2022 Salute to Seniors - Longmont Times-Call

SalutetoSeniors

Twodiplomasinhand,grad isheadedforSchoolofMines

STAFF WRITER

Skyline High’s Adrian Mendez graduated from Front Range Community College with an associate’s degree in computer information systems about two weeks before his high school graduation.

“I see computer science as the new generation,” he said. “It’s the future.”

Mendez is part of the third graduating class from the Longmont school’s P-TECH — Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools — program.

The program is a partnership with IBM and Front Range Community College. Along with taking 60 hours of Front Range Community College classes plus the required St. Vrain high

school credit hours, the high school students complete a paid internship with IBM.

P-TECH students have up to six years to graduate from the program, but Mendez completed all the requirements in four years. In his P-TECH graduating class, all

58 seniors are on track to graduate from Skyline in May, while 22 graduated from Front Range in May — and another eight are taking summer classes to graduate from Front Range in August. Mendez also was one of 250 students in the country awarded

a $40,000 college scholarship and internship opportunity through the Amazon Future Engineer program. He found the opportunity while applying for other scholarships.

“It’s very exciting,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to going to college.”

He’s headed to the Colorado School of Mines in the fall, where he said his credits from Front Range will allow him to earn a master’s degree in computer science in five years. He’s planning to double major in structural engineering, with a goal of using his engineering knowledge to expand his dad’s business

His dad builds trusses used as supports in the construction industry. Mendez’s dream is to

expand, with the help of his brothers, to designing and building foundations.

He said the sacrifices his parents made as immigrants from Mexico inspired him to work hard in school, with the promise of a free associate’s degree prompting him to apply for the P-TECH program, dubbed Falcon Tech at Skyline.

His parents, he said, had to start from “rock bottom” when they moved here, working service industry jobs as they learned a new language and new culture.

“They had a really long journey here,” he said. “They wanted a better life here. They always wanted me to succeed in school.

Please see MENDEZ, 2

Graduatesreadytolaunchintonextchapteroftheirlives

As we move toward the end of another outstanding school year, it is an honor to recognize the unwavering drive, strength of character and rigorous academic preparation that has propelled approximately 2,000 students to the day of their high school graduation. The thunderous applause these students will receive as they walk across the stage to receive their diploma is not only a testament to their academic achievements, but a symbol of our community’s enduring commitment to the con-

Don Haddad St Vrain Valley School District

tinued success of our students, teachers, staff, parents, and community

From the time our 2022 graduates entered preschool in 2008 through today, they have been faced with both significant challenges and great opportunities. It is through these experiences that our students have built a strong

foundation from which they will launch into the next chapter of their lives

This class of St. Vrain Valley graduates — and the families, teachers, staff, neighbors, friends, and communities who have championed their success — have played a critical role in shaping the high-quality education and extraordinary learning opportunities afforded to every student in our district. As St. Vrain Valley Schools has grown over the past decade, we have continued to design learning sys-

tems that will ensure our students are successful and engaged citizens in our complex, highly competitive globalized world. We are preparing our students for their future by giving them a strong competitive advantage, and cultivating a drive for learning and continued growth.

Today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce demand an education that is rooted in rigorous traditional academics while also leveraging modern, cutting-edge robust technologies and many opportunities to create a truly

personalized educational experience. Toward this end, the Class of 2022 has advanced their skills through enrollment in high-quality instructional focus academics in Biomedical Sciences, Energy, Engineering and Aerospace, Medical and BioScience, Leadership, STEM, Visual and Performing Arts, Pathways to Teaching (P-TEACH), Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH), and more. They have been connected to the best technology and learning resources

Please see HADDAD 29

Matthew Jonas / Staff Photographer

Skyline High School Senior Adrian Mendez poses for a portrait on April

18. Mendez is one of 250 new Amazon Future Engineer $40,000 scholarship recipients to study computer science this fall

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They always said they wanted the best version of myself.”

His older brother, who attends the University of Colorado at Boulder, helped him apply to colleges and for scholarships, he said. His younger brother, who will be a freshman in the fall, also is following in his footsteps by enrolling in the P-TECH program.

He took a mix of in-person and online classes, with most of the Front Range classes taught by certified Skyline teachers. He also took some of his classes at the district’s Innovation Center.

administrator, said Mendez worked even harder after the pandemic hit.

“He really dug in and did more,” Stephens said.

Mendez said the support of his parents, teachers, counselors and classmates all helped him through the rigorous program.

“You work together and succeed together in the program,” he said. “They have really brought out the things they see in us. We had a lot of support.”

He added P-TECH classmates became like a second family

“We go through Front Range finals and IBM internships together,” he said. “We help each other.”

Along with earning an

associate’s degree, he said, the P-TECH program helped him make connections with business leaders and mentors.

“I’ll already have the IBM connections and then the Amazon connection,” he said

While much of his high school experience was spent in a pandemic, he said, he remembers his freshman year “like it was yesterday” and cherishes “all the friends who turned into family.” He also played soccer and baseball at Skyline and is hoping to continue playing soccer for the School of Mines.

