and career goals.

TJ Boyd
SEQUOIA PATHWAY ACADEMY

A self-described small-town kid who wants to follow his dream and have a good journey on the way, TJ has made art his whole life. He plans to attend Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, to study animation while playing football.

RELATED STORY: Seniors step up, up, up for photoshoot

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
My career goals are to, well, have a good and successful one, but to also work hard and do the best I can, and I believe high school has taught me how to do both of those things.

Greatest achievement: My greatest achievement, it may sound weird or odd, but honestly it’s the people that I have surrounded myself with. They are the ones who have pushed me in the right direction and have shown me my path.

Favorite high school memory: My favorite memory isn’t just one, it’s
about 12: every Friday night I got to run out onto that field and play the
game I love.

Annabelle Dayley
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

Anabelle Dayley is a Maricopa native, attending Butterfield Elementary, Maricopa Wells and finishing with four years at Maricopa High School. She graduates as valedictorian with a 4.77 GPA. In addition, Anabelle excelled on the soccer, cross-country and track teams while actively participating in a variety of clubs.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
I have had my mind set on being a pediatric nurse caring for neonatal babies for many years and plan on pursuing that career while studying at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. My time at Maricopa High School and in competitive sports have given me lots of experience and life lessons in leadership, self-discipline, teamwork and problem solving. Those skills will be important while entering this next chapter of my life.

Greatest achievement: The amazing friendships made during my time as a Ram. My friends, coaches and teachers have been uplifting and supportive. They all are wonderful examples to me and push me to be a better person, better student, better athlete and better friend. When my time is finished here in Maricopa, I hope that I’ve been able to be a positive influence to those around me and been able to contribute to our beautiful community of Maricopa.”

Favorite high school memory: MHS Homecoming Week my junior year!

Airen Fortunato
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

A 15-year Maricopa resident, Airen was involved in band, Junior States of America and the National Honor Society. As a Flinn Scholar Semi-Finalist and Dorrance Scholar, he will attend the University of Arizona in the fall to study neuroscience with plans to be an ER physician assistant.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
My career plan is to pursue a career as a physician assistant, and I credit the support and encouragement of teachers who pushed and encouraged me, as well as providing me with information for extracurriculars to join to satiate my curiosity and expand my knowledge.

Greatest achievement: My proudest achievement is making the MHS drumline, having no formal music experience whatsoever. I saw the fun they were having my freshman year, how welcoming the section leader was, and told myself I would make it. I taught myself the fundamentals of percussion from the ground up and learned from peers. When the audition results came out, I couldn’t believe it happened, and it sparked a passion for music.

Favorite high school memory: The 2019 Youngker band show: superior rating in percussion and 1st place!

Katie Hanks
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

Katie has lived in Maricopa since she was 4. She loved her time at Maricopa High School and has been actively involved in National Honor Society and the MHS Theatre Company. After graduating, she plans on serving a mission for her church and then going to school to study neuroscience.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
I can see myself doing so many different things for my career and that is because of all of the opportunities I have had in high school. Growing up, I have always wanted to become a pediatric epileptologist and while that is still a goal, I have many other interests. Being a part of theater has allowed me to stage-manage and student-direct a few of our shows, and I realized I had this love for management within the arts. I have looked into doing stage management/design and tech in order to become a production or tour manager.

Greatest achievement: My greatest achievement has to be stage-managing three shows at MHS!

Favorite high school memory: Mr. Miller’s APUSH class my junior year.

Tyler Kientzler
HERITAGE ACADEMY

A young senior at just 17 years old, Tyler was awarded the New American University President’s Award to Arizona State University. He was active in National Honor
Society, sports and as a community volunteer. He will pursue a degree in computer engineering.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
I do know that I want to study computer engineering in college but that’s about it. High school has taught me a lot inside and outside of the classroom and helped build a lot of different relationships that I hope to carry with me into college.

Greatest achievement: I was able to buy my own first car at just 16 years old.

Favorite high school memory: My first day of school seeing familiar and welcoming faces.

Cara Krathwohl
SEQUOIA PATHWAY ACADEMY

Cara has lived in Maricopa since 2014. She and her family moved to Arizona from Indiana. She is graduating from Sequoia Pathway as the salutatorian.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
I am going to Northern Arizona University to get a bachelor’s degree in hospitality. High school has helped me learn to handle stressful situations, manage my time efficiently and deal with controversial topics.

Greatest achievement: Making it through the drama of high school, as well as COVID, to become the salutatorian of my school.

Favorite high school memory: Hanging with my friends.

