2022 Sandia Preparatory School Graduation Program
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Commencement<br />
Ceremony<br />
Class of <strong>2022</strong><br />
<strong>Sandia</strong> <strong>Preparatory</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
Saturday, May 28, <strong>2022</strong>
Commencement<br />
Ceremony<br />
Class of <strong>2022</strong>
Class of<br />
<strong>2022</strong>
<strong>Program</strong><br />
Welcome<br />
Amelia Chiavetta ‘22, President of the Student Government Association<br />
Processional<br />
Excerpts from "Pomp & Circumstance"<br />
Land Acknowledgement<br />
Claire Gunderson ‘23<br />
National Anthem<br />
Avery Ross '23<br />
Introduction of Student Speakers<br />
Doug Clark, Chair, Board of Trustees<br />
Remarks<br />
Rachel Stell ‘22<br />
Nahom Zerai ‘22<br />
Bill Sinfield, Head of <strong>School</strong><br />
Introduction of Graduates<br />
David Chalfoun, Senior Class Sponsor<br />
Faculty Readers<br />
Arren Buck<br />
Patrick Kelly<br />
Mary Nakigan<br />
Esperanza Plath<br />
Presentation of Diplomas<br />
Bill Sinfield, Head of <strong>School</strong><br />
Cheryl McMillan, Assistant Head of <strong>School</strong> for Upper <strong>School</strong><br />
Doug Clark, Chair, Board of Trustees<br />
The Turning of the Tassels<br />
Class of <strong>2022</strong><br />
Recessional: Senior Class Song<br />
“Where’d All the Time Go?” by Dr. Dog
Senior Essays<br />
Personal messages written by the members of <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep’s Class of <strong>2022</strong><br />
Brianna Marie Addison<br />
For middle school I was supposed to<br />
go to a charter school. The only reason<br />
I’m here today is because Prep sends<br />
out acceptance letters faster than other<br />
schools, and me, being the ambitious<br />
child that I was, gave my parents a<br />
presentation on why I should go here.<br />
(I wanted to make sure the school I went to had good food.) I’m<br />
happy with my choice, and that’s mostly due to the people that I<br />
met here. Seven years is a long time. I don’t feel much different,<br />
although when a sixth grader runs by chasing their friend and<br />
screaming at the top of their lungs it suddenly makes me question<br />
if I was ever like that. The answer is yes, I was.<br />
Friendships change and grow over time, and sometimes they<br />
drift away. I’m grateful for those who have stuck with me through<br />
years and to those that I have gained this year. It’s amazing how<br />
someone can fall into your life and fit right in like they were always<br />
there.<br />
To my parents I say thank you for giving me this opportunity.<br />
Thank you for all you have done for me to get to this point and for<br />
supporting me through it.<br />
Alexandra Brooke Allpass<br />
I have been at Prep for 7 seven years<br />
and through all the years I have been<br />
here I have meet incredible people who<br />
have helped me get to this point in my<br />
life. I would like to thank all the teachers<br />
who have helped me with all the work<br />
and who truly care about the students<br />
and how we do in their classes. I would like to thank them for<br />
always making time to talk through homework and quizzes and<br />
tests and just to help me understand the material. I would like to<br />
thank my parents for helping me through all the hard times that<br />
life brings and for always believing in me and building me up. I<br />
would like to thank my friends for making me laugh and always<br />
being there for me when I need to talk. All of these people have<br />
really helped me through high school and I wouldn’t be here<br />
without them and they have all made me the person I am today.<br />
Owen Henry Andrews<br />
I’ve had my ups and downs, but I look<br />
back on each moment with a newfound<br />
gratitude. I truly feel like I have a good<br />
idea of who I am and have learned<br />
to focus on what’s important to me. I<br />
believe that I am as prepared as I can<br />
be for the upcoming changes in my<br />
life. As difficult as it is for me to express gratitude verbally, I must<br />
thank many people for how they have affected my life and made<br />
me change for the better. It has been a long time and an arduous<br />
journey, but we are here now.<br />
My teachers have always pushed me to put my best work<br />
forward and encouraged me to not be ashamed to speak up.<br />
Along with this, they have still allowed me the space I need to<br />
grow on my own, and I am very grateful. Friends have come and<br />
gone over the years, but all have taught me something unique.<br />
Some will be lifelong friends and I thank them for their loyalty and<br />
love. The moments we have shared will remain vivid in my mind.<br />
My family has been behind me this whole time, and their constant<br />
support and love has made me keep going. I am grateful for the<br />
sense of home they have provided for me and for reminding me<br />
that there are people who truly care about me as a person.<br />
Overall, I have many people to thank for getting me through<br />
school and who will continue to be behind me. I cannot begin to<br />
describe how excited I am to start a new part of my life with the<br />
people I love and the things I have learned.<br />
Tessa Leigh Anzalone<br />
I would like to thank the many people<br />
who have touched my life over these<br />
years. I don’t think I can name everyone<br />
because there isn’t enough room, but<br />
I’ll try. I want to start with my friends.<br />
They have supported me in many ways.<br />
I don’t think I could thank them enough<br />
for all they have done. It will be weird going to different schools<br />
across the country instead of one all together. I want to thank<br />
my parents, who have supported me through the trials of school<br />
and life. Thank you to my sibling, who has listened to me rant for<br />
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hours about nothing. I want to say thanks to my grandma, who<br />
has always been there for me. I want to call out some teachers<br />
who have touched my life. Ms. Shaw has been a consistent part<br />
of my Prep career. She reminded me why I like learning. Dr.<br />
Parker has educated me on the more important things. Mr. Kelly<br />
has made Math fun for everyone. Mr. G and Courtney have felt<br />
like a second set of parents to me. I would not have become<br />
the person I am without them. Ms. Nakigan, who I don’t ever<br />
remember having as a teacher, yet somehow has managed to<br />
check in with me often to make sure I’m alright. I wish I could<br />
thank every teacher that has been a part of my life, but alas<br />
there are too many. I want to thank the dance team and the OLP<br />
department. I have learned many skills and things about myself<br />
from both programs. Finally, thanks to Invisible Brad, who has<br />
stuck with me since sixth grade. I have learned about friendship,<br />
love, loss, letting go, and gaining strength. I wouldn’t change<br />
my experience.<br />
Hasnain Ashraf<br />
When I was in kindergarten, my father<br />
passed away. Ever since, I’ve been<br />
looking up to my brother, Ajmain. I<br />
always tried to do what he did, ate the<br />
things that he ate, and talked to the<br />
people he was friends with. When I<br />
first came to Prep in 6th grade, I was<br />
very conservative. I was going to a new school where I knew<br />
almost nobody. I primarily spoke with people from my older<br />
brother’s grade. I was accepted by my peers in my grade, but<br />
I was hesitant to approach them. I would spend the whole day<br />
thinking of who I’d sit with during lunch. I still remember the<br />
days I would walk into the cafeteria where I’d see a whole table<br />
packed with boys from my grade. I’d say to myself, “I wish I<br />
was there, but there’s not enough room for me.” As a result, I<br />
would sit with my brother and his friends. I still felt as if I didn’t<br />
belong. I began to question myself on who I really was. Why was<br />
I so afraid of talking to kids my age? Was it because I thought<br />
they wouldn’t understand me? Were they not mature enough?<br />
Or was it because I needed my brother’s approval on whether<br />
or not they were compatible with me? I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t<br />
until the following year when I wanted to leap out of my comfort<br />
zone, but the only way to do that was to take the initiative. One<br />
day, I got out of class early and just sat on the table that all the<br />
boys sat at. They were not the least bit fazed. They continued<br />
their ridiculous conversations everyday and pulled me along<br />
the way. I was accepted. Thank you, Nahom, Chad, Jaxon, Vinh,<br />
Lucas, and Jake.<br />
Mars Bennett<br />
I can’t say that I’ve had the best time at<br />
Prep. Being queer made it harder to exist<br />
in a school filled with casual classism and<br />
homophobia, but despite my rough time<br />
a few people have shone where others<br />
lacked. Many thanks to Sutherland,<br />
Moots, Gigi, Bux, GFunk, Slakey and<br />
Van Dam for the support. Also, much love and hope towards my<br />
friends, namely Bailey, Jordan, and Kat. Finally so much love and<br />
thanks to Em, the person deserving the most praise. None of this<br />
could’ve been done without you.<br />
Connor P. Black<br />
Thank you to my friends, family, and<br />
teachers for supporting me throughout<br />
my high school career. Thank you to my<br />
mom for always pushing me to do my<br />
absolute best, even when I didn’t want<br />
her to. Thank you to my dad for working<br />
so hard to support me and the rest of<br />
my family. Thank you to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and<br />
cousins for always being there for me. Thank you to my teachers<br />
for providing me with such an incredible learning environment.<br />
As I leave high school I am grateful to everyone who has propped<br />
me up and given me every opportunity to succeed. It is because<br />
of you that I can be proud of who I have become and how I have<br />
grown. It has been a wonderful experience learning about math,<br />
science, and engineering. The Outdoor Leadership <strong>Program</strong> is<br />
unlike anything I have ever seen and I hope it continues to flourish<br />
for each new group of camping associates. I have learned so much<br />
and gained so many memories. It has been unlike any other time in<br />
my life and I will never forget it.<br />
Kiana Celeste Bogart<br />
Now that I think about it, graduation<br />
has never really been something that I<br />
thought could actually happen. It always<br />
seemed so far away. Now that it is<br />
happening, however, I want to thank all<br />
of the people in my life who have made<br />
these past years so memorable. Thank<br />
you to my teachers who have given me the knowledge and skills<br />
to achieve so much. Thank you to my friends who have taken me<br />
in and made me smile, who are there for me to talk to and giggle<br />
with when we do something crazy like spend lunch defacing an<br />
empty canvas with whatever pops into our heads. Thank you to<br />
my family especially my parents, who have pushed me to achieve<br />
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so much and who put up with my love for stuffed animals even<br />
though I’m almost an adult. Thank you to everyone that has ever<br />
influenced my life. I would not be who I am today without you.<br />
Xavier Steven Bordlemay<br />
My mother is the only reason I’m here at<br />
this school. She has done everything in<br />
her power and beyond to get me here<br />
and has continued to be my number one<br />
supporter. I would have nothing without<br />
my mother and she deserves every bit<br />
of thanks. At times I have struggled to<br />
understand how she has so much love and tenacity to achieve<br />
the things she’s done for both me and herself. I still cannot<br />
comprehend it, but I am thankful all the same. I must emphasize<br />
again how important my mother is to me and to my academic<br />
success thus far. Apart from my mother, there have been a number<br />
of people, faculty, friends, and other family members, that have<br />
been crucial in helping me get to where I am today, and for that I<br />
thank them. I will ensure that all the effort put forth by myself and<br />
those around me will not go to waste.<br />
Brennan James Cameron<br />
Life is all about relationships and<br />
experiences. During my time at Prep<br />
I have had the opportunity to have<br />
amazing experiences and create<br />
meaningful relationships and for that I<br />
am truly thankful.<br />
extraordinary job of teaching me, even though I may have put<br />
them through some struggles. Dr. Chalfoun has sparked a love<br />
for physics and science, and for that, I must thank him. My friends<br />
at Prep have helped me through difficult times, and I have come<br />
to love them like brothers. I will admit, I am not leaving the<br />
school on the greatest of terms with the current coaching staff<br />
and athletic directors, but having Paul Huitt as a coach before his<br />
retirement has shaped both the man and baseball player I have<br />
become. I have learned much from <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep and appreciate<br />
the effort put into creating a community. I hope that in the future,<br />