“I definitely see high school moving on fast,” he said.

Branson Reginato Daniel Seaver

Greg Stephens, a Skyline High assistant principal and P-TECH program

Tegan Chanders Pip Miller

Jonathan Dipert

Matthew Fuller Kelsie Heins Margarita Kil

Meridian Mensch

Harley Parsons Vincent RiveraIII Bailey Rogers

Gavan Cunningham

Caleb Ellis Johnny Flinchum

Clara Guildner

Gavin Martin

Jakob Amirani

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Elijah Cook America Cordero

Finley Drapkin

Ethan Duster Kate Epstein

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Kendyl Haddock Albin Halquist

Katherine Hartrick Henry Heathwood Jase Heinrichs Anna Hullet

Evelyn Johnson Robert Keeley

Alexis Etemadi

Benjamin Raposo Isabel Richardson

Jackson Ringwald

Luciana Robles

Charles Romano

Adam Schonbrun

Tanner Simpson Talia Squarer

James Suchor

Nicholas Knobel

Helen Leon Ian McLeod

Sophia Miller Theodore Morrow

Kevin Patel

Anna Pedersen

Danvy Pham

Kartik Raghavan

Lila Travis Vanessa Tu

Samuel Waters

Conor Wolf

Olivia Yoon

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Erie High School 2022 SENIORS

Erie High School 2022 SENIORS

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Vietnamvetgetshisdiploma

Editor’s note: This article was published originally on April 2, 2022.

BY AMY BOUNDS

STAFF WRITER

Ron Cardenas left Erie High School his junior year, joining the U.S. Marines in 1963 and deploying to serve in the Vietnam War

Though he earned his remaining graduation credits while in the military, the school principal at the time denied his request to receive a diploma when he returned. He and his wife, Dolores, went on to become lifelong Erie High advocates, supporting the school as parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

Cardenas also volunteered his time as an Erie High football, baseball and wrestling coach.

Friday, Erie High presented him with an official diploma in a ceremony in the school auditorium, 58 years later. The ceremony ended with a standing ovation.

“It has been a very special day for me,” Cardenas said.

Erie High Principal Matt

Buchler said he first learned Cardenas hadn’t received his diploma a couple of years ago, but his plans for a ceremony were scuttled by the pandemic. He restarted the plans in December “He’s kind of an icon here,” Buchler said.

At Friday’s ceremony, school board member Meosha Brooks presented the diploma before an audience of family members, friends and current students.

Cardenas also received the “athlete of the year” award to honor his high school athletic career

Buchler said the couple contin-

ue to support the school by attending most home games, joking that the voice you hear yelling at the referee to reconsider a call likely belongs to Cardenas

Cardenas said discrimination was rampant in Erie when he attended high school, with white students supported if they struggled academically while Hispanic students were counseled to drop

out.

He watched a friend get expelled for leaning down near two white girls to retrieve a pencil. School administrators accused his friend of trying to look up their skirts — a claim the girls denied, he said. An argument he had with a coach over what he called an unfair cancellation of a football game, resulting

Erie High School presented Ron Cardenas with a diploma in a ceremony in the school auditorium, 58 years later He received a standing ovation.

ed his 19th birthday on a ship to Da Nang, Vietnam.

He spent about three months in Vietnam before he was seriously injured during an ambush. He was taken to a military hospital in California to recover before returning to Erie to his parents and his wife, who was eight months pregnant. Only two of the 26 Marines in the ambush were uninjured, while 15 died. Cardenas ended up losing an eye.

in the coach threatening to paddle him, was enough to push him to drop out.

He said he had wanted to become a Marine since elementary school.

He described the two weeks of boot camp as “pure hell,” saying he wondered what he had gotten himself into. After another year and a half of training, he celebrat-

As a young 19-year-old, he said, he saw “things that would make you sick” and still has flashbacks. Though he didn’t attend college, his children and grandchildren have gone on to earn college degrees and become successful, he said. He encouraged the high school students in attendance to strive for excellence.

“You reach up and grab that star, and you let that star take you as far as you can,” he said.

Though his own school experience was challenging, he said, he loves the town and Erie High.

“Erie is mine,” he said. “Erie is me.”

