SAntiago Arce

Santiago Arce was born in Phoenix, Arizona on September 6th, 2001 and he is the youngest of eight. He’s lived in Arizona for the majority of his life, but moved around a lot as a kid from Fresno, Gilbert, Surprise, and Tolleson. His first day was “good” and he said everyone was really nice to him. So far he likes the community here, but doesn’t like how there’s not that much to do. After high school Santiago plans to move back to Glendale and live with a friend while attending GCC and becoming a film major. Three words to describe Santiago are “quiet,” “motivated,” and “friendly.”

Santiago’s advice for incoming freshmen is, “Make sure you stay on top of your assignments and work hard.” One thing Santiago can not live without is music. If he could go back in time and change one thing he wouldn’t change anything. Santiago’s best high school memory was when he and his friends would all go to their 7th hour in junior year. Santiago’s hero is Kanye West because he inspires him to not care about what others have to say.

Joel Gonzalez

Joel Gonzalez was born in Flagstaff, AZ, on August 29, 2002. Joel grew up in Tusayan, AZ, and has lived his whole life here at the Grand Canyon. Joel's plans after graduation are to serve in the Navy as a corpsman (field medic). Joel chose “artistic,” “fun,” and “reliable” to describe himself. We think he's one of the most artistically talented people we know. Check out his self-portrait!

Joel's advice for incoming freshman is, “Keep ya head up. It’s just the beginning.” Joel could not live without good times. If he could go back in time and change one thing it would be Chernobyl. His best high school memory is beating the school record for the 4x400 relay race. Joel's hero is Desmond Doss because he inspires him to be a field medic.

Nolan Lyle

Nolan Lyle was born in Fresno, California, and spent most of his early life living in Yosemite National Park. He moved a lot, from Yosemite to Phoenix, back to Yosemite, then finally to the Grand Canyon. He plans to attend Grand Canyon University to study medicine. He describes himself as hardworking, quiet, and forgetful. His favorite class this year is Statistics, even though it is a lot of work and is often difficult.

If there is one thing that he couldn't live without, it would be cooking. He really enjoys cooking different things, from Italian to Mexican to American foods. He also doesn't just like to cook it, he also is very fond of eating whatever he makes.

Nolan says if he could go back in time “in a time machine, I’d go be a Video Assistant Referee for last season’s Champions League so that I could make sure Aguero wasn’t offsides for the winning goal in the quarter-finals. I need Manchester City to win the Champions League at least once in my life.” Nolan loves soccer, both to watch and to play.

He describes his hero as Michelle Obama because she played a big role in making the country a good place when he was growing up. “She’s the first person I remember that was doing good things for our country. I remember seeing on the news every time she’d introduce a new project or something like that”.

He wants to let incoming freshmen know that there is a time and a place to break from tradition, and freshman year is not one of them. He advises them to stay in their own lane, while still expressing themselves in their own ways.

His favorite high school memories are when he’s asked his girlfriend Judith to each dance. He’s done them each a different way and each method was special, and they have all gone on to create even better memories at those dances.

elizabeth sullivan

Elizabeth Sullivan, also known as Betsey, was born in Paoli, Pennsylvania, but she’s moved around a lot since then. She lived in Paoli, Pennsylvania, for 2 years; then Pinnacles National Park, California, for 4 years; then Grants, New Mexico, for 5 years; and has lived in Grand Canyon for 6 years. Three words she would use to describe herself are hardworking, book-loving, and logical. She doesn't have a favorite subject, but enjoys the Veterinary Science class she is currently taking. Some advice that she has for incoming freshmen is to get all of your required classes out of the way as soon as possible. This way, you can focus on things you actually want to learn and classes you actually want to take in your later years of high school, instead of scrambling to finish the graduation requirements. When asked what she couldn't live without, she immediately responded “Books, or reading material in general.” She said that her best high school memory would have to be the West Coast Basketball Tournament, when the girls basketball team went to San Francisco for a few days to participate in a basketball tournament, and got to look around the city in their off time. After she graduates high school, she wants to attend college, graduate, then get a job as a wildlife veterinarian.

GEMA TORRES

Gema Torres was born in Guanajuato, Mexico, but has lived in the Grand Canyon for 4 and a half years. Three words that she uses to best describe herself are very interesting. She says that she is crazy, logical, and likes numbers. Math is her favorite subject, she uses numbers as a descriptor to emphasize her fascination with it. When I asked her what was one thing she could not live without, she responded by stating, “Food!” with a giggle. From our point of view we could conclude she has a special place in her heart for food. Ms. Torres has some advice for freshman students to help them get through their years of high school, she said they should always do their work if they want to succeed in school. Gema also stated that she didn’t have the best high school memory. However, she stated she was surprised to be nominated for senior class president. She was the junior class president last year but she said she wasn’t very interested in continuing as president for the senior class this year. Nevertheless, she was very honored to be nominated and graciously accepted the offer. After high school Ms. Torres would like to attend college. She is still deciding on what college she would like to attend, but she is pretty excited to study psychology.

