May 2026 issue of InMaricopa Magazine InMaricopa.com InMaricopa is Maricopa's premier local news source InMaricopa is your go-to source for hyper-local news and information about Maricopa, Arizona. Stay informed with the latest community updates, events, and stories that matter to our city. InMaricopa is the only dedicated news outlet focusing exclusively on the city of Maricopa, ensuring residents are always in the know.
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May 2026
How the West Was Fun Wild West Music Fest brought bigger names, bigger crowds in year three
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CONTENTS
LEADING OFF Editor’s letter 4 Contributors 4 HISTORY This month in history 6 Seven decades ago, the National Guard planted its flag in Maricopa 8 GOVERNMENT Permits 10 COMMUNTY How Maricopa won over an Italian transplant 12 Adoptee settles in Maricopa after finding her birth family here 14 Volunteer festival returns after 7 years 18 Soulja Boy, Paul Wall close out third annual Wild West Music Fest 20 Getting to know a 19-year-old budding photographer from Rancho El Dorado 22 EDUCATION Senior Spotlights 24 What to know about Maricopa’s newest public school, opening in July 42 Children scramble for eggs at second Bunny Bash 44 The Golden Hawks look good during Golden Hour 46 BUSINESS Why simply turning off the tap can make all the difference 48 New clubhouse, event facility break ground at destination golf course 50 Burrito Express is on a roll in Maricopa 52 Restaurant inspections 54 Mapping recent business news 56
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HOME Worried about water? Maricopa’s safe from Colorado River reductions 63 Extreme home sales 64 Newest neighborhood unveils amenties on the city’s north side 68 When a waiting game turns into a financial drain 70
THINGS TO DO Calendar 71 TRENDING A look at what’s hot on InMaricopa.com 79 PARTING SHOT Track stars 80
HEALTH & WELLNESS A doctor’s take on hormones and pelvic health 58
Why your shoes matter more than you think when it comes to foot pain 60 If you want healthier habits, get your family into gardening 62
ON THE COVER Monica D. Spencer captures a festivalgoer snapping a selfie with her baby as twilight and carnival lights color the final night of Wild West Music Fest at Copper Sky Regional Park on March 29.
InMaricopa.com | May 2026
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FROM THE EDITOR
E Long way home ERIKA FABBRI AND MOLLIE SKORSKI GOT TO Maricopa from completely different directions, but both stories end the same way: unexpectedly building a life here. Fabbri came from Italy and hated Maricopa at first. The drive down State Route 347 felt bleak and lonely; nothing like the world she had left behind. Now she is the one trying to explain this city to readers in her hometown paper in Vicenza. From crying on the drive in to espousing Maricopa’s beauty back home, it says a lot. Skorski’s story is even more personal. After spending over a decade searching for her biological family, she ended up in Maricopa, and this is where the biggest parts of her story happened. It’s where she chose to live, where she got married and where her adoptive and biological families came together. In both stories, Maricopa is where things got real. That same idea shows up again with Robert Russell, even though his story starts from the opposite direction. He did not move here from somewhere else; he grew up here. But being from a place and seeing value in it are not the same
Publisher SCOTT BARTLE
Advertising Director VINCENT MANFREDI
thing. Russell is choosing to look closely at his hometown, to find something worth noticing in its cars and street corners. Our annual Senior Spotlights tradition pushes that idea forward. All these students could have attached themselves to schools elsewhere in the Valley. They did not. They represented Maricopa schools, and now they are taking that hometown identity with them to colleges across Arizona and across the country — from Columbia to Wisconsin to Richmond to ASU, U of A, NAU and beyond. For a place still young enough to be underestimated, Maricopa keeps proving it is not just somewhere people pass through.
Editorial Director ELIAS WEISS
Operations Director TIFFANY WELCH
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Volume 21, Issue 5 InMaricopa 44400 W. Honeycutt Road, Suite 101 Maricopa, AZ 85138
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HARRIET PHELPS Master Gardener Harriet espouses the physical and mental health benefits of a family garden.
