Incoming Brophy freshmen hit the great outdoors this summer for an enrichment program that included a stop at Red Rock State Park (photo courtesy of Brophy College Prep).
Incoming class explores nature over summer
In June, incoming Brophy College Prep freshman students embarked on a summer adventure with SHEP (Summer Honors Enrichment Program) Biology.
This five-week experience isn’t a typical bio course, the school said in a social media post. So far, they’ve hit the great outdoors for a week of field biology at Brophy’s Manresa retreat in Oak Creek Canyon; at Page Springs Fish Hatchery, they met up with Game and Fish wildlife biologists for a primer on Arizona’s trout habitat; and at Red Rock State Park, they conducted water quality and stream flow investigations. They dissected preserved fish and frogs, and explored the backside of the San Francisco Peaks, spending time with a forest ecologist from the Nature Conservancy, and at the Grand Canyon, they studied fossils and experienced a rare sighting of a California Condor.
Cellist to perform at London event
Elliott Lewenstein, a Class of 2024 graduate at Arizona School of the Arts, has been selected for the High School Honors Performance Orchestra, which is scheduled to perform July 29 at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Participation in the Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest-rated young performers from around the world. Lewenstein will be joining approximately 350 performers from the United States, Canada and Guam for a special performance in London, where they will learn from world-renowned conductors, work with other performers, and experience local arts and culture.
Student selected for KEYS internship
Arizona School for the Arts student Eva Luz Pombo (‘26) has been selected to participate in The University of Arizona’s 2024 “KEYS Research Internship”.
Pombo and the other interns will contribute to interdisciplinary bioscience research using biotechnology and data analysis techniques, develop science literacy skills and learn how to communicate their research.
Leading up to this summer internship, interns were provided weekly assignments preparing them for the research they would participate in with their labs. Interns also were paired with their assigned lab based on their scientific interests and skills determined through their application and interview with KEYS staff. Pombo is focusing on neurology and research on Parkinson’s Disease.
Students from Madison Highland Prep will work alongside experts in their fields during summer STEM internships (submitted photo).
Students earn STEM internships
Twenty-five students from Madison Highland Prep have been accepted into one of more STEM summer internships, the school announced. These competitive programs offer hands-on learning, research and innovation opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.
Students accepted into STEM summer internships include Joel Alarcon, Monique Aragon, Julitza Arriaga, Thomas Clyne, Nathan Garcia, Angel Gomez, Brandol Licano, Joseph Lungo, German Melendez, Philip Norris, Faenna Nosova, Miguel Reyes, Abraham Rico, Alexis Ring, Sophie Romero, Johnathan Sanchez, Maria Sebzvari, Sierra Sotack, Liam Steindler, Etta Thesing, Isaac Timmerman, Delilah Tsang, Anikin Ulibarri, Mia Urbano and Aidan Zuber.
These students will participate in internships at renowned institutions, including the Burton Family Foundation Summer Health Institute, Cesar Chavez Leadership Institute and top universities. The students will work alongside experts in their fields, gaining practical experience and building their professional networks.
Pictured from left to right are Brant Nyhart, head of the PV Christian Preparatory School; Terri Clarke, regent of the PV DAR Chapter; Good Citizen awardee Wendy Bell along with her parents, Jennifer and Timothy Bell; and PV DAR member Anne Enos (submitted photo).
Graduating senior is ‘Good Citizen’
The Paradise Valley Chapter, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, recently awarded the chapter’s first Good Citizen Award to Wendy Bell, a Phoenix resident and graduating senior at the Paradise Valley Christian Preparatory School.
Bell read her essay, “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It,” to meeting attendees. The chapter’s chair of the DAR Good Citizen award, Anne Enos, presented Bell with a certificate, pin, wallet card, rose and a red, white, and blue graduation cord. In addition, she received a check for $250 for her future education. She is co-valedictorian of her class and will begin pre-medical studies at Gordon College in Massachusetts. Her career goal is to earn a MD/PhD and become a pediatrician.
As an “A” student, Bell served most recently as president of the school’s National Honor Society. She also worked as a teacher’s assistant in a childcare program and has spearheaded volunteer projects in the community.
Student recognized for ‘Heat Islands’ video
Harper Hipps
Harper Hipps, who graduated from Xavier in the spring, is among 18 winners from around the world who earned top spots in the 13th annual “World of 8 Billion” student video contest sponsored by Population Connection. Over 3,100 videos from 58 countries and 46 U.S. states and territories were created.
The 60-second pieces explore population growth as it relates to one of three challenges: Climate Migration, Health, and Invasive Species.
Hipps earned honorable mention with her video Urban Heat Islands, which suggests cool pavement and green roofs to help curb higher temperatures in cities worldwide. The video can be viewed at www.worldof8billion.org/video-winner/urban-heat-islands.
Hipps has also earned an honorable mention for the High School NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Awards and was a winner in the Junior Achievement of Arizona’s 18 Under 18 in 2023. In the fall, Harper will begin studying bioinformatics at the University of San Diego, where she plans on using her prize money for textbooks.
Hipps suggests that future contest participants “pick a topic that interests you because you will spend a lot of time learning about it.” She was pleasantly surprised to find out how many rules and regulations are already in place to combat urban heat and that many people are passionate about finding solutions to this issue.
In addition to educating viewers about their chosen topic and how it relates to human population growth, students had to include at least one idea for a sustainable answer to the issue. The winning pieces presented innovative solutions to problems including coastal flooding, health disparities, and the spread of invasive species. Solutions included utilizing new technology, sustainable agriculture practices, regenerative shorelines, and more.