Victor Moreno
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

A junior, Victor will complete enough credits to graduate a year early. He was Homecoming King and active on the swim team and the Mr. MHS Pageant.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
I will be pursuing a career in business at Arizona State University. I was first introduced to business through Maricopa High School’s marketing and DECA programs.

Greatest achievement: Graduating early and still making the most of my junior/senior year.

Favorite high school memory: DECA’s State Career Development Conference.

Nick Perez
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

Born in Mesa, Nick moved to Maricopa when he was in 4th grade. He has always loved doing the best he can for those around him in school and in life. He plans to study computer engineering at Northern Arizona University and work to create the next big tech company.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
I plan to work in the IT field and pursue a degree in computer engineering. High school has helped prepare me for the world to come and how to deal with the varied types of people I’ll meet throughout my life. 24Pintech (a student-led business that repairs technological devices) and Mr. Chamberlain, our IT teacher, have also had a huge impact on solidifying my path in life.

Greatest achievement: The balancing act that is enrolling in Honors/AP courses, participating actively in 4-5 clubs, working part-time and still finding a way to spend time with friends and family.

Favorite high school memory: Performing in front of a live audience.

Emma Schrader
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

After calling Maricopa home for over 14 years, Emma plans to study art history in New York. He is incredibly grateful for his leadership roles in both the MHS Theatre Company and National Honor Society, and he can’t wait to see where the arts will take him in the future.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
My career goals are changing every day. One day, that means looking toward a future on the stage. The next, it’s studying Renaissance artworks and crafting exhibits for a new museum. I am not sure where my ever-changing passions will take me, but I am positive that the arts will play a crucial role in wherever I go. The teachers at Maricopa High School have prepared me for this future by encouraging creativity and imagination even in the densest of subjects, resilience and dedication in the darkest of times, and faith in the success of their students.

Greatest achievement: Completing senior year.

Favorite high school memory: Saturday night’s curtain call for “Newsies” and my final bow.

Hannah Skousen
HERITAGE ACADEMY

Born and raised in Maricopa, Hannah was involved in numerous clubs and captain of the girls golf team the last two years. She will attend BYU in Provo, Utah next year to study landscape management and design as she focuses on plant science.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
My goal is to help create new varieties of plants that can thrive in low-water, desert climates like ours. High school has helped me love science but also taught me to work hard and learn everything I can.

Greatest achievement: Earning a 4.0 while taking advanced classes and playing on the varsity girls golf team all four years.

Favorite high school memory: Performing in the murder mystery plays the last two years.

Jasmine Tafolla
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

Jasmine moved to Arizona from Utah during her 5th-grade year and has loved it ever since. In her senior year, she started taking extracurriculars like Student Council and Link Crew. Her future plans include helping the wrongly convicted, misunderstood, immigrants and minorities. She wants to be a part of the change in society and make an impact.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
My goal is to pursue a career in law, specifically as a social justice/ human rights lawyer. High school has prepared me for this through advanced classes, CAVIT, teachers, and, most importantly, our caring counselors. Without Mrs. Russionello, Mr. Veltrie and Ms. Flores I am not sure if my high school experience would have been the same.

Greatest achievement: Acceptance into the University of Arizona. I will be the first in my family to attend college. This means a lot to me not only because I am proving that my parents’ hard work toward me having a better future paid off but also because I will be a part of the percentage of Mexican Americans that will go to college.

Favorite high school memory: Every Student Council class.

Emma Wrenn
MARICOPA HIGH SCHOOL

Emma and her family moved 11 years ago from Pennsylvania to Maricopa. She has been active in the Maricopa DECA chapter, serving as Vice President of Career Development (2019-2020) and Vice President of Store Operations (2020-2021). She has accepted a full
scholarship from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and the Next Generation Service Corps, where she will begin her freshman year in August.

What are your career goals and how has high school prepared you for them?
I look forward to exploring business careers at ASU. Through the Service Corps, I will get hands-on experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors. I expect this new knowledge and experience will help me focus on a specific career path. Success for me means being happy, healthy and surrounded by the people I love, while still making a difference in the world.

Greatest achievement: I am most proud of being awarded Maricopa DECA’s Officer of the Year in 2020. I earned this award by going above and beyond in my responsibilities as the Vice President of Career Development. Through my leadership on DECA’s Board of Directors, our chapter set new school records at the State Career Development Conference for most state finalists, most first-place trophies, most trophies overall and most international qualifiers.

Favorite high school memory: Not only finding friends but finding myself in the process.

---

This story appears in the May issue of InMaricopa magazine.