DAYV MORGAN Top Realtor Dayv pushes back on fears that Colorado River problems will leave Maricopa dry.
JORDAN RICHARDSON Sharp pain stepping out of bed in the morning? Dr. Jordan can help.
InMaricopa.com | May 2026
4
HISTORY
CARE YOU CAN TRUST! 24/7 EMERGENCY & INPATIENT
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY For these and other historical stories, visit InMaricopa.com.
5 years ago Heritage Academy recognized its first ever graduating class during commencement ceremonies for 25 seniors. Speakers highlighted the students’ perseverance through a senior year disrupted by the pandemic, with valedictorian Hannah Skousen and Principal Kimberly Ellsworth praising the class for pushing through unusual challenges. Five years later, the charter school is preparing to expand by taking over the former Sequoia Pathway Academy campus, which is graduating its final class this month. Heritage, formerly a grades 6-12 school, plans to convert the site into an elementary school.
10 years ago
15 years ago
20 years ago
Maricopa Police Department began the missing-person investigation after 24-year-old Angela Russo’s family reported she had not returned home to the city from a date in Phoenix. As detectives developed evidence pointing to foul play, the case was turned over to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Russo was later found dead near Tonopah, and then-28-year-old Lashawn Johnson was eventually convicted of first-degree murder and related charges in her killing.
Christian Baymack, a fourth grader at Butterfield Elementary School, earned a spot on Team USA for the World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood, where he brought home multiple honors including two overall medals in acting and singing. He also was named Junior Male Model of the World in the ages 5 to 15 division. Baymack, then 9, competed against more than 3,000 contestants from 40 countries.
Church of Celebration celebrated its grand opening in the Heritage District about five months after welcoming its first members in 2005. The church, a partner ministry of East Valley-based Vision Arizona, was led by Pastor Josh Barrett and Worship Pastor Jon Lloyd. The event brought children’s ministry activities and flowers for moms in honor of Mother’s Day as it kicked off a new sermon series titled What on Earth Am I Here For? Two decades later, the congregation continues to gather on Sundays inside the Maricopa High School Performing Arts Center.
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InMaricopa.com | May 2026
6
HISTORY
On guard BY ELIAS WEISS
In 1955, Arizona National Guard air and ground units joined forces at the ruins of Maricopa Wells for a ceremonial flag raising south of Phoenix. This photo, first published in The Arizona Republic and later archived by the Arizona Memory Project, shows Capt. Frank V. Hutton flying a helicopter used to spot the trail into the area while Staff Sgt. V. L. Watterson of the 197th Fighter Interceptor Squadron and Sfc. B. B. Hoover of the 158th Infantry plant the Arizona state flag over the remains of the old site. The ceremony marked a milestone in Arizona military history. According to the original newspaper article, the event took place 90 years after the first companies of the National Guard were sworn in there.
W kly EVENTS MONDAYS - Bingo TUESDAYS - Line Dance Lessons WEDNESDAYS - Country Swing Lessons Cornhole League THURSDAYS - Ladies Night SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS - Brunch SUNDAYS - Karaoke
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InMaricopa.com | May 2026
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May 2026 | InMaricopa.com
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GOVERNMENT
BRIEF
Maricopa Leased Housing Associates issued 2 commercial shade structure at Stonegate , 18260 N. Alan Stephens Pkwy. The contractor is Gothic Landscaping. Walmart issued commercial addition for 5,598-square-foot grocery pick-up expansion, valued at $1.5 million. The contractor is Mycon General Contractors. DBG Properties issued commercial solar for 485 modules at Waterman Apartments , 43990 W. Honeycutt Ave. It is valued at $300,000. RESIDENTIAL Castlerock Communities to construct 2 homes in Rancho Mirage Estates. DR Horton to construct 12 homes in Sorrento, 12 homes in Elena Trails and 25 homes in Moonlight. Gehan Homes to construct 2 homes in the Lakes Rancho El Dorado. Lennar to construct 13 homes in Anderson Farms. Pulte Homes to construct 2 homes in El Rancho Santa Rosa. Richmond American Homes to construct 4 homes in the Lakes at Rancho El Dorado.