the school takes steps to uphold that community within both<br />
classrooms and athletics.<br />
Scott Lee Charles Jr.<br />
Through the years at Prep, I have<br />
learned a multitude of things. Not only<br />
how movement in the universe can be<br />
calculated mathematically, or how to<br />
properly conduct the scientific method,<br />
but also how to build relationships.<br />
The key in the strongest relationships<br />
is trust. The trust that every single day there will be someone<br />
willing to help me in any way that they can. In order to continue<br />
this trust, it is also necessary for me to return the favor whenever<br />
I can. When a classmate is going through a difficult time, I must<br />
be by their side, willing to listen, and then speak either to them,<br />
or on their behalf. The same goes for a teacher. They work hard<br />
every day in order to give us the best possible chance for success,<br />
and the least that I can do as a student is respect them and the<br />
plan that they have prepared to execute for the class. All of these<br />
relationships intertwining in a single place creates a community<br />
where trust is routine and growth is nurtured.<br />
Amelia Marie Chiavetta<br />
Emily Michelle Carpio<br />
Luziano Casados y Lopez<br />
As my time in high school comes to an<br />
end, I have increasingly appreciated<br />
those around me. My parents have<br />
worked extremely hard to provide<br />
opportunities, and for that, I cannot<br />
express the amount of debt I owe to<br />
them. My teachers have also done an<br />
To place the entirety of 7 years in a<br />
mere 300 words is impossible. But, I can<br />
begin with expressing the gratitude I<br />
have for all the people who were by my<br />
side on this journey. Whether fleeting<br />
or lasting it made me who I am. I will<br />
always have a place in my heart for<br />
so many of the teachers that I had the privilege of being their<br />
student, especially Ms. Nakigan, who never doubted my abilities<br />
inside the art classroom and beyond to my larger dreams. Mr.<br />
Nielsen who tolerated me all 7 years of my time at Prep in his<br />
guitar class and went the extra mile everyday to help me achieve<br />
the musical potential he saw in me and always with the most<br />
adorable smile. Dr. McMillan, who will always have a special<br />
place in my heart. And of course, my grandparents who support<br />
every dream I have no matter how far-fetched, and are proud<br />
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of everything I accomplish. My parents, who stood by my side<br />
through every challenge I faced and gave me the confidence<br />
to face the world with an open heart and hungry ambition. My<br />
big sis, who was my role model throughout middle and high<br />
school. My friends who showed me what true friendship means.<br />
All these people allowed me to prosper in an environment filled<br />
with love and for that I will be forever grateful. Everything I have<br />
accomplished I dedicate to the incredible family I have and have<br />
encountered on my journey through Prep.<br />
Daniel D. Clark<br />
In order to graduate I need to write<br />
a 300 word essay for some random<br />
book or something. I don’t really know<br />
why I’m writing this or what it’s for, but<br />
I know that it’s not for a grade and I’m<br />
getting laser eye surgery tomorrow so<br />
I’m just gonna write something so that<br />
I don’t get in trouble.<br />
Okay, the last stuff I wrote was 2 days ago and now I have<br />
19 minutes to finish this. The email with the instructions says to<br />
thank people from school which seems disingenuous because<br />
it’s an assignment that we can’t skip or we don’t graduate, but<br />
I’m running out of time so I’m just gonna think of people and if I<br />
forget someone I’m so sorry.<br />
Okay, okay. The first person that comes to mind that I need to<br />
thank is Mr. Nielsen. He’s been my teacher for 7 years, which is<br />
a LONG time and I’ve become such a better person because of<br />
him and guitar. I grew the confidence to perform on stage and in<br />
front of a group of my peers. So thank you!!<br />
Next is Mr. Kelley. He’s also taught me a lot and is a VERY<br />
talented teacher. He makes somehow makes classes interesting<br />
but not off topic. It’s truly an enigma how I much I learned in his<br />
class without even knowing.<br />
Shout out to Mr. Minear, he was good.<br />
And I know it feels kinda cheaty to include two teachers in<br />
one spot but I really liked Mr. Smith’s and Ms. Williams’s classes<br />
and I’ve benefited so much physically from them and had so<br />
much fun playing games. I’ll miss Hunger Games Dodge Ball so<br />
much!!!<br />
Okay, so I’m kinda conflicted about including Mr. Kelgard,<br />
not because I like don’t like him but I feel like I’ve made too<br />
many errors in this essay and he’ll get in trouble for me being a<br />
bad writer, but I’ve never been able to listen to someone talk for<br />
so long and not lose interest. He’s the best!<br />
Sebastian Elijah Clemens<br />
High school was never easy for me<br />
but the constant support I received<br />
was so helpful. Thank you to my mom<br />
and dad for never giving up on me<br />
and always pushing me to try my best<br />
and to finish off strong. I wouldn’t be<br />
here without you guys. Thank you for<br />
supporting my crazy dreams and encouraging me to strive to<br />
be the best in all that I do. I love you both so much. Thank you<br />
to my partner in crime, Analyssa, for being there for me and<br />
believing in me like no one else could. With you by my side, I<br />
feel like I could conquer the world. Thank you to all my family<br />
and friends for always supporting me. Thank you to Jacob,<br />
Naomi, and Tiger…you guys rock and are my best friends and<br />
I’m grateful to call you family. Thank you to my incredible Aunty.<br />
You always give the best advice and always believe in me and<br />
it means the world. Thank you, Bamba, for supporting me and<br />
being the best grandma ever! Thank you Papa Bear for pushing<br />
me to be a better artist and always hyping me up! Thank you to<br />
all my other family members. Each one of you is amazing and<br />
I appreciate you all! Thank you to all my teachers at Prep! Mrs.<br />
Plath, thank you for admiring my creativity and pushing me to<br />
succeed. Mr Touma, thank you for encouraging me in my artistic<br />
ventures. Mr Jeffries, thank you for making math fun and easy<br />
to understand, and thank you to Ms. Moots for being like family<br />
and never failing to make me smile. Lastly, thank you to the<br />
Most High. I’ve come a long way and I’m very excited to see<br />
where God takes me next! :)<br />
Sydney Nicole Cook<br />
I would never take back the last four<br />
years of high school, although I had<br />
some incredible lows and learned<br />
great lessons from those experiences.<br />
I also learned that you are sometimes<br />
only able to experience moments<br />
once, and therefore you need to enjoy<br />
them while you can.<br />
I want to thank Pat Kelly for never giving us a dull moment in<br />
class and being there for me outside of class during the school<br />
days. Whether it was to get help on an assignment or if I needed<br />
someone to listen to me, I felt like he heard and understood me<br />
and gave me advice that would not only help me at the moment<br />
but carry on into my future. Thank you for always listening to me<br />
and giving my best friends and me the motivation we needed<br />
when our senioritis was at its peak. I would also like to thank<br />
Cheryl McMillan for constantly checking in on me and believing<br />
in me when I felt like I was at a loss on what to do with certain<br />
situations I found myself in. She always gave the best hugs.<br />
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The friends I have made throughout my seven years at Prep have<br />
shown me endless support and have been the most significant<br />
outlet for me when times are hard. I am happy to have called Prep<br />
my home for the last seven years.<br />
Santiago Ramos Cooper<br />
The time I’ve spent at Prep will forever<br />
be engrained in my memory. From day<br />
one, I made friends who have become<br />
my best ones. The incredible people I<br />
have met and who have helped shape<br />
me into the person I am, and will be<br />
in the future, are people you can’t<br />
find easily. I cherish the good times for stories I can tell to my<br />
children, and I cherish the hard times as stories I can use to grow<br />
as a human being. Prep taught me not to be focused on just the<br />
education itself, but more so on the why in everything we do. It<br />
taught me that the why will help me in my education and career.<br />
I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I had at this school<br />
and the level of preparation I received for my next journey.<br />
Chad A. Cordova<br />
As I finish my time at Prep, I want to<br />
thank the two people who have literally<br />
been there from the beginning -- my<br />
mom and dad. They have guided me<br />
and taught me important lessons, all<br />
while being the two people I look up to<br />
most in the world. Every soccer game,<br />
track meet, or late night spent finishing calculus homework or<br />
chemistry labs, they were there, offering encouragement. They<br />
taught me the importance of faith and family and for that I’m<br />
forever grateful.<br />
Thank you to my brothers, John and Seth, and my sister,<br />
Baylee. They say you can’t pick your family, but if I could, I’d pick<br />
you three every time.<br />
Thanks to my teachers and coaches, both for your instruction<br />
and the fact that you truly cared, not just about our performance,<br />
but about the kind of people we should strive to be -- people<br />
who are kind and compassionate and give back to our community.<br />
Thanks to my coaches, Tommy Smith, Janell Miller, and Kyle Ellis,<br />
teachers like Arreb Buck, Pat Kelly and Jesse Van Dam, and of<br />
course Cathy Walters, who taped me up and kept me going more<br />
than I’d like to remember, and to the OLP leaders with whom I saw<br />
the world … Costa Rica, Iceland, Hawaii and London, to name a<br />
few.<br />
Lastly, I want to thank a group of guys I met in 6th grade,<br />
thanks in large part to our love of a soccer ball. Those friendships<br />
have endured and grown in this place and I can tell you that those<br />
same guys are now the men I will do life with. Wherever we end<br />
up, our bonds are strong and we will be there for one another --<br />
the original “soccer boys.” I love you guys.<br />
Thanks, Prep. It’s been great.<br />
Sofia Grace Crecca<br />
As I leave <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep and reflect on my<br />
time here, I feel gratitude. I am grateful<br />
for my time and experiences here. My<br />
experience here has been full of ups and<br />
downs. After 7 long years I have made<br />
some good friendships, great memories,<br />
and wonderful experiences. Overall, I<br />
am grateful to everyone and everything that has crossed my path<br />
because every memory made at <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep (both good and<br />
bad) has brought me to who and where I am today. I am thankful<br />
to the wonderful friends who surround me today. I couldn’t have<br />
done this without you guys. I want to say a big thank you to every<br />
teacher who has helped me through my time here. Thank you<br />
to my parents who have taught me to dream big and work hard.<br />
Lastly, I want to thank my best friend in the whole world, my sister.<br />
Isabella. I don’t know who I would be without you. Thank you for<br />
making me a big sister. I will miss you immensely as I move away<br />
to college. I am very excited for the next chapter of my life, a<br />
chapter that would not be possible without <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep. Thank<br />
you!<br />
Calissa Elene Dellabarca<br />
My experience at Prep has shaped me<br />
into the person I am today. When I<br />
reflect on my past three years here, I feel<br />
gratitude for the students and faculty<br />
that make this community so special. I’d<br />
like to thank my teachers, whose passion<br />
for their subjects never ceased to<br />
inspire. Each department fostered an environment that allowed us<br />
to grow academically and as people. The humanities departments<br />
encouraged originality and challenged me to think from new<br />
perspectives. The math and science departments provided a<br />
process-oriented approach that I have benefited greatly from. The<br />
foreign language department created a cooperative environment<br />
that inspired me to learn. While I had a unique experience in each<br />
classroom, my teachers’ support was unwavering—their passion<br />
for teaching and the Prep community apparent.<br />
I would also like to thank my family for their consistent belief in<br />
me. I am immensely grateful for their support and encouragement<br />
over the years. I am excited for the next chapter of my life and<br />
cannot wait to return to Prep as an alumni.<br />
Go Sundevils!<br />
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Ramona Pearl Delyser<br />
My experience in New Mexico has<br />
been defined by <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep’s<br />
community. When I moved here in<br />