Matthew Streeter

Madison Sturms Adam Stutzhegger

Matthew Summers Kalyn Sweeney

Abigail Taff

Weston Taylor

William Taylor Samantha Teegardin

Daelyn Thasiah

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Madison Thomas Leandra Thorpe Piper Tocco Quincy Toledo

Macie

Toothaker Angelisse Torres Caballer Jacob Torrey Levi Toy Mikayla Trotter Ngawang Tsering

Aidan Turner

Kendyl Tyson Anika VanWoudenberg

Ryan Velarde Savannah Vennard

Parker

Vindiola

Kaison Voegeli

Blake Wagner Davyn Walker

Drianna Walker Jakub Wardak

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Lucy Weber Robyn Weigand Ava Welty

Madihson Wenthold

Ethan Whalen

Logan Wilson Sophia Winter Jessica Witten Sydney Wolff

Austin Wood

Derek Yohn Veronica Zak

Olivia Stephens

Joseph Sperduti

Jake Stanek Sophia Stecina Brody Steele Sam Stem

Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer

Ron Cardenas finally has his high school diploma. Erie High School hosted a special graduation ceremony for Cardenas a student in the Class of 1965 who deployed to Vietnam in his junior year of high school Cardenas never received his official diploma, despite earning all of his graduation credits while in the U.S. Marines

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Sarah Allred Tanya AlvaradoNunez Lilian Alvarez Dylan Andes

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Dylan Bendfelt Isaac Bernal

Ethan Betsch

Nathaniel Biggs Daniel Biodrowski Talon Boen Tanner Bolin

Donald Bolton

Jonah Borgen Faith Bornstein Taggart Boyce

Dakota Brock

Amelia Brown Camry Brown

Haileigh Brown

Margaret Bruhn Quincy Buffington

Madison Cabot

Edgar CabreraTorres

Jenna Camblin Maria CardenasLedezma Brayden Cardoso

Anthony Carley

Brooklynn Carlson Alexander Carrillo

Devon Cartwright Saul Cervantes

Logan Chase Alejandra Chavarria

Jake Chesler Elli Clapp Owen Clementson

Garrett Colvin

Emily Congdon Miah Conklin

Bryce Conover

Tyson Conroy

Jacoby Conway Sammantha Coronado

Victoria Corral

Ashton Corriveau

Brendan Critzer Abigail Crum

Ali Davis Joel DelgadoTena

Brett DesJarlais

Zane Doehring

Pablo Dominguez

Reese Downs

Janessa Dufour

Cole Echelberger Andon Edelen Kimberly Edelen Melayna Elkins

Madalynn Emrich

Luke Enns

Jorge EscobarEnriquez

Nayla Espejo

Michael Espindola

Cherokee Even Ariah Everhart

Taylor Fabini Mason Faulkner

Annabelle Finch Casey Fitzgerald Trent Fitzgerald Carmela Flores Presley Foster Jacob Frank Levi Friss

Joel Fryer Donovan Garcia

Juan Garcia Jazmin Garcia-Baeza Andrea Garza Lindsay Gebs Mason Gibreal Jadyn Glasgow Kynlyn Glassford

Brendan Gochanour

Abagail Goetze

Breanna Graybill Ashlyn Green

Jaden Gregg Will Greiner

Quinnen Gutierrez Macyn Hagen

Nicholas Haley Sawyer Harnig

Maddalyn Hart Satchel Hart Jonathan Heil Walker Helsley

Tyler Crawley Jordyn Henry

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Trevor Jackson Amber Jasmin Aspen Jensen Samantha Jett Cassiel Jimenez-Chihuan Taylor John Bradley Johnson

Brayden Johnson Trent Johnson Elijah Josh Dylan Kinney

Cecilia Knapp

Emma Knote Malcolm Koepf Morgan Krause Gavin Kulesus Ashleigh Lamb Abigail Larsen

McKayla

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FrederickHighSchoolsenior,wholongs toworkwithwildlife,rescuesinjuredgoose

Editors’

On Jan. 2, she was driving home from work — a dog and cat daycare in Boulder — when she noticed an injured Canada goose on the side of the road that was suffering from a bullet wound. While the other drivers paid no mind to the injured bird, Bailey jumped to action.

“I was able to walk behind it, fold its wing into itself and pick it up,” Bailey said. She made a nest out of jackets in her car and began to figure out her next step.Bailey has always been passionate about helping animals, from raising birds that had fallen out of their nests to advocating for wildlife conservation on social media. She also plans to study zoology in college next year

“When I started researching colleges and careers, I stumbled across zoology and the career choices that it led to, which included wildlife rehabilitation. That’s the job I want. I want to work and save wild animals and return them to the wild,” Bailey said. Helping to save wildlife is just what she did in early January.

After a quick Google search and a phone call, Bailey made her way to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, just west of Longmont. Greenwood Wildlife is a non-

profit rehabilitation center that takes in injured or sick animals with the goal of returning them to the wild. Greenwood took the goose from Bailey, who also gave a donation before leaving.

Linda Tyler, executive director of the wildlife center, said there are currently three geese receiving medical attention for bullet

wound injuries, about an average number for hunting season.

“The main problem is with its foot. It’s limping heavily.” Tyler said about the goose that Bailey rescued. The center has been monitoring the goose while the wildlife rehabilitators have put it through swim therapy

“Right now it can walk, which

is very important for its release,” Tyler said. “But it may have permanent nerve damage.”

Her biggest concern for the goose is the possibility of it developing necrosis in its foot.