Dash Carwash issued 5 commercial shade structures for canopy replacement at locations on John Wayne Parkway and Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. TTRG Maricopa Phase II Development issued zoning permit for tenant finish-out at Einstein Bagels , 19019 N. John Wayne Pkwy. Ironwood Ranch Apartments issued commercial shade structure for playground canopy, valued at $24,086. Simoncre JC Agave issued on-site improvement for utility improvements at Mattress Firm , 44765 W. Hathaway Ave. The contractor is D G Fenn Construction. Quiktrip issued commercial alteration for 250 square feet, valued at $125,000. The contractor is Arkad Builders. Rancho El Dorado Homeowners Association issued capital improvement project for new traffic signal at Smith-Enke Road and Desert Greens Drive. The contractor is Nesbitt Contracting.
Permits March 11 to April 10
COMMERCIAL Butterfield
Commons Apartments issued 2 commercial shade structure for parking canopies, valued at $638,766. The contractors are Harmon Electric and Park N Shade of Tucson. City of Maricopa issued commercial demolition for future office space at 39675 W. Civic Center Plaza, valued at $134,000. The contractor is Chasse Building Team. City of Maricopa issued commercial tenant improvement for 11,340 square feet of office space at 39675 W. Civic Center Plaza, valued at $967,891. The contractor is Chasse Building Team. City of Maricopa issued commercial detached structure for 1,344-square-foot stage at Wild West Music Fest, valued at $81,217.
Curious about development in the City of Maricopa? Did you know we have an online tool that lets you search commercial and residential projects currently in review, under construction, and recently completed?
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InMaricopa.com | May 2026
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COMMUNITY
Erika Fabbri stands with a three-panel print of her home- town Vicenza, Italy, at a Cobblestone Farms park in March.
Desert convert From Italy to Maricopa, Erika Fabbri finds home in Maricopa BY MONICA D. SPENCER AND ELIAS WEISS
W
once unsettled her had, over time, become part of the place she loved. That sense of translation, of explaining one world to another, seems to be what mattered most to her about the Italian article. She told the reporter in Vicenza the connection felt almost like creating “sister cities,” introducing Maricopa to readers in northern Italy while carrying a little bit of Vicenza with her here. Vicenza, she said, is a city of Andrea Palladio, layered with monumental architecture, art and history so old it can be hard for Americans to grasp. She remembers summers with her grandfather in an art gallery inside a deconsecrated church built around the year 1100, and school trips where students learned not just what a building was, but the stories behind it. That kind of inherited place memory is different from life in Maricopa, she said, where much of the city feels new. But she now sees value in that too. Maricopa may not offer a medieval piazza or Palladian Basilica, but it has something else: room to grow, room to breathe and room to become home. For now, Fabbri said, this is where her family’s life is rooted. Her husband works here as an engineer. Her son is pursuing a master’s degree in clinical counseling. And Fabbri herself was recently elected vice president of the board for a Christian private school in town. The woman who once wept on the drive into Maricopa now finds herself doing something very different: explaining its beauty to people an ocean away.