eighth grade, knowing almost no one,<br />
Prep welcomed me with open arms. I<br />
am so thankful to have met such kind,<br />
genuine friends and such supportive,<br />
fascinating teachers – two abundances that Prep has like no<br />
other school.<br />
My teachers have shaped the person I am today. Thank<br />
you to my art teachers for helping me put my feelings onto a<br />
canvas and into words. Thank you to my humanities teachers for<br />
challenging me to think differently about how we connect with<br />
others. Thank you to my STEM teachers for encouraging me to<br />
pursue my interests and find my voice.<br />
In my four years here, I formed friendships that have given<br />
me confidence, laughter, and support. Through school days<br />
and volleyball practices and so much more, I have made great<br />
memories with these friends. I am thankful for the coaches and<br />
teammates who have challenged me to grow and taught me<br />
how to be my best, both on and off the court.<br />
Lastly, I would like to thank my family for providing me<br />
with endless love and possibilities. My gratitudes would be<br />
incomplete without acknowledging that all that I am is the result<br />
of the love and support of my parents, grandma, extended<br />
family, and close family friends. Thank you to my parents for<br />
the sacrifices made for me to access this education and for the<br />
encouragement to feel comfortable as myself.<br />
I am excited to continue my academic career and begin a<br />
more independent adventure, knowing that I leave Prep with<br />
the ability to think deeply about the world that surrounds me<br />
and engage with the communities I inhabit.<br />
Lauren Maurae Duncan<br />
Life brings many unexpected<br />
changes. Never in my wildest<br />
dreams did I imagine I would<br />
move to Albuquerque, live with my<br />
grandparents, and attend <strong>Sandia</strong><br />
Prep. The love and support of my<br />
family has enabled me to rise to the<br />
best of my abilities. My heart overflows with gratitude as you<br />
dramatically changed your lives in order to raise two teenagers<br />
and I have cherished every moment. On a lighter note, thank<br />
you for watching the Alabama football games with me on<br />
Saturdays (roll tide roll), supporting my impromptu tennis<br />
career, and gifting me with a pottery wheel to pursue my artistic<br />
passion outside of the studio.<br />
The outstanding Prep education I received exposed me to<br />
rigorous academics which prepared me for my new chapter in<br />
life: college. Thank you Mrs. Moses for dedicating your time<br />
to <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep Mock Trial. Your love of teaching, history and<br />
law inspired me to pursue my dreams of becoming a lawyer.<br />
Thank you Mr. Touma for introducing me to ceramics, which has<br />
become one of my greatest passions. You always encouraged<br />
me to create and embody my art. You were instrumental in<br />
my acceptance into college because my application essay<br />
was solely about clay. You have given me an outlet which I will<br />
always treasure.<br />
Although we may not all be friends, I want all my peers to<br />
know that you have influenced me for the better. To my best<br />
friends, I will never forget our memories and I pray we will<br />
always be a part of each other’s lives.<br />
<strong>Sandia</strong> Prep, you will always have a place in my heart as you<br />
have molded me like the clay I am. I wish everyone the best of<br />
luck for the future. I believe in you.<br />
Lincoln S. DuLac<br />
I would like to thank my family, my<br />
teachers, and maybe my friends for<br />
making Prep easy and fun. There is a<br />
crazy amount of stuff to do at Prep,<br />
and I’m quite sad I never used their<br />
facilities to the best of my ability. Prep<br />
was a great mix of learning and many<br />
other activities. While I never did that much at Prep, everything<br />
I have done was very memorable. I will miss this place, and I am<br />
glad I was able to experience Prep.<br />
John Nicholas Juarez<br />
Duran<br />
These years at Prep have helped<br />
me discover and grow my interests<br />
and have left me with many great<br />
memories. I would like to thank<br />
the people who have helped me<br />
throughout this period in my life.<br />
Taking guitar classes has inspired me to keep playing outside<br />
of school and has brought along fun opportunities and<br />
experiences. Thank you to my guitar teacher, Mr. Paul Nielsen,<br />
who has worked with me all these years to help me learn and<br />
grow my abilities. I have also discovered that I have a very<br />
strong interest in the fields of history and earth sciences. A very<br />
big thank you to Ms. Melanie Templet, who has done so much<br />
for me and has been an amazing friend. I am very grateful that<br />
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I have been fortunate enough to have such good friends during<br />
my time here at Prep. From the friends that I have known since<br />
my earliest days in middle school to the friends made in my senior<br />
year, I’ve had so much fun and so many laughs spending time<br />
with them both at and outside of school. I am truly grateful that I<br />
have been able to grow up with them. Lastly, I would like to thank<br />
my parents and grandparents. They have been with me through<br />
every struggle and success. Some of the days were fun and happy<br />
while others took a worried and somber tone. Through these days<br />
my family has always given me support, everything from doctors’<br />
appointments (still not a fan of needles!) to celebrations, my<br />
family has been with me, supporting and empowering me to be<br />
able to make it through my best and worst days. I extend my true<br />
heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been with me throughout<br />
my school days.<br />
Jake Andrew Eckenroth<br />
High school was an interesting journey.<br />
I always was terrified in elementary<br />
school thinking I would not fit in with<br />
any groups or find many friends, but<br />
the first day of my seven-year adventure<br />
started off amazing when I found my<br />
group of friends at lunch while playing<br />
soccer. I have been friends with them for the whole 7 years and<br />
love and cherish them for always being there for me and making<br />
my school experience amazing.<br />
I would like to thank the teachers who have always been there<br />
and are happy to help answer any questions I had whenever I was<br />
confused about anything. Patrick Kelly really did make learning<br />
math interesting and fun and he was always happy to be there<br />
for his students I was always looking forward to that class every<br />
day. I am really thankful to my parents for always supporting me,<br />
especially coming out to my soccer games and cheering me on<br />
with all my siblings. I am thankful for my friends who always could<br />
make me smile every day. My siblings made my journey way<br />
better and I was always looking to make them proud to be related<br />
to me.<br />
Samantha Jane Everett<br />
Well, I’ve completed high school.<br />
I’m proud of how far I’ve come in my<br />
journey of life and I’m excited to move<br />
forward. Going to <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep wasn’t<br />
always an easy task, nor was it my<br />
favorite, but I have this school to thank<br />
for giving me an education. I would<br />
especially like to thank my photography teacher, who has always<br />
taught me to look at things from a different perspective and learn<br />
from it. Before being in photography I saw the world from a much<br />
uglier perspective, and now I’ve learned to look at the beauty<br />
of life in all its forms. So thank you to my photography teacher.<br />
Beyond that I’d like to say thank you to all my teachers who put<br />
up with me these past four years. I know I haven’t always been the<br />
best student but thank you for your help and kindness. Next I’d<br />
like to express my gratitude for my family, who have supported<br />
me through every endeavor I’ve ventured on. My family has been<br />
so encouraging and supportive throughout my life and I truly am<br />
grateful for them. I’m so happy to be done with this chapter of<br />
my life, and am ready to move forward with my plans. My career<br />
goal is to become a civil rights lawyer and create change in this<br />
progressive world. I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, but I<br />
feel prepared to step out into the world on my own now.<br />
Javin Isiah Felipe<br />
As a kid, I always envisioned myself<br />
graduating from my dream school<br />
-- Albuquerque Academy. I am forever<br />
grateful that wasn’t the case. It’s not<br />
an exaggeration to say that Prep has<br />
shaped me into the person I am today.<br />
Coming into sixth grade, I was just<br />
a naive boy. But now I can say I’ve grown into the responsible<br />
young man I only dreamed of becoming. Prep has truly prepared<br />
me for my future, and I am super thankful to my parents for<br />
sacrificing so much to give me the opportunity for this better<br />
education.<br />
I want to thank my friends Mary, Cora, Sydney, Reija, and<br />
Joseph for continuing to put up with me over the past couple<br />
of years. There was never a dull moment between us. To all my<br />
teammates, thank you all for being my second family. We’ve<br />
shared so much together, and I will never forget the memories we<br />
made along the way. To Ms. Nakigan, Mr. Slakey, Mr. Buck, and<br />
Coach Kyle, thank you for always supporting me and pushing me<br />
to be the best version of myself. And to the rest of the faculty,<br />
thank you for guiding me through my academics. I wouldn’t be<br />
here without you guys. Finally, I wanted to give the biggest thanks<br />
to my family. To my grandparents, thank you for always being<br />
there for me, and giving me your endless support and care. To<br />
my older brother and sister, thank you for being amazing siblings<br />
and the greatest role models. I can only wish to be as good of a<br />
sibling to my little sister as you guys are to me. To my parents, I<br />
cannot thank you enough. I dream that someday, I can repay you<br />
for everything you’ve done for me and make you proud.<br />
7
Haley Jordan Feuerherd<br />
I never imagined my four years at<br />
Prep would go by so fast. Thank you<br />
Dad for encouraging me to pursue<br />
my interests and for being at every<br />
single one of my volleyball games.<br />
Thank you Mama for being my best<br />
friend, inspiring me, and supporting<br />
me in all my dreams. Thank you to my brothers for driving me to<br />
be the best I can be, and the rest of my family for always being<br />
there for me.<br />
I am incredibly grateful to Prep for the experience I have<br />
had here. Seven years filled with fun, laughter, and endless<br />
memories. Thank you Mr. Touma for showing me the beauty<br />
in all the little things. You taught me the importance of<br />
appreciating the world around us. I will never forget the time<br />
I spent in your class and everything I have learned from you.<br />
Thank you to all of my teachers at Prep for preparing me to<br />
thrive not only in college, but in life as well.<br />
To my peers, it has been an honor to grow up with you,<br />
some of you since 6th grade. I have seen all of you become<br />
incredible and capable people and I wish great success for all<br />
of you.<br />
“This is the time for bold measures and this is the country<br />
and you are the generation… The degree of yours is a blunt<br />
instrument - go forth and build something with it.” - Bono<br />
Bailey Cadence-Rayne<br />
Flowers<br />
Big thanks to the people who<br />
helped guide me to my aspirations.<br />
Specifically, my time working in<br />
theater and being in that community<br />
has given me a great sense of worth<br />
and accomplishment, but most<br />
importantly friendships I’ve had for years that will continue far<br />
beyond the future. Erin Moots has been an amazing mentor and<br />
beyond that someone I could confide in. I appreciate her help<br />
and guidance immensely. I’ve had my highest highs and lowest<br />
lows while I’ve been at Prep, and I’m so grateful that it made<br />
me who I am today. I hope we all find success in what we love<br />
to do. It’s been fun folks.<br />
Alexandra Marie Force<br />
When I was younger, I used to think<br />
about what it would be like to be at<br />
my senior graduation. Now that we<br />
are here, I could not be more excited.<br />
I would like to thank everyone who<br />
has been with me throughout these<br />
seven years, those who have been<br />
with me through everything that high school has thrown at us.<br />
I would like to think my biggest accomplishment throughout<br />
high school has been my improvement in my art and my<br />
writing. I have worked on several large projects, and those have<br />
made my art infinitely better. I would like to thank Ms. Nakigan<br />
for this opportunity, as she has been with me for four years of<br />
my art career. Ms. McColl, too, was a large part of my creative<br />
journey.<br />
I would also like to thank my friends and family for being<br />
there on this journey. I couldn’t have done any of this without<br />
you guys, and I am endlessly grateful.<br />
Nicholas Antonio Fuentes<br />