Necrosis is when the body tissue dies because of a lack of circulation, leaving the body part unusable.

Bailey said she has been receiving updates about the goose, and might even have the opportunity to help release it from the center back into the wild.

“I’m so thankful for all the opportunities that I’m discovering that feeds my life’s purpose.” Bailey said.

Juliette Sevold Jalen Sharp Jerald Shull Trevor Siders

Lena Siscoe Christopher Siverly

Ayden Skaggs

Ashtan Slack

Elizabeth Smith Jayden Smith Kailah Smith

Rylie Smith

Thomas Smith Meidelin Solorzano Yennifer SolorzanoValles

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Kaiden Spirz

Colton Stehle

Alexander Sturn

Damian Sullivan Chase Svela

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Leili Thompson

Alexis Torrez Tristan Torrez Brisa Valencia

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Christian VanWinkle

Talon Veile Adriane Vigil-Alvarez

William Waggle

David Wallis Zachary Wartner

Noah Watts Brooklyn Weingardt

Coral West Thomas Willer

Christopher Wilson Stirling Wilson

Alyssa Wooley Brody Woolverton Haidyn Wuebkes

Hannah Zink

Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer

Zoe Bailey, a senior in high school, saved a goose by bringing it to the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center after it was shot The injured goose is on the far left.

Jessica Francia

Dilan Najera

Trenton O’Dell

Lynette OrtegaVasquez Frank Percarpio

Dylan Petersen Gale Ray

Elsa Kaariainen

Kassandra Mudgette

Keila

GarciaParra

Jailene Gauna Jaqueline HernandezArellano

Autumn Musselman Letzy HortelanoAyala

Dean Hughes

Nahomi Lucio

HectorAldaz CobarrubiaJr

Ethan Barajas

Michael Calahan

Bryce Chatten

Madison Dedic

Gabriella Estrada

Kylie Alexander

Jewel Bean Mackenzie Burroughs Esperanza Carrillo

Zachary Duncan

Alan Ontiveros

Vincent Smith Alexa Villalobos

Ollie Williams

Jocelyn Zavala

Jesse Rodriguez

Kim Bang Zang

Blake McSwain

Mercedes Cervantes Kadia Niass

Nicole Drexel Sierra Noel

Mirella Espino Aunna Opperman

Alexis Estrella Santos Patinella

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Ayla Goodman Natalie Hansis Tess Horine Jared Law

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Jeremiah Gonzales

Debruyne

Fine Christopher Gunlikson

Hegg Maggie Hegg Jordyn Hirsch Calli Kennedy Jackson Lynch Gabriel Schmidgall Jackson Tropf

Studentslearnaboutdemocracy

Editor’s note: This article was published originally on April 8, 2022.

BY AMY BOUNDS STAFF WRITER

St. Vrain Valley high school students came together with community leaders Thursday at the Longmont Museum to wrestle with challenging topics and develop solutions through the Doing Democracy Day program.

This is the program’s 12th year, after a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. ...

Grouped together from different schools, students were assigned topics Thursday morning, then conducted research and interviewed community leaders. Topics included school resource officers, homelessness, partisan versus non-partisan elections, screen addiction, social emotional learning and climate change.

Each group then prepared a presentation to give to a panel of judges. The top three presentations were given before everyone at the event, with a single winner chosen.

About 60 students from seven schools, mostly juniors, partici-

pated in the event with about 35 community leaders. Government teachers at each school invited students to attend.

“The goal was students who love government and love being active citizens,” said Justelle Grandsaert, a Silver Creek social studies teacher and Democracy Day program coordinator. “It gives the teenagers a voice and, for the community leaders, it’s refreshing to see teenagers value these issues.”

Alex Rodriguez, chairman of the Longmont Chamber Student Network and a college student majoring in business who owns a moving company, was one of several community members volunteering through the chamber He talked to a climate change group about the importance of being prepared to talk about the costs when advocating for change, including showing business how they can make money in a different way or why benefits outweigh cost increases.

“If these students are going to put in the effort to educate themselves, it’s important for us to show up,” he said. “We had really good conversations.”

Lilyana Sanchez, a Silver Creek junior working on social and emotional learning, said her group’s ideas included teaching students more about mindfulness practices. She added she liked the event format.

“With the time crunch, it’s like a test on your cooperativeness and your research skills,” she said.

Daniel Brewington-Lagos, a junior at Mead, worked on homelessness. His group proposing more collaboration among the city and nonprofit organizaalong tions working on the issue. His group also suggested creating a committee with representatives from all the nonprofit groups, as well as creating a new nonprofit to help homeless youths so the cycle doesn’t continue as adults

“We talked to a bunch of people with different views,” he said. “When we talked to the mayor, the solutions she had were very similar to ours. It’s been a great experience bouncing ideas off

Studentsbuildairplane asafter-schoolproject

Editor’s note: This article was published originally on Jan. 22, 2022.