They married, raised their son and lived in Italy for years before eventually moving to Texas. Fabbri said she became a U.S. citizen in 2019, the same year the family relocated to Maricopa for her husband’s job after his military retirement. The adjustment was rough. In Italy, she said, daily life centered on walkable historic downtowns, lingering coffees with friends and aperitivo after work, all set against a backdrop of buildings that carry generations of memory. In Maricopa, the spacing, silence and car-oriented lifestyle felt isolating at first. “It feels very lonely and individualistic kind of culture,” she told InMaricopa , contrasting it with the constant social rhythm she knew in Italy. Still, Maricopa eventually began to win her over. She made friends quickly. She continued building a career in education. She had already worked in higher education after arriving in the U.S., including at Central Texas College and the University of Phoenix. Eventually she moved into K-12, wanting to better understand the academic gaps she had seen in students before they reached college. Now in her fifth year as a school counselor, Fabbri works for the Maricopa Unified School District. Along the way, she completed a master’s degree in psychology, earned school counseling certification through the Arizona Department of Education and finished a doctorate in educational leadership in December. Her dissertation focused on school counseling. She said one turning point in her relationship with Maricopa came in March, when her parents and brother visited from Italy. Her brother’s reaction stuck with her. He told her he was happy to see her living here and thought Arizona suited her better than Texas had. He was struck by how many remarkable places were within a relatively short drive and by the state’s dramatically different landscapes. That comment helped crystallize something for Fabbri: The same openness and severity that
HEN ERIKA FABBRI FIRST DROVE into Maricopa in 2019, she cried. After years in central Texas, the stretch down State Route 347
felt stark, lonely and unfamiliar. The woman from near Vicenza, Italy, who had grown up surrounded by centuries-old architecture, café culture and dense social life, looked out at the desert and wondered what kind of place she had just moved to. “Where is he taking me now?” she recalled thinking as she arrived with her son. Today, nearly seven years later, Fabbri is the latest Maricopa resident to explain this city to an international audience. An Italian newspaper recently featured her in a story about people from Vicenza who now live elsewhere in the world. Fabbri, 42, said she reached out in part for a deeply personal reason. Her 93-year-old grandfather had surgery the day of the interview, and she wanted her family back home to be able to picture the place where she has built her life. So, she described Maricopa the way she has come to know it: as a city of dust storms, extreme heat, wide skies, desert wildlife, Mexican cultural influence and fast growth, with John Wayne Parkway cutting through a landscape that still feels larger than the city around it. The article that ran in Italy focused mostly on Maricopa itself, not just Fabbri’s biography. She told the paper about the desert’s “raw” beauty, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, local events, the area’s Native and Mexican influences, the summer haboobs and even the muscle car group she and her husband launched during the pandemic to connect enthusiasts and support local businesses. But when InMaricopa caught up with her at her Cobblestone Farms home one day after that story was published, she filled in more of the personal story behind it. Fabbri moved to the U.S. in 2014 after meeting her husband, an American serviceman stationed in her hometown. Their love story started, improbably enough, over a dance battle. She was a dance teacher. He was a breakdancer from Houston.
To read an English translation of Claudia Milani Vicenzi’s article, titled Maricopa,
Infinite Spaces Where Sky and Earth Meet , scan the QR code:
InMaricopa.com | May 2026
May 2026 | InMaricopa.com
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COMMUNITY
Key moments from Mollie Skorski’s reunion journey, including the airport embrace with her biological
mother after flying to Arizona and, later, her
wedding at a park near her Sorrento home, where her adoptive and biological families came together for the first time.
Meet the parents BY ELIAS WEISS
A FTER GROWING UP IN NEW YORK WITHOUT KNOWING SHE WAS ADOPTED, MOLLIE Skorski spent more than a decade searching for her biological family. That journey eventually brought her to Arizona and, ultimately, Maricopa, where she built a life that now ties both sides of her family together. In Sorrento, she got married at a neighborhood park, where her adoptive and biological families met for the first time. A video of her emotional reunion at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has drawn hundreds of thousands of views since it was posted in 2017, attracting attention from national media. Skorski declined those requests at the time, sharing her story publicly for the first time nearly a decade later with InMaricopa.
video, my cousin yelling, “I can see her with the pink bag!” I ran up to my mom and held her for what felt like an hour. I was hugging people whose names I didn’t even know yet. There were strangers crying around us. One woman came up to my birth mom and said she had overheard me on the plane and told her, “Your daughter is the sweetest person ever.” That was the first time my mom heard something like that about me. When did you meet your father IRL? That was a crazy story. When I met him, he pulled up to my mom’s house. When he saw me, he held me and was shaking and crying. He couldn’t stop. I had never seen that much emotion in a man in my life.