Being at Prep has been an<br />
experience, to say the least. I’ve<br />
been here for seven long years,<br />
and while I wouldn’t say that I’d do<br />
it again, I definitely don’t regret it.<br />
Nearly all of my teachers were great,<br />
especially those that I had in high<br />
school, though most of my middle<br />
school teachers were also great to<br />
have. Even then, the ones that weren’t amazing were still good<br />
teachers, and I’m glad that I was in their classes. I’ve also come<br />
to appreciate some of the people that I’ve met during my time<br />
here, whether they’re still here at Prep or not. They’ve helped<br />
to turn me from an incredibly awkward 6th grader, into only a<br />
slightly less awkward, and maybe a slightly meaner, 12th grader.<br />
They’ve given me more confidence, thicker skin, and a worse<br />
sense of humor, among other things, and I wouldn’t be who I<br />
am today without them.<br />
Kaitlyn Christine<br />
Gabaldon<br />
We never thought this day would<br />
come. I’m sorry it has because it<br />
means leaving people who inspire<br />
me and teachers who have been my<br />
mentors. I’d like to thank my family<br />
and all the people who have shaped<br />
8
me into the person I am today. I’ve been lucky enough to have<br />
only amazing people in my life. From coaches and teachers to<br />
friends and family, I wouldn’t have been able to do it all without<br />
them. I’d like to thank Coach Kyle for pushing me further than<br />
I thought I could go at times. Without him, along with my track<br />
coaches, I wouldn’t have the confidence or ability to continue my<br />
running career in college at Fort Lewis. I would also like to thank<br />
Mr Touma. Mr Touma has been there for me at school for years,<br />
through all my ups and downs. Most days were spent cracking<br />
jokes and having a good laugh, but whenever I was down he was<br />
always there to lend an ear. <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep has helped shape me<br />
into the person I am today, but if it wasn’t for my two mentors and<br />
role models, Coach Kyle and Mr. Touma, I am certain I wouldn’t<br />
be the same. Lastly, I would like to thank my family. I cannot begin<br />
to explain how sad I get thinking about leaving home, but I know<br />
you guys will always have my back and that means more than you<br />
know. I’m going to miss family games nights and watching Topher<br />
cause a scene over Monopoly. But ultimately I’d like to thank my<br />
best friend, my mom. My mother never gave me any idea that I<br />
couldn’t do whatever I wanted to do or be whoever I wanted to<br />
be. So thank you. To everyone.<br />
Garrett Hallenbeck<br />
I started coming to <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep when<br />
I was in elementary school for Summer<br />
Prep. I always had such fun classes,<br />
and I thought the campus was so cool.<br />
When it was time for me to apply to<br />
schools, I only applied to Prep. My<br />
family and I knew it would be the best<br />
place for me, and we didn’t even know who the new Head of<br />
<strong>School</strong> was going to be at that time, which turned out very well<br />
for us. I am so grateful that I could be at Prep all seven years<br />
under Mr. Sinfield. I want to thank all of my computer, science,<br />
and math teachers for encouraging me to do my best. I am so<br />
glad that I could take almost every single math, science, and<br />
computer class that was available to me. I want to thank Mr. Aase<br />
for letting me roll with my computer aspirations and antics and<br />
for being my mentor for my Capstone project. To all my friends, I<br />
will miss all of you and all of our lunchtime hangouts and intense<br />
gaming sessions. I’m glad we are all computer geeks, and we will<br />
still be able to hang out on Discord when we are off to college in<br />
the fall. I want to thank my brother Caden for always helping me<br />
out when I needed a hand with something. You are so smart, and<br />
I can’t wait to see what the future brings for you. And thanks to<br />
my mom and dad for all their love and support. And to my mom,<br />
especially, for keeping me on the path I needed to be on and for<br />
making me do the best I could possibly do.<br />
Sidney Hayden<br />
Harenberg<br />
It’s pretty crazy we’ve been waiting<br />
for this exact moment for seven years.<br />
Man, I’m only 18 years old, that’s a<br />
good chunk of my life. Now Mom, I<br />
know you’re going to cry when you<br />
start reading this, but I couldn’t have<br />
done it without you and dad. Thank you for sticking by my side<br />
and supporting me when I needed it most, as well as showing me<br />
nothing but love and compassion through the years. I also want<br />
to thank my sister and my brother. Look at me: the baby is finally<br />
leaving the nest. I bet you guys never thought this would happen.<br />
I also want to give a special thank you to my nana, aka my best<br />
friend. Thank you for showing me how to be the strongest person<br />
I can be and teaching big life lessons at such a young age. I love<br />
you guys. I also want to throw a thank you out to my teammates<br />
and coaches. You guys might not know it, but you really got me<br />
through high school. I’m going to miss our long runs and team<br />
dinners. I am proud of you all and have so much love for you<br />
guys. Thank you to all my friends that I have made along the way.<br />
I am so grateful that I got to know such amazing people. I also<br />
want to give a thank you to P Kelly and Momma Moses. You guys<br />
definitely made senior year unforgettable. Thank you for always<br />
being people I can joke around with, while also giving me advice.<br />
God knows I needed it. Congratulations everyone! We did it!<br />
Josiah Nathaniel Herrera<br />
I want to start by saying how impressed<br />
I am, not only with myself but with<br />
everyone around me, especially my<br />
closest friends and teachers who have<br />
helped push and guide me through<br />
this journey. Without everyone who<br />
has surrounded me and inspired me in<br />
the slightest and biggest ways, I would not be the “JoJo” that<br />
everyone knows today. I want to say thank you to the best group<br />
of friends anyone could have. Through the most challenging<br />
times and the best times of my high school years, you have built<br />
me inside and out. I would not be who I am today without your<br />
support and friendship. My biggest thank you is to my parents<br />
and brother for the unconditional love and support they provide<br />
me day in and day out. They are always there for me regardless.<br />
To the teachers and faculty that have impacted my life, I no longer<br />
desire to call you a teacher or a security guard (including you<br />
“Barnett”). Today and tomorrow, you are my forever friends. I do<br />
not think I could ever call Prep just a school because every person<br />
here is part of a greater family that all rely on each other. Without<br />
this family, I could not imagine where I am today or where I will be<br />
in 10 years. However, with the inspiration and strong mindset that<br />
9
I have been taught by everyone here at Prep and my parents,<br />
I now know what I am capable of. Together we have endured<br />
some extremely rough and hard times, so everyone, please<br />
take note that no matter the size of the problem that is put in<br />
front of us, if we all work together, we can weather the storm,<br />
and that is something I will never forget about friends and<br />
“family.”<br />
Marin Ruth Begay<br />
Holtrop<br />
Where’d all the time go? Didn’t I<br />
just walk onto campus yesterday as<br />
a 6th grader?. What makes <strong>Sandia</strong><br />
Prep unique is the supportive and<br />
accepting community where I have<br />
space to be myself and learn in way<br />
that lets me be true to who I am. It’s small enough that I got to<br />
meet and learn little pieces about each of my classmates and<br />
the faculty and staff. I’m deeply thankful for the faculty and staff<br />
who challenged me to take different perspectives and work<br />
really hard. To my friends who have been there for me since 9th<br />
grade, I will never forget the memories we have made together<br />
and I am forever grateful for you guys. To my other classmates,<br />
everyone is truly a beautiful soul and I am so proud of all of our<br />
accomplishments. To my sister, Dylan, thank you for being my<br />
best friend and making me laugh on some of my darkest days.<br />
I really would not have survived high school without you. And<br />
finally, to my parents. Thank you for supporting me through<br />
my journey at <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep, and encouraging me to do my best<br />
and be present in my community. I love you guys tremendously.<br />
Thank you <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep and my community for an amazing 7<br />
years. And now I’m off to discover new communities and new<br />
experiences with <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep foundation to support me.<br />
Lucas Austin Huron<br />
I cannot believe it has been 7 years<br />
since I came to Prep. The amount<br />
of memories and life lessons I have<br />
learned cannot be put into mere<br />
words. I could never have imagined<br />
how important my family, friends,<br />
teachers, and coaches could have<br />
been. Even though all my teachers<br />
left great impressions on me, the 2 that were the most<br />
inspirational were Mrs. Moses and Mr. Polansky. I had Mrs.<br />
Moses for 3 years and she is the sole reason that I have fallen<br />
in love with history when I never thought that to be possible.<br />
I also have had Mr. Polansky for 2 years, taking both Bio 1<br />
and 2 and even though these classes were very challenging,<br />
it showed me that when I put my mind to it, I could pass any<br />
class and also enjoy them in the process. Mr. Smith was a huge<br />
influence on the person I am, and if I hadn’t played soccer for<br />
him for my 5 years of high school sports I’m not sure I would<br />
be the same person I am today. The friends I have made over<br />
these years are truly the best I could have ever asked for and<br />
I’m so grateful that we got to make so many memories that I<br />
will cherish forever. Lastly, my family who are my rock. Thank<br />
you to my mom, dad, and brother for always pushing me to do<br />
the best I can and shaping me into the man I am today. Thank<br />
you to my grandparents for becoming my best friends. With all<br />
this being said, I am ready to begin the next chapter of my life<br />
and I am thankful for everyone who has helped me along the<br />
way.<br />
Emma Madison Kelley<br />
My parents always taught me to do<br />
what makes me happy, to follow my<br />
heart because I’d end up where I<br />
was meant to be. I was told I could<br />
do whatever I wanted to do as long<br />
as I worked hard, and now those<br />
are words I choose to live by. I have<br />
been gifted with wonderful opportunities to embrace who I<br />
am and I’ve come to know some of the best people through<br />
my experiences at Prep. I’ve grown into a well rounded human<br />
being with facets and skills I would not possess without my<br />
experiences over the past seven years. I am incredibly thankful<br />
for all I have gotten to live.<br />
Prep took the innocent eleven year old I was in sixth<br />
grade and transformed me into a well-rounded, confident<br />
young woman. I look in the mirror and take pride in my<br />
accomplishments and in the person staring me back in the<br />
mirror. Prep has given me the tools to be who I am today, how<br />
to learn about myself, and to understand joy in learning.<br />
Teachers like Molly Rennie, Mary Nakigan, George<br />
McJimsey, Erin Moots, Patrick Kelly, Amy James, and many<br />
more have elevated my experiences here. They showed me<br />
what learning is supposed to be. I have been helped in every<br />
class if needed and been immersed in my classes. This has<br />
helped me proudly follow my path to who I am meant to be,<br />
and for that, I am forever thankful.<br />
These seven years have enriched my life in ways I cannot<br />
explain and have molded me into the person I have always<br />
wanted to be. A person who speaks with a confident voice,<br />
stands strong, and takes their own learning by the reins and<br />
pursues it with joy.<br />
10
Cree Riley Kennedy<br />
Twenty years ago my mom graduated<br />
from this very school. She dreamed of<br />
her future child attending her beloved<br />
school as well. Despite having me<br />
when she was very young, she never<br />
gave up on her dream of me going to<br />
this school, and for that, I’m eternally<br />
grateful. Even though I may not have recognized it when I was<br />
younger, I have now grown to realize just how amazing of a<br />
mother she truly is. She always put me first, and never missed a<br />
soccer game, or a guitar recital, even after working a graveyard<br />
shift and being completely exhausted.<br />
She constantly made sure that I was happy and loved. I’ll<br />
always remember how highly she spoke about Prep and all the<br />
crazy adventures that she had. She talked about beginning of the<br />
year camping trips, and OLP trips with her friends.<br />
Beginning of the year camps helped me make so many<br />
memories and helped me meet my first few friends at Prep. Color<br />