BY AMY BOUNDS

STAFF WRITER

Space in the aeronautics wing of the St. Vrain Valley School District’s Innovation Center in Longmont is likely to start getting a little tight.

Aeronautics high school students are working after school to build a two-seater sport airplane in a multi-year project. The project, which includes “thousands of parts,” takes up most of a large, open room — and, as students continue the build, more room will be needed.

So far, they’ve completed the tail and now are tackling the removable wings, with a goal of finishing them by the end of the school year. The engine also is displayed in a lighted plexiglass box, built by a student, as a way to spark interest and encourage more students to join the work.

“I really like the hands-on part of it,” said Ashley Withnell, a Niwot High senior and one of the student leaders on the project. “You get to learn how to rivet and drill and use all sorts of tools and read technical drawings. I would come here after school and see how the mechanics work after learning about things like plane pressure gauges in my class.”

She added that she looks at the project as “a big Lego set.”

For the build, the students are

using the Vans Aircraft RV-12 kit The Innovation Center purchased the kit through a $100,000 grant from Boeing.

Boulder High teacher Dan Zahner is planning to use the same kit to build a plane with his classes in the school’s Millennium Lab in the fall. Jim Bartlett, a Boulder High alum, is donating up to $100,000 to cover the cost of the project.

At the Innovation Center, the build project started last school year and is expected to take up to two more years to complete Between six and eight students consistently work on the project for two hours after school, twice a

week.

Ball Aerospace retiree and hobby plane builder Dan Barry is mentoring the students. He said the project teaches not just building and engineering skills, but also teamwork and critical thinking.

“The major thing to me is all the teamwork,” he said. “When things don’t go right, they also have to figure out how to fix things. It’s a lot of critical thinking.”

Once the plane is complete and certified to fly, aeronautics instructor Josiah Slaydon said, the school likely will sell it and use the proPlease see AIRPLANE, 28

each other.”

P.J. Murphy, a junior at Silver Creek working on screen addiction, said it’s difficult to develop a solution to the problem. His group’s ideas included more strictly enforced policies at school, with students saying it has become “almost optional” to put your phone away during class. “It’s stupid to pretend this technology doesn’t exist, but students need to learn to use it in a healthy way,” Murphy said.

Lyons senior Zach Heil added lessons on healthy use of cell phones should be part of a required class in high school. He said he appreciated the opportunity to talk to people at the event instead of relying only on research.

“I like being able to talk and hear different sides,” he said Silver Creek junior Willow Rooney, who worked on the school resource officer issue, said she’s interested in working in government after high school. “This is a very valuable experience to meet these community leaders,” she said. “We’re all coming together to learn. I really like solving problems. I’m having such a good time.”

Footballmentality vitalinLongmont’s basketballsuccess

This article was published originally on Dec. 1, 2021.

The Longmont boys basketball team may just have more lifetime experience on the football field than the court — not that that’s a knock against them.

As local hoops teams prepare for what is hoped to be a more normal season inside the pandemic — up north in Longmont, the Trojans’ longtime coach Jeff Kloster boasts a familiar-looking roster. It’s not a reprint of the school’s football team — which had its season end in the 4A second round to Dakota Ridge two weeks ago — just feels a bit that way

“When the page turns, we go on to the next phase (at Longmont) and you’re all in for that sport,” Kloster said. “That’s been successful for us and we’ll continue to do that so long as I’m around.”

Five players from football coach Doug Johnson’s team are now expected to be key contributors on the court for Kloster as the Trojans come off last season’s Final Four appearance.

Among them, star quarterback Keegan Patterson is back in his third year on varsity after he led the state in passing with 3,609 yards. He’ll be accompanied by his two favorite targets on the football field in Colorado’s top two receiving leaders Caleb Johnson (1,322 yards) and Jack Moll (1,255). They’ll be joined by the team’s tackle leaders in senior Kale Derksen (78) and sophomore Cole Gaddis (75).

And in the middle of them, Brendan Barcewski.

A football name like

Tarkenton or Butkus, Barcewski will look to take over as the team’s primary big man with the departure of Eddie Kurjak, who was the team’s longtime star center and is now at Colorado Mesa. Still a relative basketball novice, Barcewski had been exclusively a football player up until his sophomore year but now is expected to start for Kloster for a second straight season.

“Bottom line is we love multi-sport athletes,” said Kloster, who himself played both baseball and basketball while at Western State College in the late 70s. “With the football kids, there’s that mentality of toughness and you need that. You need to make sure you have those kids that are willing to mix it up inside. As you know we really stress defense and those kids that come from the football field have that mindset.”

Barcewski hopes to further make good on the transition. A Berthoud transfer after his freshman year, he came to Longmont with no real background in basketball. A few recleague games here and there but nothing much.

Kloster recalled Barcewski’s uncle Matt Sharp — a Niwot alum — was the one who connected them. Friends with Kloster’s brother, the coach said the uncle relayed a message to him about trying to get his nephew to play basketball. With Barcewski’s athleticism and size — listed at 6-foot-6 on MaxPreps — the uncle knew it would be a project on the court but believed there was too much upside to ignore.