At first, I stayed in Mesa with my biological mom. She’s amazing, she’s just like me. But I didn’t feel any connection to Mesa at all. I visited Maricopa and thought it was beautiful. That’s when I knew I needed to move. What was it like meeting your biological family for the first time? The night before, I had video chatted with my mom, my sister and all my aunts. It was overwhelming, exciting and emotional. On the plane, I ended up sitting next to a man with multiple sclerosis. We played chess the whole flight and I told him my whole story. That actually kept me calm. When I landed, I thought it was just going to be my mom and my sister. But it was everyone. Aunts, cousins, all of them. You can hear in the
That’s when I found out I had three more (full) siblings. They’re triplets. But he had another family. I didn’t know that at first. His wife thought something inappropriate was going on between us, so she would show up wherever we went and make a scene. It was really embarrassing. My dad and I don’t speak anymore because of that. That’s his choice. Still, hugging him for the first time was probably the best moment of my life. So how did Maricopa become home in all of this? I found Maricopa when I needed my own space. I love Maricopa. This is where I met my husband for the first time. I actually met him through streaming.
Was it easy to start that search? No. My adoptive mom actually gave me the wrong name at first. You have to understand; she was scared. That whole situation was really emotional for her. How long did it take to find your biological family? It took me 13 years to find them. They had separated but still lived nearby. I found my dad first (through social media after the adoption agency, fortunately, was permitted to release their names). I was in my apartment in Harrison, N.Y., the first time we video chatted, and I had just put it on the market. Then I came out here. It all happened really fast. I didn’t know anything about Arizona.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Mollie Skorski: I grew up not knowing I was adopted. When I got to middle school, I figured it out. My amazing parents, Nancy and Ken, read me books about adoption, and I thought it was perfectly fine. Nothing was different. It was just
something that happened. People would say, “That’s crazy, I’m so sorry.” And I’d say, “What do you mean? My parents love me.” But part of me needed to find my birth parents, too.
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Clockwise from left: Mollie Skorski poses with a newfound cousin in Maricopa, embraces her biological mother at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and smiles as her mother hugs the man she met at Skorski’s wedding and later married.
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He was living in Mesa and moved out here with me. When we got married, we did it at the park around the corner from where we lived. That was the first time my adoptive mom and my biological mom met. That day was huge. Both sides of my life coming together, and it went wonderfully. And something else happened around that time involving your families, right? Yeah. After my wedding, my mom ended up marrying my husband’s uncle. They met at my wedding. It was love at first sight. It shocked everybody. It caused a lot of drama in the family at first, but it turned into a really beautiful story.
What do you do for work now? I’m a therapy streamer. I talk to people every day. People come into my stream and just talk about life on an app called C2. I also started a business, Lunar Eclipse Boutique. I make dog tags and cat tags. It’s named after my pitbull, Luna. What do you love about living in Maricopa? The authenticity. I feel very safe here. Everyone is super nice and helpful. I love the sky. Every single night I need to see it. The pinker the better. I love small businesses. I love that people have lemon trees. It even got me into gardening. I’ve become close with my landlords.
I’ve watched the city grow, and I really love that.
Do you see yourself staying here? For now, yes. This whole Maricopa chapter has come together the way it was supposed to. But my dream is to live in a tiny home up north. I grew up very extravagant, and now I realize I don’t need much. I use three rooms, that’s it — so, why not live in a tiny home? I want at least an acre so Luna can run like she used to in Sorrento when it was quiet. It was really ballsy for me to come out here by myself and do all of this. It was spontaneous. It was a lot to take in. But no regrets.
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Giving back to those who give After pandemic pause, Maricopa Pantry revives volunteer festival BY MONICA D. SPENCER
have 50 to 60 volunteers every single Saturday that come and help us. We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, to thank these folks somehow. I’m glad we finally got it together.” Shoaf estimated about 240 people attended — a larger crowd compared to similar events pre-COVID — many of whom have spent weekends sorting donations, packing boxes and helping families in the community. And that is a sight to see. Volunteers arrive by 6:30 a.m. Saturday mornings to sort and load food boxes for upwards of 1,800 families. They move quickly and in tandem, a well-oiled machine even with newcomers. “To be able to have that many people in the community who come out on a weekend morning, no less. That’s what Maricopa Pantry is about,” Shoaf said. “It’s about giving to the community — but they give back to us. It just warms my heart.” The event also offered an early look at the pantry warehouse, where construction remains ongoing. Framing for offices, conference rooms and restrooms is already in place, with electrical work still ahead. Shoaf said the goal is to move distribution indoors before the peak summer heat.