day continues to be absolute chaos, and definitely contributes<br />
to the times at Prep where I’ve laughed so hard that I’ve cried.<br />
While at Prep, I’ve also come to realize how amazing the teachers<br />
are. Both Mr. Kelly’s have been the best math teachers that I’ve<br />
ever had. They’re encouraging when anyone doesn’t understand<br />
something, and are so lively and passionate about what they<br />
teach.<br />
Overall, I am so incredibly proud, and thankful for my dad.<br />
He grew up so rough, and some of the stories he tells about his<br />
childhood, break my heart. He never really had an opportunity to<br />
go to school and similar to my mom, has worked so hard for me<br />
to have the education that I have today. He works so hard, and<br />
comes home exhausted and dusty every single day, to send me<br />
to such an amazing school. I will always recognize the struggle<br />
both my parents have had to overcome to send me to such a nice<br />
school. And I will never take what they’ve done for granted.<br />
Caroline Holmes<br />
Kjeldgaard<br />
These last 7 years at Prep have been<br />
full of ups and downs, but I am grateful<br />
for it. The highlight of my time at Prep<br />
has been being a part of the dance<br />
team. The dance team is my second<br />
family that never fails to make me<br />
laugh. Thank you especially to Mr. G and Courtney for pushing<br />
me to be the best dancer I could and cheering me on the whole<br />
time. <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep has also given me some of the best teachers<br />
that have genuinely made me love learning and look forward to<br />
coming to school. Mr. Polansky and Ms. Shaw, you made me love<br />
science. What more can I say? Ms. Plath, thank you for listening<br />
to me talk– in class and out. Thank you also to the friends I have<br />
made that have gotten me through the past 7 years. And none<br />
of this would have happened without my family. My grandfather<br />
has made it possible for his grandchildren to take advantage of<br />
any opportunity that comes our way and has shown us the world.<br />
Thank you to my grandmother who moved across the country<br />
to be there for me as I grew up. My parents, however, are my<br />
biggest influences that I love more than anything. They have<br />
encouraged me to follow all of my dreams, no matter how big,<br />
and have been my biggest cheerleaders my entire life. Thanks,<br />
all, for the memories. Now let’s go make some new ones.<br />
Katherine Ellison<br />
Lambert<br />
I am so incredibly grateful for everyone<br />
who has guided me and helped me<br />
grow at Prep. I’d like to say a special<br />
thank you to Louie and Courtney<br />
Giannini for helping me find a passion<br />
and admiration for dance and for<br />
putting in extra hours to build my skills as a dancer. Thank you to<br />
the entire Varsity Diablas Dance team for being my home away<br />
from home. I love my dance family so much and cherish all the<br />
memories I have with the team. Thank you to Ms. Nakigan for<br />
teaching me how rewarding it is to create art and making the art<br />
room a calming and safe space. You are so genuinely kind and<br />
I will miss having art class with you as my teacher. Thank you to<br />
Mr. Touma for helping me expand my media as an artist as well<br />
as find a love for sculpting. Thank you to Ms. Effy Hamon and Ms.<br />
Hutchinson for making French class so fun and special. Je t’aime<br />
beaucoup. Thank you to the entire OLP program for showing<br />
me places that I would have never traveled to one my own<br />
and taking me out of my comfort zone. I am so grateful for the<br />
countless beautiful memories I have on OLP camping trips. Thank<br />
you to my Mom, Cecelia, for always showing me unconditional<br />
love. You inspire me everyday to be a more generous and loving<br />
human. Thank you to my Dad, Ted, for always putting in effort<br />
to show me how much you care and love for me. I love you both<br />
very much. Lumina, Ramona, Marin, Owen, and Sofia, thank you<br />
for making senior year so wonderful. I cherish all our moments<br />
laughing together. I love you all so much. I am so grateful for all<br />
the beautiful and talented friends that I have made here at Prep,<br />
and am so proud of all of the class of <strong>2022</strong> for being so resilient.<br />
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Ava Zoe Lensi<br />
I would like to thank my friends<br />
and family for all of their support<br />
throughout the years, all of the<br />
lessons they have taught me, and<br />
for all the laughs we have shared<br />
together. Most of all I would like<br />
to thank my parents. My mom has<br />
shown me how to be a good person and taught me things<br />
like pretending you are confident will lead to real confidence.<br />
Thank you to my dad for teaching me how to drive and for<br />
helping me with my homework even when I insisted on not<br />
doing it. Without these things and the many more they have<br />
taught me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Everyone that is<br />
in my life today has shown me an endless amount of love and<br />
support that I am so grateful to have. I would also like to thank<br />
my teachers and the <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep community for creating a<br />
fun feeling around campus and in the classrooms. I’m grateful<br />
for the teachers for being accommodating in the midst of the<br />
Covid-19 pandemic and putting effort into the lessons they<br />
taught. The <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep community taught me about trust and<br />
sincerity which was great in its own way. I am excited to start<br />
this new chapter in my life and to continue to learn new things.<br />
Reija Ilmi Lynch<br />
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You<br />
must do the things you think you<br />
cannot do.” Prep has helped me<br />
realize the power of this quote over<br />
the last four years. Prep has pushed<br />
me to do the things I did not think I<br />
could do and allowed me to discover<br />
my love of art, dance, and engineering, as well as helped me<br />
connect with my Native American heritage. I would like to<br />
thank my grandparents, Bob, and Vicki, for allowing me to have<br />
the opportunity to have such a great education; my parents,<br />
Jesse and Sarah, for encouraging me when things got harder,<br />
as well as keeping me motivated to keep up all my hard work.<br />
Thank you for also being the greatest, hardest working parents<br />
and for providing me everything I want and need. Thank you<br />
for giving me all the opportunities to be able to grow and<br />
become the strong independent person I am today. I would<br />
also like to give a huge thank you to my little sister, Teija, for<br />
helping me through chemistry this year. I couldn’t have done it<br />
without you. I would also like to thank Prep for the many great<br />
memories and friendships I have created through the last 4<br />
years. Mr. Buck, you inspired me and helped me discover my<br />
love of engineering. I’m very excited to pursue a degree in<br />
mechanical engineering because of your class. Mr. Kelly, Mr.<br />
Gator and Mrs. Wix, you have given me a love of math that<br />
will help me achieve my dreams. Mr. Kelgard and Ms. Plath,<br />
thank you for pushing me and teaching me how to find my<br />
voice and write. Dr. Foun and Ms. James, you showed me that<br />
science could be fun. I will forever cherish all the memories<br />
and experiences that Prep has taught me and allowed me to<br />
have. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and all my<br />
classmates.<br />
Benjamin Richard<br />
Mannal<br />
High school was difficult. The<br />
way I see it, there will always be<br />
challenges, but there will always be<br />
people around us to help in times of<br />
need. Throughout my high school<br />
experience, I’ve had my family.<br />
My mom who supported me in my struggles. My dad who<br />
encouraged creativity and brilliance in everyday life. My sister<br />
being a source of fun and help whenever I needed it. Mom<br />
and Dad, I cannot express how thankful I am for the sacrifices<br />
you made to get me here today. Over the years I’ve had highs<br />
and lows but through it all, I’ve always had friends by my side.<br />
Best friends like Vinh Ton-That and Hasnain Ashraf, you guys<br />
are always there when I need you. I’ve also had some of the<br />
best teachers and faculty who taught me skills and life lessons<br />
I will treasure and pass on. I would like to thank Mr. Gater, the<br />
kindest and most understanding teacher I have ever had. Mr.<br />
Westerlund, you taught one of the most complex topics in a fun<br />
way and had the best advisory. Mr. Kelly, you taught me one<br />
of the most useful skills, how to juggle. Mr. Aase, you always<br />
believed in me and what I was passionate about. Mr. Slakey,<br />
you will forever be my favorite English teacher. You have taught<br />
me more than you will know. Ms. Jaramillo, for being passionate<br />
about my interests, advising, and making the best activity. Last<br />
but not least I want to thank the IT department, Patrick, Garrett,<br />
Liam, Marcus, Allen, and Jenny,. You guys are like a second<br />
family to me. I will always cherish my time working with you all;<br />
work never seems like a drag when I’m around you. I will use<br />
what all of you have taught me.<br />
Mac Sanchez<br />
Manzanares<br />
Looking back on my seven years at<br />
<strong>Sandia</strong> Prep, it is hard to describe<br />
what it has meant for me, as it<br />
has meant everything. It is where<br />
I was taught by some of the most<br />
passionate teachers in the country,<br />
competed with some of the best athletes in the state, and met<br />
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the greatest friends in the whole world. When I remember myself<br />
as a sixth-grader, and when I compare that person to me today, I<br />
barely recognize myself.<br />
I remember running around campus, finding new and more<br />
dangerous places to play tag in, then the next week being<br />
banned from those places. I remember looking up to the<br />
towering high schoolers, making me feel as if I were an ant<br />
compared to them. I never expected to one day be as tall as<br />
they were. I remember sitting down in the west gym for assembly<br />
and looking into the seniors’ section, thinking how much time<br />
I had from now till the day I sat among them. As I write this, all<br />
the memories of basketball games, dances, and cross country<br />
races come flooding into my head. Out of all the things from high<br />
school, I think I’ll miss lunchtime with my friends the most.<br />
I remember sometimes the homework would feel like too<br />
much, or the practice would be too hard, and I thought about<br />
quitting right there. But then I would always picture myself<br />
walking onto the ceremonial stage, looking out into the crowd to<br />
find my family smiling, and finally accepting my diploma. I would<br />
then say that it will all be worth it in the end. And my God, it was<br />
more than worth it. Thank you, Mac, for never giving up.<br />
Matthew Damacio<br />
Medina<br />
Having two siblings attend Prep before<br />
me, I thought I knew what to expect:<br />
being assigned a Lion or a Unicorn,<br />
walking through the many buildings<br />
to go to class, learning important life<br />
skills that will help me navigate the real<br />
world, and of course making and hanging out with friends, but<br />
through my 7 years here, I have experienced more than I have<br />
ever imagined. I’ve made lifelong friends, I’ve achieved amazing<br />
academic achievements, I’ve made memories that I’ll remember<br />
forever, and most importantly, I’ve had fun through it all. I’ve had<br />
excellent teachers that have supported me through my entire<br />
academic journey, from Mr. Kelly who had expanded my love for<br />
all sorts of math, especially applied probability, to Mr. Toman who<br />
taught me everything I now know about the adobe suite and has<br />
mentored me through life, to Mr. Slakey who would read all my<br />
papers and critique them, no matter the length, and has made<br />
me truly love reading. My excellent friends have been there with<br />
me for the ride of my life, from playing cribbage during activity<br />
on Tuesdays and attending a school dance in random outfits we<br />
picked out for each other, to messing around in class and just<br />
hanging out at a table that always seems to break during lunch. I<br />
would most importantly like to thank my father for always being<br />
there for me, giving me a big hug and congratulating me every<br />
time I got all A’s, motivating me to apply to the best colleges,<br />
and supporting me through everything, even on the worst days.<br />
I’ll always remember my time at <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep, and it will always<br />
hold a special place in my heart as the place where I discovered<br />
who I am.<br />
Brockton Patrick<br />
Monaghan<br />
I am thankful to my Mom and Dad<br />
for encouraging me to do my best in<br />
school, sports and life and to my sister<br />
and brother for always being there for<br />
me. They were always willing to help<br />
me with studying, homework, sports or<br />