Kloster was taken by Please see BASKETBALL 22

Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer

Frederick High School teacher Jami Revielle talks to students Jayce Scudder, left, Jack Wilson, Maggie McMillan and Yathziry Cordova about school resource officers

SVVSD INNOVATION CENTER

Brendan Barcewski poses

From left: Ashley Withnell, Attaish Andalam and Ryan Dugger work on the airplane wing

Photos by Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer

From left: Ryan Duggar Gabriel Pardo and Ashley Withnell work on the wing of their airplane An SVVSD after school club at the Innovation Center in Longmont is building an RV12 airplane

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Levi Benter Zachary Boggess

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Gylian Hay Zachary Heil Kasey Knapp Keeley Luallen Milton Meyers Maeve Moran-Vanderhoeven Hailey Odell

Kathryn Roberts

MayaSol Rooney Sara Santesteban

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Hannah Snow Anthony Thomlison,Jr

Issac Tostanoski Melanie TrevinoSantos

Jesse Uecker Joel Uecker

Kayla Valente

Arjen Wynja

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Jordan Wagner Brissa Wallace Samuel Wallace Adley Wattier

Brianna Weiss Isaac Weldon Siena Weyand

Benjamin White Jessica Wilkinson Haley Williams Logan Williams

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Davante Wright Anita Yang Cole Zajac

Leah Arens

Jeanne Gochenour

Emily Mazzotta

Christian Bernal

Ivan Gonzalez Guzman James McCallum

Carson Bond

Justice McCormick

Zachary Brooks Alainah Hemker Destiny Menchaca

Marisol Bucio Neftaly Heredia

Jonathan Morales

Hayden Burnell

ManuelMunoz Vaquera

Kailee Clark Ashely Newell

Fernando Delgado Castro

Alberto Olivas Mendez

William Dickerson

Salvador Ortega-Minjares

Ivan Perez-Nava

Brandon Garcia Bueno

Darrion Hilbig

Dulce Jaramillo Varela

Alyssa Laufer

Rick Magnetti Eric Martinez

Alexandra Garcia Janet Maravilla-Leon Monserrat OrtizNoya

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ItzelSanchez Cabrera Sydney Studholme

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Alberto Valenzuela Martinez

Reece Woolfork Michelle Whitfield

XobLaim Yang Elijah Zamudio

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Keira Baca Aliyah Backus Bradley Bair Mateo Bandera Ahrielle Barnett-Fitch Grace Barnett-Fitch Ben Baumert Edward Behmer Zane Bergen Josiah Betts Aditya Bhushan

Charles Bickham Julilan Biscaldi Sara Bisgaard Max Blattenbauer-Larson Maya Boerner Chase Bohanan Brooks Bottenhorn

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Amelia Carlston Thomas Carnagie

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Niwotonceagaindominatesatstate

Editor’s note: This article was published originally on Oct. 31, 2021.

COLORADO SPRINGS

— Finding a bit of variation inside the Niwot program at the state cross country meet, boys champ Zane Bergen collapsed to the ground as soon as he crossed. Girls winner Eva Klingbeil flashed a pair of peace signs. Other than that, though, much of what the Cougars did looked awfully familiar on Saturday afternoon.

Headlining another banner day at Norris Penrose Event Center, the Class 4A perennial power sandwiched its pair of individual winners around a fourth straight girls team title.

Bergen — in a much cleaner uniform than 12 months ago when he was bodied to the ground on the race’s final stretch and won by disqualification claimed his second straight gold while eclipsing his own 4A course record time in 15

minutes, 17.7 seconds.

Klingbeil, after sitting out of the state meet a year ago with injury, won her first in 17:58.9.

“It’s super special,” Niwot coach Kelly Christensen said of his senior winners.

“You obviously talk about the possibility of stuff like this happening, but we didn’t discredit how many good runners there are.”

Zipping away with the girls team title, the Cougars placed five inside the top nine and six through the first 11.

Mia Prok, the 4A individual runner-up in 2020, added a third-place finish as Niwot scored 20 team points compared to runner-up Battle Mountain’s 138.

Bella Nelson was fifth for the Cougars, Stella Vieth eighth, Sarah Perkins ninth and Madison Shults 11th.

“They do a good job working together, loving each other,” Christensen said.

“They work hard and consistently but they’re always having fun. They treat each

other like a family.”

Out front at the turn into the stadium’s final stretch, the sight of Klingbeil all alone was a bit of a headturner Many had expected it to be Air Academy’s defending champ Bethany Michalak, who dropped out during the race and needed to be assisted off the course. Klingbeil herself was taken aback.

“I really didn’t expect this at all,” she said after beating

the field by 24 seconds. “It was definitely a surprise.”