Above: Maricopa Pantry volunteers gather for lunch at a volunteer appreciation festival inside the food bank’s new building. Left: A volunteer has her face painted.
F
OR MOST, VOLUNTEERING IS AN act of quiet giving. It’s the simple offering a few hours on a weekend; a willingness to lend a hand where
needed. At Maricopa Pantry, that spirit shows up week after week in the dozens of volunteers who offer their time, often without recognition. But on one breezy day in late March, the tables turned. The people who give their time were the ones being celebrated. Inside its new warehouse at 50881 W. Papago Road, Maricopa Pantry hosted its first volunteer appreciation festival in seven years. Food bank leaders converted the future distribution site into a gathering space filled with food, families and familiar faces. What organizers once imagined as a simple barbecue grew into a full event with face painting for kids, raffle prizes and silent auction items. But the focus remained on the volunteers. “This is a volunteer appreciation festival,” said co-founder and president Alice Shoaf. “We
“Here’s something that you could actually do. Donate your time and help somebody, do something good in the community,” he said. For the Burkharts, volunteering is also something they share. “This is something we can do together, and we enjoy it. I think you feel better because you don’t expect anything in return,” Michael Burkhart said.
For volunteers Jackie and Michael Burkhart of Thunderbird Farms, the work and the people are what keep them coming back. “I think I’ve been volunteering here about three years,” Jackie Burkhart said. “They’re just a really great group of caring, giving people.” Her husband added that getting involved was an easy decision for the couple, especially during retirement.
Above: Food bank volunteers serve themselves lunch at a volunteer appreciation festival. Top: Maricopa Pantry co-founder Alice Shoaf speaks with one of the honorees.
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Rock on the wild side
The City of Maricopa held its third annual Wild West Music Fest at Copper Sky Regional Park March 27-29. Clockwise from above: Paul Wall raps on stage. | Soulja Boy riles up the crowd. | Three local girls don cowboy hats for the occasion. | Attendees stand in line for the zero-gravity ride. | Two boys dance on a picnic table during Soulja Boy’s performance. | A man on stilts spins a lasso around a child. | Carnival lights spill across the midway as workers pause in front of a balloon-burst booth.
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Robert Russell BY ELIAS WEISS GETTING TO KNOW
P
HOTOGRAPHY GIVES ROBERT A CREATIVE outlet to explore the city he grew up in.
When he is not in class or working, he is usually behind a camera, chasing the kind of moments that turn ordinary places into something cinematic. Cars, landscapes and quiet Arizona roads are some of his favorite subjects. Sometimes that means crouching low on State Route 238 to capture the texture of the pavement stretching toward the horizon. Other times it means heading to The Lakes in Rancho El Dorado, where moving water, trees and rocks cloaked in vegetation collide in a strikingly lush scene. And occasionally, it means waiting for the perfect light. One of his favorite shots captures a BMW sedan gliding down Loma Road as dusk settles. Headlights cut through the fading light while the mountains in the distance begin to disappear into silhouettes. Robert says photography is part curiosity and part adventure. He enjoys exploring new places and documenting the moments between them. He describes himself as someone who likes to stay busy; downtime between adventures, assignments and part-time shifts are spent with family and friends. As for the future, he says he is still figuring it out. But if his camera is any indication, he is already well on his way to finding it.