anything I needed. My parents, sister and brother are my biggest<br />
supporters in everything I do in my life and I am grateful for<br />
them.<br />
My teachers at Prep were awesome because they made<br />
learning the material fun and inspired me to become a better<br />
student. Some days I’d go to school having an ordinary day and<br />
then I’d go to class and my teachers would brighten up my day.<br />
I really appreciate all of their efforts to make <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep a great<br />
experience for me.<br />
I have made many amazing friends during my time here at<br />
Prep. They have helped me become the person I am. Whether<br />
it was in class or outside of school, on the soccer team, doing<br />
homework or studying together, my friends have always<br />
motivated me to be my best and been there when I’ve needed<br />
them.<br />
My soccer teammates and I encouraged each other to push<br />
ourselves in every aspect of the sport and to keep going and<br />
never quit. That environment was my favorite because we wanted<br />
each other to become the best we could be. I will look back at<br />
high school soccer with great memories of being a <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep<br />
State Soccer Champion three times in my high school career.<br />
I appreciate my family, my friends, Mr. Sinfield and teachers<br />
for supporting me and for making these past seven years at<br />
Prep the most memorable years of my life and an honor to<br />
have attended. I will move on to college and throughout my life<br />
remember all of the incredible times I’ve had at <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep.<br />
Mary Olivia Montoya<br />
From sixth grade to freshman year<br />
I attended a school I wasn’t happy<br />
at. My sister, though, attended<br />
Prep and she loved it. After a lot of<br />
consideration I decided to move to<br />
Prep for my sophomore year, it was the<br />
best decision I’ve made. The sense of<br />
community is strong here, from classmates to faculty. I’ve never<br />
witnessed an institution with teachers and faculty who genuinely<br />
13
care about students and coworkers. I can say that I am truly<br />
proud to be graduating from a school like <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep.<br />
While the academics are great at Prep, I want to highlight<br />
the athletic department. Before I was a student here, I would<br />
come watch my sister play my favorite sport, softball. I couldn’t<br />
help but notice how involved the coaches were. It made me<br />
so excited to come and play for them. Ms. Karah Williams and<br />
Mr. Patrick Kelly bring a caring and warmful aura to the field.<br />
They’ve helped me in more ways than I can begin to write. As a<br />
captain this year, along with my best friend Sydney, I’ve gotten<br />
closer with my coaches and teammates. It’s bittersweet to pass<br />
the torch onto the next generation. I wish the future teams<br />
nothing but the best.<br />
Now, I’d like to mention the teachers that have impacted<br />
me during my time at Prep. To my first advisor: Mr. Ausherman,<br />
thank you for genuinely caring about not only me, but all of<br />
your advisees. Thank you for always making sure that I was<br />
doing well, academically and throughout the tumult of my<br />
personal life. Ms. Williams, thank you for being someone to<br />
talk to, not only concerning softball but all other aspects. I<br />
appreciate your patience and kindness. I know that our coach<br />
and player relationship will continue throughout the years.<br />
Cameron Alexander<br />
Lantis Motola<br />
When I was younger I always thought<br />
high school was a crazy place that<br />
had virtually no obstacles and<br />
you would just hang out with your<br />
friends. I’m sure you could imagine<br />
my shock freshman year when we<br />
had our first big English assignment. I thought to myself, “This<br />
isn’t anything how I thought high achool would be. I don’t<br />
know if I can do this.” I went home and received help from my<br />
dad who would edit every future high school essay I wrote.<br />
During my time at Prep many teachers have helped me so<br />
much. I would first like to thank Mr. Schoepke who helped me<br />
fall even more in love with film. If it were not for you I probably<br />
would not be majoring in film. I would also like to thank Ms.<br />
James who had created a class that balanced learning and<br />
leisure. And last I would like to thank Mr. Gater for helping me<br />
deal with my transfer to Prep. If I was nervous about being the<br />
new kid I could at least look forward to your class every day.<br />
Lastly, I would like to thank my family. You have sacrificed so<br />
much to help me get to this point. Whether it was Dad staying<br />
up late to help me with my paper or Physics homework, or<br />
Mom always making sure I had all of the supplies I needed,<br />
or Sis helping with French throughout middle school. All of<br />
you have sacrificed so much for me, for example moving to<br />
Albuquerque so I could go to Prep, going to every baseball<br />
game since T-ball, or rescheduling important events to be<br />
home to help with homework. Thank you. I love you all.<br />
Ashton Christine<br />
Munding-Dixon<br />
Since I was four years old I wanted<br />
to be a veterinarian. I would grab<br />
my little tools and take my stuffed<br />
animals’ heart beats, or wrap their<br />
legs like they needed a cast. My<br />
passion for animals has always<br />
been the center of my life, from rescuing dogs, to taking<br />
care of my horses, or even laying on the couch on a Sunday<br />
afternoon with my dog’s head in my lap. I want to thank Prep<br />
for preparing me to be able to go out in the world and turn<br />
my passion into a career. For the last seven years, Prep has<br />
been my home. I met my friends here. We as the class of <strong>2022</strong><br />
became our own little family. Prep has been a major part of the<br />
person I am today. I want to thank my teachers for developing<br />
my mind to think outside the box, the friends I have made and<br />
lost, the memories and the life lessons I will cherish forever, my<br />
family for always supporting me through everything, cheering<br />
me on at my games, and loving me through it all. I want to<br />
thank my mom for being my number one fan, my partner in<br />
crime, my biggest supporter, and my shoulder to cry on. And<br />
of course the biggest thank you to my animals, for creating this<br />
dream of mine, for protecting me when I was scared, cuddling<br />
me when I was sad, and of course “trying to help me with my<br />
homework.”<br />
Isaac Matthew Nelson<br />
Man, high school was crazy. I can’t<br />
believe that it’s finally time for<br />
everyone to move on to bigger<br />
things. It seems like yesterday, I was<br />
on the bus with a bunch of strangers<br />
I never thought I would be able to<br />
call my best friends. The people I’ve<br />
met have shaped me into who I am today and I’m not sure who<br />
I’d be without them. Mom, thank you for always being there<br />
for me when I needed you. I hate to say it but you were right<br />
when you said everything would work out the way it should.<br />
You pushed me to get my Eagle Scout done and motivated<br />
me to always work hard with baseball. Throughout high school,<br />
you and Dad always supported me with any decision I made<br />
and always made sure I felt loved. Dad, I love you. I’m not sure<br />
how I would’ve turned out without such an important figure in<br />
my life. You were always involved in anything I did. You showed<br />
me what it meant to be a father and there’s no one else I<br />
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would ever wish to have that role other than you. I want to thank<br />
my friends for all the memories we made. Mr. Van Dam, you were<br />
the only teacher I had every year I was at Prep. Over the years,<br />
I learned you were less of a teacher and more of a mentor. You<br />
were always there when I just needed someone to talk to. To<br />
my peers, I’m very impressed, to say the least. Seeing everyone<br />
around me reach their goals and succeed, ensures me that good<br />
things are to come of the ’22 grads. Been a crazy ride, Peace out.<br />
Estevan T. Ortega<br />
I cannot believe that my high school<br />
journey is finally coming to a close.<br />
These past four years here at Prep have<br />
been filled with memories that will last<br />
a lifetime. I have grown and matured as<br />
a person during my high school journey<br />
thanks to the constant encouragement<br />
and support from my family, friends, and teachers. My parents<br />
have always pushed me to be my best. They knew the potential I<br />
could reach and taught me so many life lessons that have helped<br />
me throughout my time at this school. I know that everything<br />
they have taught me will continue to help me throughout the rest<br />
of my life. I love my mom, dad, sister, brother, and the rest of my<br />
family so much. They mean the world to me and I would not be<br />
the person I am today without them.<br />
During my time here, the number of people that I consider<br />
family has grown to include people who may not be related to<br />
me, but the connection and love we share are the same as if we<br />
were blood. I have many amazing friends here at Prep and I will<br />
truly miss them every day next year in college. The support and<br />
kindness I have seen from the people here have allowed me to<br />
become a much more open person and become truer to myself.<br />
I can’t wait to see all the amazing things my wonderful friends are<br />
able to accomplish in the future.<br />
A huge thank you has to go to all of the outstanding teachers<br />
I have had. I have learned so much from them and I am so<br />
thankful for them always being there in my corner supporting me<br />
in any way they could. I will truly miss every single one of them.<br />
This has been an amazing journey, and although I am sad to see<br />
it end, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter of my life brings.<br />
Joseph Evan Perez<br />
In the five years I have attended Prep, I<br />
have made many wonderful friends and<br />
connections that I know will help me<br />
for the rest of my life. I would like to<br />
thank some of the teachers who have<br />
mentored me in my time here. Mr. Van<br />
Dam has been a supportive instructor<br />
who fostered my love of music, and mentored my Senior<br />
Capstone Project. Thank you also to Mr. Kelly, whose humor<br />
and style of teaching inspired me and allowed my knowledge of<br />
math to grow, especially in applied probability. Mr. Buck who has<br />
mentored me in engineering and helped to focus my passion.<br />
It is worth noting that there has not been a teacher at Prep who<br />
did not touch me in some way and so I thank you all. I would<br />
most importantly like to thank my parents who encouraged and<br />
supported me throughout my journey. My mom and dad are<br />
always there for me, pushing me to accomplish great things, and<br />
I know they will continue to as I move forward in life.<br />
Michael Louis<br />
Rosenbaum<br />
The time went by quickly, and It’s sad<br />
to say goodbye to all of my friends and<br />
teachers that have been so influential<br />
over the years. Special thanks to Jesse<br />
Van Dam, who has been my teacher for<br />
all seven years at Prep. He has been<br />
a superb meteor, and he has taught me so much more than just<br />
music. Thanks to all of my friends. They have been so loyal for<br />
my whole time at school. I also want to thank Coach Simpson<br />
for showing me how to be tough and fight through adversity<br />
through his cancer battle. He taught me always to show up, and<br />
it doesn’t matter how much pain you’re in. Thanks to my parents,<br />
who have been by my side through everything, I don’t know<br />
where I’d be without them. And thanks to Todd Kelgard, who<br />
taught me how to identify a comma splice.<br />
Sydney Morgan Sanchez<br />
When people would say at the<br />
beginning of this year, “watch out,<br />
your senior year is going to fly by<br />
fast,” I didn’t believe them. But I can<br />
definitely say that it did. Walking onto<br />
this campus for the first time in 6th<br />
grade, I knew that this was the right<br />
place for me. This 7 year journey has flown by and I’ve made so<br />
many amazing memories that I will never forget. I am honored to<br />
be apart of a heartwarming, loving community like Prep, and it<br />
has made me love the 7 years that I spent here. Thank you Prep<br />
for preparing me for this next chapter in my life. Ms. Plath, Mr.<br />
Perez, and Mr. Ausherman, thank you for the talks that we had<br />
that weren’t school related. Thank you to Mr. Kelly (P Kel) and<br />
Ms. Williams for being the best teachers/coaches/mentors that<br />
I could ever ask for. Thank you for challenging me in the sport I<br />
love most, softball. I will forever be grateful for our bonds that<br />
created when I was in 6th grade.<br />
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Lastly, to the people who have been with me through it all, I<br />
would like to thank and honor my mom for always encouraging<br />
and pushing me to be the best I can be. Thank you, Mom, for<br />
everything you do for me and my sister. Thank you Mikayla for<br />