Bergen also had plenty of leeway Somewhere around the last mile, the senior who is headed to Stanford expanded the gap on a trio of Cheyenne Mountain runners and beat second-place Erik Le Roux by 13 seconds.

The Red-tailed Hawks countered by landing four in the top seven in their team victory. Carlos Kipkorir Cheruiyot followed in

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Barcewski’s athletic skills on the football field. How it could translate to the court. Then, more so by his character — deeming it “off the charts.”

For the last 2 1/2 years, Barcewski has developed on the fly under the Klosters. He carved a spot on the JV team as its 12th man his sophomore year, then improved and moved up the ranks. All-in by that summer, he then joined the Colorado Titans club team and that next winter he earned a spot in the longtime coach’s starting lineup.

eighth for Niwot (15:57.8), shadowed by Joey Hendershot (15:58.1).

“Going in, we wanted the team title — that’s it,” said Bergen, whose team narrowly missed out on a third straight team gold. “Getting an individual title was a byproduct of trying to score the least amount of points for the team.”

Bergen’s latest win capped off a season in which he had the state’s fastest

“I think it blends perfectly with Cade (Kloster’s) defensive coaching style and Coach (Jeff) Kloster’s offense,” Barcewski said of the fit. “Just being gritty and getting up in someone’s face and playing defense as hard as you can and not taking a play off. In football, you can’t run a route at 50% and you can’t make a cut in basketball at 50%.

I think it helps having the football players as part of the team. It’s tough kids going in to get every board and playing as hard as they can, taking charges and not

afraid of a bit of contact.”

In his final high school season, Barcewski will look to take another step in his hoops progression. The plan is that he will slide from power forward to Kurjak’s former mainstay at center. He said he’ll use what he learned from Kurjak to help him through it — from play in the post to pushing in transition.

His coach, meanwhile, said he just wants “Brendan to be Brendan. … play to your strength,” Kloster said, “and continue to blend your talents with those on the floor.”

high school 5K time in 14:42.2, which was also 10thbest in the nation.

Another spot atop the podium, his place in Niwot history is concrete.

“I’m happy that I took home the individual (win), so we can light some fires for some of the younger boys on the team,” Bergen said. “Help them chase aspirations that will hopefully feed into the future generations at Niwot.”

And if so, it should be another good March at Longmont.

That month Kloster will get inducted into the Colorado High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

As for the team he leads — with a blend of football pedigree and basketball smarts — it hopes to be a part of another deep run.

“I don’t think that we’re expecting anything less than a conference championship and a Final Four into the state championship game,” Barcewski said. “That is what we expect every year.”

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ceeds to buy the next build kit, creating a self sustaining program.

“It’s great for the students to have this hands-on experience,” he said. “It’s an incredible opportunity to build a plane.”

Student leader Ryan Dugger, a senior at Mead High, wants to fly medical

evacuation helicopters in the military after studying aeronautics in college. He’s taken all the offered aeronautics classes, which including two ground pilot classes, and now is a teacher’s assistant in the program. Building a plane, he said, “has been a really cool,

amazing experience.”

“It’s taught me a lot about how to work as a team,” he said. “If people aren’t communicating and working together, the project is going to fall apart.”

Jayce Scudder, a junior at Frederick High who aspires to be a military fighter pilot, said seeing all

the boxes arrive and “being told you’re going to build a plane with this” was a little overwhelming. His favorite part so far was completing the tail after more than a year of work.

“To see it all built into one big piece was the best,” he said. “There are a lot of learning opportuni-

ties, mainly in making mistakes and learning how to fix them. It’s certainly a marathon, but knowing that one day it could fly is really inspiring.”

The seniors and juniors working on the project said they’re planning to return in the summer or on school breaks to check on the

progress — and hope to see the plane once it’s completed.

“Just knowing I worked on the majority of the plane, that’s pretty awesome,” said Withnell, who is planning to study mechanical engineering in college. “I’ll be passing on the legacy of this project.”

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Roboticsteamsbringhomeworldtitles

This article was published originally on April 30, 2022.

St. Vrain Valley Schoolssponsored Up-A-Creek Robotics teams recently won world championships in two different FIRST robotics competitions in Houston.

The win by the Up-ACreek FIRST Robotics Challenge team, composed of 75 high school students from across the school district, marked the first time Colorado team won a world championship at the competition.

This also was the first time in FIRST’s history that one organization won both events in a single

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through our 1:1 technology initiative and nationally recognized Learning Technology Plan. They have been highly engaged in their school communities and extended learning beyond the school day through the arts, music, athletics, advanced career and technology programs, and other quality co-curricular activities. Through all of this, they have also become highly engaged and caring citizens who remain focused on building stronger, healthier communities and advancing our society.

Our graduates enrolled in a record number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and concurrent enrollment col-

year, according to Up-ACreek. The other world championship was won by an Up-A-Creek team competing in the FIRST Tech Challenge competition. That team is composed of 14 students in grades seven through 12.

