Outstanding Graduates
Meet just a few of our approximately 2,000 outstanding graduates who will walk across a stage this week to receive their St. Vrain Valley Schools diploma. Congratulations to all students in the Class of 2022!
Erie High School
Ashlee Lovett
Forensic Psychology, Ball State University
What makes your high school unique?
What makes Erie High School unique is the tight knit community of people that not only exists within the building but all around the town of Erie. It is truly amazing to see all of the returning alumni that come back to support the legacy they have built during their time at EHS. Furthermore, the staff at EHS goes out of their way to recognize each student for who they are as a human and there is always a positive collective of support from our student body towards all of our co-curricular, athletic, performing arts, and unified programs that you won’t find anywhere else.
John Pastore
Why should a student want to attend Erie High School?
A student should attend Erie High School because it has a small town feel to it. The opportunities here at Erie are endless because of the wide variety of classes and clubs they offer. The teachers and staff are excited and passionate about what they do and it reflects onto the students.
Grace Rowberry
Music Education, Brigham Young University Provo
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
Erie High School’s performing arts program has done so much to prepare me for post-secondary success. I have had many opportunities to participate in District and Allstate choirs which has definitely improved my musicianship. Mrs. Burd has especially been a huge mentor for me and it is because of all the amazing experiences that I have had through this program, that I have decided to make music education a part of my future career.
Frederick High School
Sophia Meza
Business Management/Administration with a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies, San Diego State University
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
Being able to participate in Frederick’s CU Succeed program as well as take other AP/honors classes has greatly set me up for success in the college world. I am fortunate enough to be graduating with a little over 30 college credits and am very confident in my ability to be successful with course loads and content for next year after being able to experience so many college-level classes as a high school student.
Levi Friss
Biomedical Science, Colorado State University
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
Despite having the connotations of a small town school, I believe that Frederick High School has the same appeal as a small college. The class sizes are intimate and detailed, there is a strong sense of community across classes, sports, and extracurricular activities, which makes being a student here very special.
Yennifer Solorzano Valles
Dental Hygiene, Community College of Denver
What makes your high school unique?
The teachers at Frederick High School make my school unique. They are dedicated, hardworking, and passionate. They provide every student the support they need to become successful.
Longmont High School
Connor McCormick
Mechanical Engineering/Computer Science, Princeton University
What’s a favorite memory from your time at St. Vrain?
Spending each day with the people who I’ve grown to love. Whether it be at a certain event or just day-to day school, the people have made everything so much more fun.
Zaynah Khan
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
As a student at Longmont High School, I am a proud member of the Medical BioScience (MBSA) program. Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, and Longmont High School’s focus programs reinforced my interests and passions. In this program, I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge in the sector of healthcare, participated in hands-on activities, as well as enrolling into classes that provide me with an understanding of different healthcare fields, like Forensic Science, Biotechnology, Nutrition and Wellness, etc. Additionally, I had the opportunity to complete my Senior MBSA Internship, which allowed me to research a topic I am incredibly passionate about. Not only did the MBSA program offer me insight into healthcare and academia, the MBSA coordinators are beyond wonderful.
Bruno Gallegos Sanchez
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
Longmont High School has a community that bolsters the aspiration of its students’ many diverse interests. Although some of the programs and/or clubs may be small, while others are large and take the center stage, they all coexist at Longmont High. Looking for what you’re passionate about can take some time and there is much to explore in the four years of high school. What better way to explore than to have a plethora of options from school athletics to the Medical Bioscience Academy, SMART team, and all sorts of clubs. Whether you know what you’re passionate about or not, you can develop that passion or find a new one.
Lyons High School
Arjen Wynja
Music Education, Colorado State University
What advice would you give to students entering high school next year?
You can learn from any situation. From the first day of school to graduation, cherish every learning experience, every community experience with your peers, time with your friends, and special school events. For many, high school is where you learn who you are, so hold nothing back. It’s up to you to maximize your education. It’s up to you to maximize the relationships you build during this crazy time of your life you’re about to enter. Make the most of every individual thing you do, because this is where you build your life.
Maya Sol Rooney
Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean studies with a minor in Film and Media studies, Reed College
What makes your high school unique?
We have a strong mindset to accompany how small Lyons High School is. We have a close community where students know everyone in the high school and all the teachers. Our education is in our own hands and we can go to teachers for help because there are so few other students.