being the best sister I could ask for and I pass the torch to you<br />
now. Make us proud! To Chee-ee, Grandpa, Grandpa, Meh-<br />
Meh, and my other family members, thank you for supporting<br />
me through this journey. To Mary, Cora, and Javin, thank you<br />
for being my best friends and making me laugh until I can’t<br />
breathe. Love you guys!!<br />
Timothy Schatzman<br />
Jordan Lee Schierloh<br />
It’s been a crazy ride but we finally<br />
did it. The moment we’ve all been<br />
waiting for, for so long. My past 4<br />
years at Prep have taught me so<br />
much not just academically, but<br />
life lessons as well. I am so grateful<br />
to all the friends and people I’ve<br />
met along the way. You guys really made high school an<br />
unforgettable experience. I want to thank my family for all the<br />
support they’ve given me thus far. I love all of you guys so<br />
much and I couldn’t have done it without you. I want to give a<br />
special thanks to my mom, who has sacrificed so much for me<br />
and my brother. Her constant support in sports, academics,<br />
and socially has been one of the things I’m most thankful for.<br />
Thanks for not only being my mom, but one of my best friends<br />
as well. Thanks to all of my siblings. You guys help keep me<br />
grounded, especially my sister Daria, who has listened to<br />
countless facetime rants about school and everything going on<br />
in my life. A shout out to Mama Moses and P. Kel as well, for<br />
helping make my senior year one for the books. You guys have<br />
taught me so much and made sure I had safe places at school.<br />
Thank you to all my coaches these past years, you taught me<br />
what it means to be a team player and helped push me to<br />
be better. I obviously can’t fit all my thanks into such a short<br />
paragraph, but I am truly grateful for everyone in my life. To all<br />
my fellow classmates, it’s been great getting to know you guys<br />
and I’m excited to see everyone achieve their goals in our next<br />
chapter in life. I love y’all.<br />
Ean Alexander Sears<br />
Moving from Illinois to New Mexico<br />
your senior year was a challenge by<br />
itself. Leaving a school district you<br />
have attended since Kindergarten<br />
and joining a new one your senior<br />
year created extra pressure. I was<br />
anxious to leave behind lifelong<br />
friends and nervous about what I would find at a new<br />
school. Luckily, <strong>Sandia</strong> <strong>Preparatory</strong> <strong>School</strong> was a welcoming<br />
environment where teachers and students were accepting of a<br />
new senior entering their realm.<br />
I would like to thank the teachers that pushed me and<br />
encouraged me to explore different ideas and subjects.<br />
Books I would have never read, classes I would have initially<br />
avoided and clubs never before joined were presented to me<br />
as opportunities for exploration and knowledge. Thank you to<br />
those teachers who believed in me and helped me exceed my<br />
own expectations.<br />
Thanks to the friends I have met and made here this year, as<br />
well as my friends across the country. Our times together have<br />
created lifelong friendships and memories that will be reflected<br />
upon over the years. Thank you for bringing laughter and<br />
adventures into my life.<br />
Most importantly, I am grateful for my family. My parents<br />
and brother have been alongside me in any endeavor I<br />
pursued. They were there to cheer me on in competitions and<br />
applauded academic successes. I am the person today largely<br />
because of my family’s guidance and support over the years.<br />
Thank you for your sacrifices, your cheers, your love, and your<br />
help.<br />
Keira Aerwyn Silloway<br />
The years I’ve spent at <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep<br />
have been the most formative years<br />
of my life. I can thank the school and<br />
all my friends for making me into the<br />
person I am today, and preparing me<br />
for the life ahead of me.<br />
I would like to thank Mary<br />
Nakigan and Steve Ausherman for helping me find my passion<br />
for art and photography, as well as Bill Slakey and my English<br />
class this year for rekindling my love for reading. Thank you<br />
to the Outdoor Leadership <strong>Program</strong> for teaching me life skills<br />
like cooking and basic first aid. Some of my most memorable<br />
moments have been on camping trips, like melting a spatula to<br />
a pan in the middle of a snowstorm. Thank you to my friends<br />
for being there for me through every high and low, and just for<br />
being your amazing selves. It’s nice to be surrounded by super<br />
16
cool people with similar interests and humor as me. I cherish<br />
every joke and philosophical debate. I feel like I can say or do<br />
anything around you guys without being judged, and just be<br />
my authentic self. Lastly, thank you to my family for pushing me<br />
forward, even when I felt like I couldn’t be moved. Even through<br />
the rough times I’ve felt loved and supported. I truly am so lucky<br />
to have this community, my friends, and my family.<br />
Rachel Catherine Stell<br />
On a day like this, I think about who<br />
helped me through this crazy journey<br />
that is high school. I sit back and<br />
wonder if I could’ve made it through<br />
without those people. My teammates,<br />
who pushed me to be better, on<br />
and off the stage. The teachers who<br />
were there for me no matter how many times I asked the same<br />
question. Thank you to Mr. Polansky, Ms. Plath, Mr. Kelly, Ms.<br />
Moots, Mrs. Huitt, and Mrs. Shaw. Mr. Polansky, thank you for<br />
constantly allowing me into your classroom, even just to vent.<br />
Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t kick Caroline and me out<br />
for how much we annoy you. But we know you love us… deep<br />
down. Thank you to my grandparents, who are a constant<br />
support system. I have watched my brothers cross this stage and<br />
leave their legacy to me, and I want to thank them. Thank you<br />
for protecting me, but being honest. Thank you for making me<br />
laugh and hugging me when I cry. Daniel, thank you for bringing<br />
the best sister into this family I could’ve assked for. My dad is<br />
forever my cheerleader, the one constantly giving me pep talks<br />
and reassuring me that I am good enough. To my best friend, my<br />
mom, there aren’t enough ways to say thank you in the world to<br />
express the amount of gratitude I feel. Thank you for being my<br />
road trip buddy, the person I can cry to without any judgment,<br />
the one I want to tell everything to, and the person I laugh so<br />
hard with that I cry. I love you to the moon and back. Without<br />
your love and support I wouldn’t be where I am today and<br />
without you as my hero I certainly wouldn’t be who I am.<br />
Calvin Kenneth Succi<br />
With Sincere Gratitude: From the first<br />
moment I entered <strong>Sandia</strong> <strong>Preparatory</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> I was warmly welcomed and<br />
that feeling has never decreased.<br />
Every individual I have encountered,<br />
even with differing personalities, has<br />
kindly and respectfully made me feel<br />
appreciated. I hope they can also say the same thing about me.<br />
I want to especially thank my teachers and the faculty.<br />
With their kindness, understanding, and patience, I have<br />
been nurtured, educated, challenged, and inspired to pursue<br />
greatness. Unfortunately, it is not possible to acknowledge all of<br />
my instructors but I would be remiss if I didn’t personally thank<br />
Mr. Patrick Kelly. He is one of my most cherished instructors and<br />
a true friend. I will never forget his L’Hopital’s Rule lessons.<br />
My peers and friends have always been a source of support and<br />
I am extremely grateful. Whether I was discouraged, confused,<br />
or perplexed, my peers always rose to the occasion; especially<br />
Joseph Perez, Mathew Medina, Noah Jensen, Sebastian Xie,<br />
and Benjamin Mannal. Thank you. It is my greatest wish for our<br />
friendships to last throughout our lifetimes.<br />
Without the selfless generosity of my parents, grandparents,<br />
(my uncle) Adrian Zollinger, and (Godmother) Sheri Fernandez,<br />
my success at <strong>Sandia</strong> <strong>Preparatory</strong> <strong>School</strong> wouldn’t have been<br />
possible. Their sacrifices and support have been limitless<br />
throughout my life. Your efforts have instilled an unquenchable<br />
drive for success, that will only be satisfied by my reciprocal<br />
efforts to aid you in the future. I am truly looking forward to the<br />
challenge.<br />
Words can not sufficiently portray how very thankful I am to<br />
everyone who has contributed to me reaching this milestone.<br />
Your assistance has meant more to me than you will ever know,<br />
and it will never be forgotten. THANK YOU SO MUCH!<br />
Alexander Sutulov Marín<br />
Throughout my life, I have had many<br />
setbacks in which I have had to<br />
learn from my mistakes and from the<br />
problems that arise. I have had to<br />
learn to solve them on my own, but<br />
as soon as I got here it was a totally<br />
different experience. I had to learn to<br />
do everything and these are things that in my past life were not<br />
a priority, which I have been able to learn a lot since I have had<br />
new experiences. The hardest thing I have been able to do is<br />
leave my family and friends in Chile, without knowing if I would<br />
return. That’s why I became strong and promised myself that I<br />
would return to visit my loved ones.<br />
In this life I had to start over and it’s tedious at times, but I’ve<br />
learned from many people and that’s what makes me the most<br />
happy to have arrived because I’ve been able to mature, learn<br />
and enjoy a good job.<br />
My teachers have been a great help, because with patience<br />
I can learn everything, which was not easy for me since I am<br />
always talking. It is understandable that my teachers get upset.<br />
However, with all the anger and frustration of the teachers I have<br />
been able to get ahead which has cost me a lot, but I am very<br />
happy since my hard work will give me results.<br />
To finish I want to thank my parents, my brothers and my<br />
friends who supported me for so long and who worried about<br />
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me. Additionally, I thank my teachers. I will be completing my<br />
goals to be able to fulfill my dreams.<br />
For the person reading this, if you fall it’s okay because you<br />
learn from the wounds and if not from the fall, the experience<br />
of suffering helps you learn, to become strong.<br />
Lumina Malaika Tami<br />
Over my time at <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep, I<br />
grew into the young woman that<br />
my younger self would be proud<br />
of. On my first day of sixth grade,<br />
having just moved to New Mexico, I<br />
had no idea what to expect. Would<br />
I make friends, would I like my<br />
classes, and which activities I would join were all questions<br />
that were swarming inside my head. But as soon as I got done<br />
with my first day, I knew this school would be a place where I<br />
could thrive and work hard to achieve great things. I became<br />
involved in many of the extracurricular activities Prep offers<br />
like theater, dance, and the camping associates program. As<br />
I transitioned into high school I was able to create deeper<br />
bonds with some of my classmates and discover what I wanted<br />
to pursue in the future with help from the introductory film<br />
class I took in eighth grade. This guided me into applying<br />
to the Odyssey scholars program and beginning a project<br />
that would change my focus and for the better. Having<br />
the resources and support from the Prep community was<br />
something that I don’t think I could find anywhere else. I was<br />
able to participate in a semester abroad in Switzerland, and<br />
direct my first short film, which I won an award for. Growing up<br />
while attending Prep gave me life skills that I will carry into my<br />
adult life and share with others because I value the time and<br />
energy they put into every single one of their students. I am<br />
greatly thankful for the past seven years and I will be carrying<br />
the memories and experiences with me. It is an honor to have<br />
learned from the amazing teachers and educators that work at<br />
the school and I am happy to represent <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep going into<br />
my college years.<br />
Vinh Ton-That<br />
I am the luckiest person alive to<br />
have so many people in my life<br />
show me compassion and kindness.<br />
I believe that I am who I am thanks<br />
to so many people that make me<br />
happy and smile. Thank you to my<br />
father and mother for giving me the<br />
world, I am forever in your debt. You made anything possible<br />
for me whether or not it was unreachable or not, you stretched<br />
beyond your limits for not only me but for my siblings. I love<br />
you so much. I also want to thank my dear two siblings, Qui<br />
and Tam. You’ve not only made my role as an older brother<br />
much harder, but you’ve shown me how to be a good older<br />