The challenge competition required the 75-student team to design, build and test a 120-pound, 5-foot-tall robot that competed on a basketball court sized floor

The challenge was to build a robot in a few months that could accurately and quickly launch oversized tennis balls into a large funnel in the center of the floor, then climb offset parallel bars within a 2K-minute game. The Up-A-Creek team

lege courses, giving them the opportunity to start their postsecondary education with approximately 21,000 college credits on their transcripts, potentially saving their families $5.3 million in tuition costs. Our graduating seniors have also received numerous recognitions for their academic achievements, talents, and innovative ideas, including: Boettcher Scholarships; Daniels Scholarships; National Merit semifinalists and finalists; AllState athletes; All-State musicians; and thousands of college acceptance letters from institutions across the country including many Ivy League schools, military academies, and other

was undefeated during the regular season, advancing to the world championship in Houston with about 450 other teams. Forty students from the team attended the championship, and the team was undefeated through the playoffs, winning its division.

For the finals, Up-ACreek team members picked teams from California, Michigan and Texas to form an alliance. Their alliance won the world championship in a tiebreaker, using three robots that included a “secret weapon” from the Michigan team that had the ability to hold two of the opponents balls in their machine while defending.

“This starved the other

highly competitive colleges and universities. We are incredibly proud of what our students have accomplished in a time of increasing academic rigor, expanding graduation requirements, and the highest expectations of leadership, community and citizenship.

Public education is one of the most powerful systems for driving positive change in our society

Across the United States, over 90 percent of our nation’s children attend a public school, and in the St Vrain Valley, that percentage is even higher. With the future success of our community and nation dependent on the quality of our public schools, we have no greater responsibility than ensuring every child

alliance of fuel, and we won,” said Niwot High School computer science teacher Teresa Ewing, who is a team mentor Milo Ruiz, a senior at Silver Creek High School, joined Up-A-Creek four years ago. This year, he worked on the controls team, which was in charge of assembling, wiring and prototyping ... systems.

“I learned a lot about mechanics and electrical work and the design process,” said Ruiz, who is planning to study aerospace engineering at Purdue University

At the competition, he was on the pit crew, making sure the robot was in good working order after each match.

“It’s not a tiny little

in our community receives a rigorous, engaging, and high-quality education. To this end, it is an honor to stand alongside our Board of Education, teachers, staff, parents, administrators, and other community partners to celebrate the Class of 2022 and recognize their high levels of success.

Lastly, I want to share my heartfelt gratitude to all of our seniors and wish you the very best in life. Our schools will forever be strengthened by your time in our community — you are truly a class of compassionate, dedicated, intelligent, and outstanding people who will boldly lead our country into the future.

Don Haddad, Ed.D., is superintendent of St. Vrain Valley Schools.

robot,” he said. “It’s got a lot of stuff on it. You have to know everything that can go wrong.”

Along with building a high quality robot, he said, his team was successful because they worked well together

“We did really well with having a connected team,” he said. “We knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses.”

The three-team alliance went undefeated, winning the division finals and outscoring the opposing alliance in two of three close matches to claim the world championship.

Nichelle Gilbert, a freshman at Niwot High, joined Up-A-Creek in fourth grade. This year, she worked on the tech chal-

lenge’s software team and described building the robot as “a very bumpy road.” The team also built a second, improved version of the robot just a few weeks before worlds, requiring her group to reconfigure all their code.

While she said she was “immensely excited” to win a global competition, she called FIRST’s promotion of the idea of “gracious professionalism” the most important lesson that she learned in robotics.

“Even if you lose, you haven’t actually lost because you’ve met so many amazing people along the way,” she said. “And, when the winning team goes to the next level, you’re going with them too, at least in spirit.”

Abel Alvarado

Charles Maximilla Lind

RenaeLucille Brown

SamuelLouis Dorschel

Zoiee Wynoka Fowler

GreyHanvey

JaidenRose Lehl

CallanJames Teta

BrielleRuth Lyons

BenjaminP. Mordecai Mendell

KartikAnand Narayan Tyler Ryamond Rowley

ColtonJames Stedman

LillianMae Vance

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Kevin Zavala

Dawson Barchers Pedro GurrolaDelRio

Caleb Hughes

Aaron Jenkins

Jaqueline Pereyra

Dear Class of 2022,

Fromthefirstdayofkindergartento graduation,youhavebeenfacedwith bothsignificantchallengesandgreat opportunities.Yourexperiencesin theclassroomandbeyondhavebuilt astrongfoundationfromwhichyou willlaunchintothenextchapterof yourlives.

Ourschoolswillforeverbe strengthenedbyyourtimeinour community–theClassof2022isa groupofcompassionate,dedicated, intelligent,andoutstandingyoung peoplewhowillboldlyleadour countryintothefuture.Weareso proudofyou.

Foreveryourchampions, TheSt.VrainValleySchoolsCommunity #StVrainStorm

Learnmoreaboutourseniors’journeysat: http://stvra.in/gradletter