Cody Saunders
Electrical Engineering, Colorado State University
What’s a favorite memory from your time at St. Vrain?
During my time at St. Vrain, I enjoyed being able to play on the Longmont High School golf team while still pursuing my academics at Lyons High School.
Mead High School
Greta Richardson
Dartmouth College
Why should a student want to attend your high schools?
The Mead High School community is amazing. I have always felt so much support from my classmates and teachers throughout my four years. There are so many opportunities that students can take advantage of, with sports, performance, clubs, and the variety of classes offered both through the school itself, the Innovation Center, and the Career Elevation and Technology Center.
DJ Vicente
Journalism and Media Communications, Colorado State University
What advice would you give to students entering high school next year?
One piece of advice I’d give to incoming high school students is to keep an open mind when trying to navigate through high school. It’s a totally new environment, but over time, I can guarantee you will find something you will become incredibly passionate about, so stick with it.
Quincey Coyle
What makes your high school unique?
We have really good sports but it doesn’t take away from school at all. We have very successful students academically and athletically.
New Meridian High School
Jeanne Gochenour
Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Northern Colorado
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
This school has shown me that I can accomplish anything that I wish to accomplish. The support I have received through every class has been astonishing. I am currently taking an AP Psychology class and a Social Justice class at MSU Denver through my school. These classes have prepared me for more college-level courses and have given me a glimpse at what I will need to do and the effort I will need to put forward once I am in college. This school also pushes students to reach their full potential by having many college-based events, such as tours, application days, etc.
Christian Bernal
What makes your high school unique?
The size of our school is unique. We are a small school and it feels like a family. Everyone here is treated with respect and accepted by our community.
Leah Arens
Psychology or Pre-Law, Undecided
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
A student should want to attend New Meridian High School because the community is welcoming and the students are respectful. We all have backgrounds that are entirely different, which pulls us together. The teachers are the most helpful advisors ever, and they make you feel wanted in our community.
Niwot High School
Eilene Heo
Psychology, Fordham University
What’s a favorite memory from your time at St. Vrain?
My favorite memory was when we were at a track meet for the indoor season, and I had been training very hard to work on my jumps form. When it was my turn to do a jump, I remembered all that my coaches had told me, and I went for the jump. When I made it into the pit, my coach looked so excited since I had just jumped a foot further than I had ever jumped. Afterward, my teammates and schoolmates congratulated me, which just showed the great support I had in St. Vrain.
Zane Bergen
Stanford University
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
“Niwot High School, Home of the Champions”… As you enter our commons, the hefty learning stairs, or the maze of seemingly endless hallways, they may overwhelm you. At the end of these hallways and stairs lies opportunities to grow, learn, and become a champion, a Niwot High School Champion. Not just a champion of sports or academics; a person devoted to bettering themselves and the people around them with the goal of making the world a better place, a champion of life. Any student who aspires to be a Niwot High School Champion, simply has to enter the gates to the hefty stairs and endless hallways.
Tasman Moskowitz
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
I believe that the IB Diploma Program has prepared me for success, because it has raised my expectations for myself surrounding the quality of work that I produce. Just the nature of IB classes in which you have to complete internal assessments and prepare for exams, forces you to hold yourself accountable for always engaging in classes and actually learning all of the content in detail. I know that when I have a difficult class in college I will be successful in managing my time, producing quality writing assignments, and completing difficult exams thanks to the skills that I have learned in IB.
Silver Creek High School
Aiden Lathrope
Business, University of Colorado Boulder
What’s your favorite memory from your time at St. Vrain?
My senior capstone project, Smart Cart, for Silver Creek Leadership Academy marks some of my favorite memories within the district. This program allowed me to teach something I love, nutrition, to a receptive group of sixth grade students at Altona. In and out of class, the project required constant time, devotion, gathering donations, printing and designing recipes, and structuring lesson plans. I enjoyed every second of it. I never left the classroom unhappy with how things went, only with ideas on how to improve. Taking a class that allows you to do something unique that you have a passion for is incredibly rare but incredibly rewarding.
Sierra Bindseil
Mechanical Engineering, California Polytechnic State University
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
Throughout my four years in the SCLA program, I have learned how to be a more confident public speaker, how to empathize with the needs of my community, and how to be successful in project management. I have recently finished working on my Senior Leadership Capstone, where I collaborated with sixth grade technology classes to develop lessons on women in engineering and technology to inspire younger girls to get involved in such a male-dominated field. I know that I will use these valuable experiences to be an effective leader in my post-secondary education.