Brayonna Blackstone, who goes by “Bray,” is from Casa Grande. Ms. Blackstone’s favorite activities are playing basketball, playing video games, and swimming during the summer. Her favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid because she grew up watching it. Ms. Blackstone’s favorite Disney song is “Candle On The Water” by Peace Dragon. Her favorite food is strawberries, her favorite color is pink, and her favorite animal is horses. Ms. Blackstone likes being a teacher’s aide for kindergarten. She thought that this school year went by slowly but she kept going because of her mom. What she likes about our school is that she gets to hang out with her friends during lunch. After high school Ms. Blackstone is going to spend more time with her family and friends. In five years, Ms. Blackstone sees herself finding a job that she loves and has a good working environment for her.

Gaby Caballero, also known as “Gaby,” was born in Flagstaff on May 21, 2001. She has grown up in Grand Canyon her entire life, so she is looking forward to moving far away. Gaby is a hard-working student whose favorite subject this year is creative writing. After high school she plans on moving to Chicago and has been admitted to attend the College of Lake County for Fall 2019. She chose to move to Chicago because she has a house and a supportive family to help her there. After two years of community college, Gaby plans to transfer to the University of Guanajuato in Mexico. She plans on majoring in International Business and minoring in Spanish and eventually moving to Latin America. In 5 years, Gaby sees herself working and living in Mexico or Texas and living life to the fullest.

Judith Torres Ruiz was born on May 21 in Acámbaro, Guanajuato in Mexico. She came to Grand Canyon School when she was nine years old. Her hobbies include reading, watching Netflix, and cooking. Judith loves managing all sports and has played one year of soccer. She is the senior class president and is reliable and hardworking. Her plans after high school are to attend GCU (Grand Canyon University) and major in nursing as well as minor in marketing. The advice she has for upcoming high schoolers is to not “worry about the drama and focus on your grades, enjoy every minute of it because it flies by very fast. Next thing you know you are walking down” in your cap and gown.

Daniel Cockrum has lived in Tusayan all his life and hasn’t lived anywhere else. His inspiration is to make a mark in any way he can in the world and to graduate high school to pursue his dream job. The things he likes about the community are getting a education from the only school in a national park, and getting to see all the visitors from around the world. Daniel is thinking about going to college at ASU and is going to major in Biological Sciences. Where he sees himself in five years is working at his new job as an engineer and living in a house of his own.

Mattie Donnehoo was born in Flagstaff and raised at the Grand Canyon. Mattie has played three years of soccer and track, and lettered all three years in both the sports. Her favorite school activity is band, but her favorite subject is history. The things that inspire her are when her parents support her decisions and believe in her, and when they tell her she can do anything she wants in life. The things she loves about her school is how welcoming and supportive everyone is of each other. The college she wants to go to after she graduates is George Mason University in Virginia, but she will be attending NAU instead. In five years, she sees herself graduating college and being in debt because of her student loans, so she hopes to have a job or an internship that will pay pretty well and also will make her happy.

Meaghan Donehoo has lived in Grand Canyon her whole life. Ms. Donehoo competed in soccer and track for three years, and during her time on the track team she helped break the school’s 4x400 meter relay record three times. Ms. Donehoo loves the freedom to take art in school. She can focus on the small details or the brush strokes, and it really helps her relax and decompress. What she likes about our school is how supportive everyone is, like when the teachers stay after school to help the students. She also likes how our community helps classes with their fundraisers. Ms. Donehoo’s inspiration is herself. She says, “When I achieve a goal or overcome an obstacle that I didn't believe I could, my belief in myself rises. I continue to grow, learn and try my hardest because I want to be the best person I can be.”

Nolan Johnson- is from Globe, AZ. Mr. Johnson has played soccer for two years and ran track for three years. His favorite subjects are art and science. What he likes about our community is that it’s a growing community that is still getting use to its size. Mr. Johnson doesn’t have just one inspiration but is inspired by anyone he meets or anything he does that pushes him to accomplish his goals and do what he wants in life. Mr. Johnson wants to go to Arizona State University (ASU). He doesn’t know what he’ll be doing in five years because, as Mr. Johnson puts it, “ Life changes way too rapidly to be able to tell where I will be.”

Colwyn Burns- was born in Tuba City on July 4th, 2001. He has lived at the Grand Canyon since he was a baby and attended Grand Canyon School since kindergarten. His favorite parts of the school day are playing basketball with his friends, his culinary class, and being able to go to work his last 2 hours of the school day, where he enjoys working at NPS with a internship in the auto shop. Colwyn´s plan is to keep with the internship while going to school at Universal Technical Institute studying to be a diesel technician. After he finishes he would like to attend Tulsa Welding School to get his welding certificate.