brother. To laugh with you, to protect you, and to teach you<br />
all the mistakes I had to encounter before you. I want to thank<br />
my other brothers, my closest friends, Jaxon, Nahom, Lucas,<br />
Chad, Hasnain, Jake, Ben, and so many others that made<br />
my <strong>Sandia</strong> Prep experience so great. From the bottom of my<br />
heart, thank you for making me so happy every day and for<br />
spending so much time with me. Without you guys, my school<br />
life wouldn’t be the same. My aunt and uncle, Thuan and My,<br />
thank you for tutoring me every night and teaching me how to<br />
drive. Truly, without the help of you both, I would have never<br />
succeeded in homework or driving. I truly am blessed with my<br />
wonderful and supportive family, so thank you. I want to thank<br />
all my teachers who taught me the most valuable lessons, Ms.<br />
Plath, Ms. Wix, Mr. Touma, Ms. Nakigan, and Mr. Schoepke. I<br />
truly am thankful for being your student. You all made learning<br />
wonderful and inspiring. And lastly thank you to the love of my<br />
life for everything.<br />
Jaxon Emilio Tregembo<br />
I need to thank my family, who<br />
have been there for me day and<br />
night. Mom and Dad, thank you<br />
for pushing me to always work my<br />
hardest, supporting me through my<br />
endeavors, and raising me to be<br />
the person I am today. Ryder, you<br />
are the best little brother I could ask for, and I am so proud<br />
to have shared the pitch with you this year; you’re going to<br />
accomplish big things here at Prep. And to my grandparents,<br />
thank you for always cheering louder than anyone else.<br />
I’d also like to thank the people who have guided me.<br />
Buck, I know you will miss me just as much as I’ll miss you, no<br />
matter what you say. Aush, I wouldn’t be pursuing my dream<br />
of photography in college if it wasn’t for you. I will deeply<br />
miss your guys’ guidance and our conversations; thank you<br />
for everything. Coach Smith, I will always brag about winning<br />
three state championships, and I could not have accomplished<br />
that without you. Thank you for always inspiring my love for<br />
the beautiful game and motivating me to be the greatest.<br />
And I need to thank the amazing people I met here at Prep.<br />
Maryah, you make me the happiest person in the world. You<br />
push me to be the best version of myself, and I’m endlessly<br />
grateful to have met you in photo class. And last but not least,<br />
the “soccer boys.” You guys have made these 7 years the best<br />
years of my life, and I don’t know what I would do without any<br />
of you. It’s incredible to look back at how much we have grown<br />
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and accomplished together. Homies for life. I love you boys.<br />
Prep, I’ll miss you. Thank you for all the memories.<br />
Haotian Xie<br />
From my four years of staying here in<br />
<strong>Sandia</strong> Prep, I’ve grown a ton, both<br />
mentally and physically. Through<br />
athleticism I’ve learned to push forward<br />
and persist. Through study I’ve learned<br />
to face challenges. It has not been an<br />
easy four years but I made it. And I<br />
regard that all to my teachers.<br />
My teachers have always been patient with me even when<br />
I am being naughty and not doing what I’m supposed to do.<br />
To them I like to say thank you, for carrying me through my<br />
darkness.<br />
I would also like to thank my parents for the constant support.<br />
It is not easy to be thousands of miles apart and keep a clear and<br />
direct communication. I have not been able to go back and visit<br />
for the past three years, and it has been quite hard not seeing<br />
them for such a long time. So, I’d like to thank them for always<br />
being there for me.<br />
Throughout my life, there has been many setbacks. Due to<br />
the pursuit of better education, I’ve changed middle school 5<br />
times. I have seen my fair share of different education systems<br />
and I believe my future is bright ahead right here.<br />
proud with what I accomplish in the future, and I hope they know<br />
how much they have impacted my life for the better.<br />
As I close this chapter of my life and move on to the next,<br />
I hope to hold steadfast to the principles that got me through<br />
it: family and faith. For me, the two are intertwined, and they<br />
are the two most important things I have acquired through<br />
my eighteen years of life, so I want to take this opportunity to<br />
acknowledge all Christ and my family have done for me.<br />
Nahom A. Zerai<br />
“It takes a village” has always<br />
resonated with me in a way I can never<br />
describe - probably because that’s<br />
exactly what it took to get me here.<br />
My entire life, I have been fortunate<br />
enough to have amazing people<br />
supporting me: my mother, who has<br />
moved heaven and earth too many times to count for me; my<br />
brother, who has paved the path down every road I have gone.<br />
My American grandparents, my Ethiopian “aunts,” “uncles,” and<br />
“cousins,” and so many more. I am eternally grateful to all of<br />
them.<br />
I have learned so much during my time here at Prep, but what<br />
made my four years of high school so special were the memories<br />
I made inside and outside of school. It is the small things that<br />
will always resonate with me. Secretly launching pens from our<br />
cafeteria table. Playing soccer in the quad every day in middle<br />
school. Learning about my friends’ lives outside of school. I am<br />
thankful for all the people I made these memories with, and I<br />
pray we will make so many more in the future. I hope to make<br />
the teachers who poured so much time and energy into me<br />
19
<strong>Sandia</strong> <strong>Preparatory</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
Class of <strong>2022</strong><br />
Brianna Marie Addison<br />
Alexandra Brooke Allpass<br />
Owen Henry Andrews<br />
Tessa Leigh Anzalone<br />
Hasnain Ashraf<br />
Mars Bennett<br />
Connor P. Black<br />
Kiana Celeste Bogart<br />
Xavier Steven Bordlemay<br />
Brennan James Cameron<br />
Emily Michelle Carpio<br />
Luziano Casados y Lopez<br />
Scott Lee Charles Jr.<br />
Amelia Marie Chiavetta<br />
Daniel D. Clark<br />
Sebastian Elijah Clemens<br />
Sydney Nicole Cook<br />
Santiago Ramos Cooper<br />
Chad A. Cordova<br />
Sofia Grace Crecca<br />
Calissa Elene Dellabarca<br />
Ramona Pearl Delyser<br />
Lincoln S. DuLac<br />
Lauren Maurae Duncan<br />
John Nicholas Juarez Duran<br />
Jake Andrew Eckenroth<br />
Samantha Jane Everett<br />
Javin Isiah Felipe<br />
Haley Jordan Feuerherd<br />
Bailey Cadence-Rayne Flowers<br />
Alexandra Marie Force<br />
Nicholas Antonio Fuentes<br />
Kaitlyn Christine Gabaldon<br />
Garrett Hallenbeck<br />
Sidney Hayden Harenberg<br />
Josiah Nathaniel Herrera<br />
Marin Ruth Begay Holtrop<br />
Lucas Austin Huron<br />
Emma Madison Kelley<br />
Cree Riley Kennedy<br />
Caroline Holmes Kjeldgaard<br />
Katherine Ellison Lambert<br />
Ava Zoe Lensi<br />
Reija Ilmi Lynch<br />
Benjamin Richard Mannal<br />
Mac Sanchez Manzanares<br />
Matthew Damacio Medina<br />
Brockton Patrick Monaghan<br />
Mary Olivia Montoya<br />
Cameron Alexander Lantis Motola<br />
Ashton Christine Munding-Dixon<br />
Isaac Matthew Nelson<br />
Estevan T. Ortega<br />
Joseph Evan Perez<br />
Michael Louis Rosenbaum<br />
Sydney Morgan Sanchez<br />
Timothy Schatzman<br />
Jordan Lee Schierloh<br />
Ean Alexander Sears<br />
Keira Aerwyn Silloway<br />
Rachel Catherine Stell<br />
Calvin Kenneth Succi<br />
Alexander Sutulov Marín<br />
Lumina Malaika Tami<br />
Vinh Ton-That<br />
Jaxon Emilio Tregembo<br />
Haotian Xie<br />
Nahom A. Zerai<br />
20
Odyssey Scholars <strong>Program</strong><br />
Graduates<br />
As with Homer's Odysseus, our Odyssey Scholars set out on an epic journey of learning<br />
and discovery. After choosing an area of study they are passionate about, the Scholars<br />
design a two-year research program that combines elements of independent study,<br />
academic inquiry, and scholarly analysis. The Odyssey Scholars program culminates in a<br />
major public presentation at the end of students' senior year.<br />
Sydney Nicole Cook - The pandemic’s effect on young people’s mental health<br />
Lumina Malaika Tami - A study of the Black community in film production<br />
Distinguished Scholars<br />
Certificate of Distinction<br />
<strong>Sandia</strong> Prep’s Distinguished Scholars <strong>Program</strong> recognizes those students who embrace<br />
learning on an advanced level. Distinguished Scholars graduate with 28 or more credits<br />
and earn an overall 3.5 GPA or higher. Additionally, they earn a 3.5 GPA or higher in one or<br />
more academic disciplines and meet advanced qualifications in those subject areas.<br />
Brianna Marie Addison (Math)<br />
Hasnain Ashraf (Math / Science)<br />
Brennan James Cameron (Math)<br />
Emily Michelle Carpio (Math / Performing Arts)<br />
Amelia Marie Chiavetta (Math)<br />
Chad A. Cordova (Math)<br />
Sofia Grace Crecca (Visual Arts)<br />
Ramona Pearl Delyser (Math / Science / Visual Arts)<br />
Samantha Jane Everett (Math)<br />
Javin Isiah Felipe (Science)<br />
Haley Jordan Feuerherd (Math)<br />
Bailey Cadence-Rayne Flowers (Math / Performing Arts)<br />
Garrett Hallenbeck (Math / Science)<br />
Sidney Hayden Harenberg (Math)<br />
Marin Ruth Begay Holtrop (Math)<br />
Lucas Austin Huron (Math)<br />
Emma Madison Kelley (Math)<br />
Caroline Holmes Kjeldgaard (Science)<br />
Katherine Ellison Lambert (Visual Arts)<br />
Reija Ilmi Lynch (Math)<br />
Matthew Damacio Medina (Math / Science / Digital Media & Communications)<br />
Joseph Evan Perez (Math)<br />
Rachel Catherine Stell (Math / Science)<br />
Calvin Kenneth Succi (Math / Science)<br />
Jaxon Emilio Tregembo (Math / Science)<br />
Nahom A. Zerai (Math / Science)<br />
21
Faculty & Staff<br />
in order of tenure<br />
Ernest Polansky<br />
Paul Ryder<br />
Susan Walton ’72<br />
Willie Owens<br />
Cathy Walters<br />
Allen Arsenault<br />
Chuck Buxbaum<br />
Tony Schoepke<br />
Tommy Smith<br />
Steve Ausherman<br />
Charles Osman III<br />
Darby Fegan<br />
Paul Huitt<br />
George McJimsey<br />
Daniel de León<br />
Joan Goessl<br />
Noel Huitt<br />
Stacy Moses<br />
Bambi Otero<br />
Brian Tregembo<br />
Doug Anderson<br />
Lucy Kozikowski ’91<br />
Claudio Perez<br />
Todd Kelgard<br />
Julie Cook<br />
Louis Giannini<br />
Thomas Gentry-Funk<br />
Helen Haskell<br />
Jon Toman<br />
Laura Fitzpatrick<br />
Andrew O’Cleireachain ’98<br />
Melissa Besante Dineen ’97<br />
Leonard Garcia<br />
Lori Hunt<br />
Scott Jeffries<br />
Patrick Kelly<br />
Joelle Shaw ’03<br />
J. Melanie Templet<br />
Rick Sanchez<br />
Karah Williams Cooper<br />
Susi Hochrein<br />
Erin Moots<br />
Laurie Magee<br />
Amy James<br />
Melissa Stroud<br />
Ying Ding<br />
Danielle Yepa Gunderson<br />
Waseem Touma<br />
Jenny Davidson<br />
Joe Garcia<br />
Cheryl McMillan<br />
Shanna Wix<br />
Mary Nakigan<br />
William Slakey<br />
Luz Maria Gutierrez<br />
Irma Lozoya<br />
Vince Barnett<br />
William Sinfield<br />
Vicki Gale<br />
Jesus Molina<br />
Paul Nielsen<br />
Maria Cano<br />
Brian Phillips<br />
Melissa Morse<br />
Eloisa Luevano<br />
Leroy Cordova<br />
Ann Dee Gonzales<br />
Alexis Magaña-Jaggli<br />
Jesse Van Dam<br />
John Garcia<br />
Arren Buck<br />
Courtney Giannini<br />
Dan Kelly<br />
Amanda Parker<br />
Matthew Westerlund<br />
Molly Rennie<br />
Lynn Jeffries<br />
Dacia Card<br />
Victor Ibarra<br />
Lois Brakenhoff<br />
Shannon Elliott<br />
Sara Mannal<br />
Daniel Cano<br />
Kathleen Lucero<br />
Scott Crago ’00<br />
Lauren Erdman<br />
William Gater<br />
Rosalind Hutchinson<br />
Brennan Lucero<br />
Fermin Paul Gonzales<br />
Perla Webb<br />
Raymond Nelson<br />
David Chalfoun<br />
Monica Reedy<br />
Leigh Schierloh<br />
Anna Wilkerson<br />
Nicholas Aase<br />
Nadia Garcia<br />
Amber Hayes<br />
Esperanza Soledad Plath<br />
Yajaira Rodriguez<br />
Sean Cardinalli<br />
Marcus Sanchez<br />
Liam Arsenault<br />
Gigi Guajardo<br />
Kim Thomason<br />
Sutherland Jaramillo<br />
Juliana Todescan<br />
Rae Arsenault<br />
Rachel Giunta<br />
Mita Saldana<br />
Thane Kenny<br />
John Baker<br />
Andrea Kendall ’98<br />
Tommy Boyd<br />
Magdelena Dominguez Bailon<br />
Patricia Gonzales<br />
Michael Gonzales<br />
Jessica Pérez<br />
Gabriella Holder<br />
Mikaela Sanchez<br />
Lee Kitts<br />
Michelle Treme<br />
DeAnna Hanosh<br />
Christine Drapeau<br />
Kois Hunnicut<br />
Anne Merril<br />
Kiersten Huitt ’16<br />
Vladi Stanojevic<br />
Natasha Abruzzo<br />
Board of Trustees<br />
Charles Becknell • Faith Begay-Holtrop • Laura Calkins, Vice Chair • Doug Clark, Chair • Robert DelCampo<br />
Bronson Duran • Susan Przekurat Epstein ‘91 • Ali Hashemian ‘01 • Stan Hubbard • Kristofor Kite ’93 • Ed Manzanares<br />
Dale Maxwell • Lisa Mitchell • Kelly Ross, Parents Association President • Dominic Serna ’01<br />
Vahid Staples ’91 • Ed Street, Treasurer • Alexandra Vavruska ’12, Alumni Association President<br />
Avery Volkman ‘96 • Troy Weisler • Patrick Westerfield, Secretary • Lorna Wiggins<br />
Honorary Trustees<br />
Drs. Paul & Marilyn Duncan • Don Hurst • Yvette Stout Lyle • Ogden Reid<br />
Leonard & Elizabeth Trainor • Ellen Ann Lembke Ryan • Robert M. St. John • Lorna Wiggins • Ray Zimmer<br />
22
532 Osuna Road NE • Albuquerque, NM 87113<br />
505.338.3000 • sandiaprep.org