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ROBERT RUSSELL
Age: 19 Hometown: Maricopa
Neighborhood: Rancho El Dorado High school: Maricopa High School College: Central Arizona College Major: Digital Media Arts Focus: Photography Other interests: Cars, travel, beach life, tech trends and good food
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Destination: Anything that lets me explore, see something new or capture a moment Daily habit: Keeping up with the news Favorite drink: Dutch Bros
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F Connor Fisher Logan Fisher Daniel Flores Ryu Flores Alondra Fox Jaelyn Fox Paul Freese Madelayne Fuentes Sailimuamualemalooleatua Fuiava G
Vincent Howe Samantha Humes Ethan Humeyumptewa Asher Hyde I Cameron Ingram Christian Ingram Artemis Irby Ariyannah Ivy J Dominick Jacewitz Azarious James Angel Jasso Ruvalcaba Kiyah Jeske
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CLASS OF 2026
Paige Guidi Leana Guild
Daniel Gutierrez Adrian Guzman H Sun-Sherrae Hall Kaylin Hansen Henry Haro Takaru Harris Robert Harris Denobia Harton Brielle Hatton Danielle Heinrich London Heise
B Emily Bachara Aliyah Bah Tejhea Bahati-Stewart Ayden Bahozhoni Melany Banda Ian Barriga Glen Basoco Max Batz Gomez Sean Baxter
Cecily Carrasco Kylana Carroll Obed Castaneda Dayanna Castanon Aldair Castellanos Manuel Castillo Miguel Ceballos Leah Cebreros Cruz Rylen Cervantes Alexia Chambers Kaleb Champagne Autumn Champion Cayden Chandler Dylan Chatham
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SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS
Sage LaFramboise Bianney Lara Ferrer Quentin Larvingo Seantalee Lett Rafael Linares Cisneros Samuel Lizarraga Giovany Lobato Josiah Lomax Juliana Long Julius Long Noah Lopanec Victor Lopez Andrew Lopez Julian Lopez Eric Lopez Larissa Lopez Gutierrez Juan Luna MiguelAngel Luna M Kylee Machado Tristen Macias Jaxon Maddox Airasin Magana Romero Coby Manley Precious Marita Zacharyan Martin Joseph Lyons Reaghan Lytle
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Donavin Martin James Martinez
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SOFIA BROWN College attending: Arizona State University Scholarships: New American University President’s Scholarship
MANUEL “MANNY” CASTILLO
HOLDEN GEHRKE College attending: University of Arizona Scholarships: Dorrance Scholarship finalist (awaiting selection at publication) Major: General engineering Five-year goal: To discover which path of engineering I want to take and then work in that field after college. Extracurricular activities: Swimming, Unity Club, National Honor Society Hometown: Farmington, Minn. Years a Maricopan: 5 Favorite high school memory: Competing at swim meets because I got to race in my favorite events and hang out with my team and friends from other schools.
College attending: Columbia University Scholarships: QuestBridge four-year full ride; Gates Scholarship finalist (awaiting selection at publication) Major: Neuroscience and public health Five-year goal: To be starting medical school or law school, ideally on the East Coast or in California. Extracurricular activities: Unity Club, sports medicine, Mayo Clinic CARES Program, Youth Collaboratory through Citizen University Neighborhood: Desert Cedars Years a Maricopan: 10 Favorite high school memory: Opening my college decisions with my college and career counselor, Mrs. Seymour, while my friends stood by my side. It was the moment I realized all my hard work had paid off.
Mi’cah Winters Patience Wolfe Soleil Woodard Marion Wright-Colum Mason Wyatt Kaylynn Wyatt-Swenson Lawrence Wylie Y Ledejiha Yazzie Emily Yendrzeski Matthew Yogerst Z Cavan Ziccardi Cadence Zimmerman
Major: Biomedical sciences Five-year goal: To earn my
bachelor’s and head to medical school to become an oncologist. Extracurricular activities: Tennis, flag football, Unity Club Hometown: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Neighborhood: Sorento Years a Maricopan: 5 Favorite high school memory: Joining tennis and making friends for life.
Jack Mooney Canon Moore Isaiah Mora Brianna Moreno Yani Moshi August Mueller
Sylvia Rameyer Yanet Ramirez Maria Ramirez De La Rosa Kingston Raymond Mason Raymond
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