Kimana Yellowhair-Kimana Yellowhair was born in Flagstaff, AZ and raised in Tuba City, AZ. She moved to Grand Canyon in the middle of 6th grade, which was a difficult adjustment for her, and has been attending to Grand Canyon School ever since. Ms. Yellowhair’s favorite subject is Trigonometry and Precalculus because she loves math and understands math better than any other subject. She also enjoys the classes and learns something new from Mr. Houston every day. What she likes about our school is that it's easy to get along with students, the teachers are helpful, and the school is small. Ms. Yellowhair plans to go to Grand Canyon University. In five years, she'll be 23 with a Bachelor's degree in psychology, living somewhere in Phoenix, and about to pursue her dream of becoming a psychologist, and maybe also thinking about starting a family. Ms. Yellowhair´s inspiration is her little sister Khloe and her mom. Mr. Houston is her role model. Khloe looks up to Kimana, and Kimana wants Khloe to have a good role model, too. During her freshman year, she lost her mom. Losing her mother had a big impact on her, but she strives to be the best she can be and prosper.

Karina Ibarra Dimas-was born in Flagstaff on October 3, 2000, and has lived in the Grand Canyon area ever since. She has only gone to Grand Canyon School and has played one year of soccer, two years of volleyball, as well as four years of basketball. Ms. Ibarra loves coming to school to see her friends, as well as making food in her culinary class. She enjoys music and loves chocolate. Her plans after graduation are to attend CCC-- even though she is still undecided with her career course. She also enjoys spending time with her family and visiting her family-owned ranch in Valle.

Elijah Dugi was born Flagstaff, AZ, and raised in Grand Canyon National Park and Cameron ,AZ. Mr.Dugi has lived in Grand Canyon his whole life and has been attending Grand Canyon School since kindergarten. In high school his favorite subjects are strength and conditioning and culinary. He has played basketball since 6th grade.This year he is playing for the last time of his high school career. After high school he wants to go into the construction industry and continue taking care of his grandparents and building a house for them on land outside of Cameron AZ.

Carlos Briones is 17 years old and is from Supai, which is located at the bottom of the Canyon near the Colorado River. When he was in middle school he competed in hoop dancing and won a medal for first place. He also competed in bull riding and barrel racing. Shortly afterwards, Carlos moved to the Grand Canyon for his freshman year. He joined band, which is where he learned to play guitar and his passion for music grew. He loves it here, because it is small and he knows almost everyone at the school. He loves to play sports, including basketball and track. His plan after graduation is to move to Flagstaff and attend college. Carlos’s cousin Neegoh is currently living in Flagstaff and attending NAU, so living in Flagstaff will allow him to be near home and close to family and to live his life to the fullest.

Cassidy Raven Free was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She is 18 and our first registered voter. Cassidy desires to attend Yavapai College in Prescott. She has managed middle school soccer for two years and high school track for one and did track for one year, too. Cassidy's favorite class is art, and she finds inspiration by reading books from the school's library. Having to attend a smaller school is a big change for her, but she’s thankful for the smaller class size and the more intimate interactions with the teachers. Cassidy doesn’t feel like she’s completely ready for her future saying, “It’s scary to be leaving everything I knew for the past 5 years.” She knows there will always be people to support her, and for that she is grateful.

Brandon Yellowhair has lived at the Grand Canyon since kindergarten. His favorite class in school is consumer math because he likes to look online for old cars. Brandon also likes spaghetti and likes to slurp up his noodles. His favorite superhero is The Flash because he is so fast. His favorite rapper is Lil’ Wayne. He likes to lip sync to his songs. Brandon also likes to play Call of Duty, and he recently got Black Ops 4 and loves playing it. His future plans are to move out of his house in Woodland Ranch and live with his brother Herman in Flagstaff.

Aleryn Reid was born in Gallup, NM, and is from Ganado, AZ. He plays high school varsity soccer,basketball, and runs track. For soccer he plays midfield, defense, and goalie. For basketball he is a point guard and shooting guard and and has jersey #2. For track he runs the 400m, 800m, relay 400/800 and 1600m. His goals this year are to put his name on the assist record for basketball and break the 800m and 1600m records. His favorite subjects in school are strength and conditioning and being a teacher's aide for the 8th grade PE class. After graduation, Aleryn hopes to work, go to college, and maybe get lucky enough to play college basketball.

Markeith Donley's favorite sport is basketball. He currently plays on the varsity team as a forward with jersey #34. He also enjoys playing soccer and throws shot put and discus. His favorite two classes are strength and conditioning and culinary arts. Markeith was born and raised in the Canyon. The most inspirational person to Markeith is Lebron James because he graduated high school and went straight to the NBA, and because LeBron plays the same position as Markeith.

Alejandro Espinoza, commonly known as AJ, is from a small town in California called Madera. AJ moved to the Grand Canyon when he was five years old. He doesn't care for school much, but he knows he has to graduate. What he's going to miss the most is his teachers. He says his inspiration at this time is wanting to get out of Grand Canyon to travel. He sees himself eventually working and living in California. AJ's goal is to one day own The Batmobile.