Adithya Bhaskara
Computer Science & Mathematics, University of Colorado Boulder
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
Silver Creek High School is a sea of opportunities for all students. At Silver Creek, students of various backgrounds, varying interests, and different approaches to learning will all succeed in their own ways. Students may participate in rigorous AP courses; esteemed orchestras, bands, and choirs; reputed leadership opportunities; trailblazing programs in computer science, cybersecurity, and business; and highly regarded athletics programs. At Silver Creek High School, there is something for everyone.
Skyline High School
Diana Garcia Garcia
Biological – Science Integrated Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder
What makes your high school unique?
What makes Skyline High School so unique is the family that you go into. The community here is so diverse, and everyone is offered the same great opportunities.
Cameron Piggot
Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
With so many programs including STEM, FalconTECH, VPA, and more, there are a lot of opportunities to strengthen your college readiness or feel more prepared for your postgraduate plans. Another reason students should attend Skyline is the opportunity for an individualized path to graduate. For example, I am a STEM student, but I have also had the chance to complete 12 AP courses and take additional elective classes of interest.
Erin Elwood
Nursing, University of Northern Colorado
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
During my time at Skyline I have been involved in our school’s STEM program. This program has helped me prepare for my postsecondary success because not only has it helped me decide what I want to pursue and helped me find my interests and disinterests, but it has also given me so many experiences from hands-on experiences to group collaborations to even public speaking/presentation experiences which will be so useful after I graduate.
St. Vrain Virtual High School
Kartik Naraya
Physics, Mathematics, Philosophy (minor), University of Colorado Boulder / California Institute of Technology
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
St. Vrain Virtual High School lets the student guide more of their school experience, and set their own pace. Furthermore, it offers this virtually, and has many exceptions and very understanding staff for any sort of extracurricular or medical exception. They have many excellent support systems in place, and the one goal is to ensure you graduate. If you want to chart your own path through high school, SVVHS is for you!
Avery Kinzle
Behavioral Science Psychology, Baylor University
What advice would you give to students entering high school next year?
My advice to students entering high school next year is to enjoy every moment of it because it flies by. From every challenge to every time you hang out with your friends, make the best of it, because you are in control of how good your high school years are.
Sam Dorschel
Nursing, University of San Francisco
What makes your high school unique?
What makes St. Vrain Virtual High School unique is the connection that the students have with their counselors. They do their best to accommodate all of the students’ needs, and they are really helpful in honestly any part of a students life. Whether that is sports, family issues, school, etc. The counselors take the time to make sure that every student is going to be successful in whatever they do.
APEX Homeschool Program
Caleb Ellis
Communications, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
APEX Homeschool Program has always focused on hiring amazing people as teachers. I have always seen how much love the teachers have for teaching and reaching out to their students. A smaller school means a very close community. Everyone knows everyone and the smaller student population means that in each class the teacher can really get to know you.
Tegan Chanders
Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
What makes your high school unique?
Being a small school and having outstanding teachers and staff allows students to customize their education, making it more interesting and efficient for them. APEX’s unique position as an enrichment program also allows teachers to focus on what the students want to learn, which truly enriches the students’ homeschool education.
Matthew Fuller
Computer Science, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
How has your school’s focus program prepared you for postsecondary success?
In my time at APEX Homeschool Program I took three of the AP courses that APEX offered, and I have nothing but praise for them. As such I would say that APEX has prepared me incredibly well for postsecondary success, both helping me become more capable of expressing myself in terms of the written word, and offering concurrent enrollment classes allowing me to be entering college with two full semesters of credits already done.
LaunchED Virtual Academy
Esperanza Carillo
Why should a student want to attend your high school?
The teachers at LaunchED Virtual Academy are very understanding about individual life situations and care very much about their students. We are able to build our own personal bond with our teachers.
Dilan Najera
How has your school prepared you for postsecondary success?
The LaunchED Virtual Academy counselors are always there to help, and our teachers are very supportive and even though you don’t know anyone very well, it still feel close like we are in an in-person learning community. Teachers are very straightforward with the lessons, giving us time to do it, and they always push us on the right track.
Kassandra Mudgette
Film, Undecided
What’s your favorite memory form your time at St. Vrain?
Middle School with my Special Education teacher. He made middle school fun for me and helped me pick my future path in film.