Students at Madison Highland Prep are working towards achieving industry certifications that will prepare them for careers in engineering, robotics and other STEM fields (submitted photo).
Students work toward industry certification
Nine students from Madison Highland Prep have achieved a significant milestone in their academic careers by passing the first of three RECF Engineering and Robotics Industry Certification exams. The students, who demonstrated exceptional knowledge and skills in the first Pre-Engineering exam, are Micah Wild, Kevin Pineda, Fernando Peralta, Noah Medina, Kane Rivera, Michael Syntax, Liam Steindler, Alaina Thompson and Abraham Rico.
The RECF certification program is a response to a global need for more students in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. By pursuing this certification, these students plan to demonstrate their expertise and enhance their college and career prospects, setting them up for success in an increasingly competitive career landscape.
School recognized with ‘A’ grade
“Montessori Day School has done it again,” said Peg Huffman, founding director of Montessori Day School as the school received a grade of “A” from the Arizona Department of Education.
The school also celebrated other year-end results and activities such as the “Favorite Character Costume Parade” in October; “International Day Celebration” in November; and the forthcoming “Winter Program,” scheduled for December.
Montessori Day School is located at 9215 N. 14th St. For additional information, call 602-943-7672 or visit www.mdpsc.org.
Xavier’s Leon Tynes, Jr., along with students Emma Robescu, Stella Vinokur and Sophia Fireman, joined Levi, Synthia and Rudy Moreno in celebrating the students’ assistive technology win (photo by Lisa Zuba).
Students win honors in Makers challenge
Xavier College Preparatory’s all-female engineering team, Access Play, won Tier 1 honors in the 2025 Makers of Change Assistive Technology Challenge, a Valley-wide competition engaging more than 100 high school teams in STEM, coding, robotics and technology design.
The annual challenge, organized by Southwest Human Development, a partner of Easter Seals, invites students to create real-world assistive technology solutions to improve the lives of young children with disabilities. This year, participants were tasked with developing a way for a young boy named Levi, who has cerebral palsy, to play both independently and with his siblings.
Team members Emma Robescu, Stella Vinokur, Sophia Fireman and Shriya Tummala researched Levi’s needs, learned about his condition, and designed an innovative accessible gaming system that would allow him to engage in play more freely and joyfully.
The Access Play team presented their prototype before a panel of judges and a live audience at the Helios Education Foundation, earning top recognition for their creativity, engineering, and empathy.
Access Play was the only all-female team among the finalists – and this marked Xavier’s first year participating in the competition.
Open house event scheduled
Valley eighth graders who are interested in learning more about Arizona School for the Arts (ASA), located at 1410 N. 3rd St., are invited, along with their families to an open house event Friday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Attendees will learn about ASA’s rigorous academics, college prep focus and performing arts education. During the event, families can meet the high school teachers, staff and leadership team and see what makes ASA an A-rated experience.
Learn more by visiting https://goasa.org/applynow.
The Brophy Swim and Dive team won its 44th state championship with a state-record 582 points, extending its record total and earning its second consecutive title (submitted photo).
Student-athletes achieve state victories
Congratulations are in order for Brophy golf and Brophy swim and dive on their AIA Division I State Championship victories in November.
The golf team captured the AIA Division I State Championship on Nov. 6, finishing 12 strokes ahead of Hamilton (549–561). The Broncos shot 277 (-11) in the final round, with all four scoring golfers finishing in the top 10. The win marks the program’s 11th state title, tying for the most by an individual school in state history, and the first back-to-back championships since 1993–94.
Two days later, the Swim and Dive team secured its 44th state championship with a state-record 582 points, extending its record total and earning its second consecutive title. It was also the 13th championship under Coach Pat O’Neill, capping another dominant performance that showcased the team’s exceptional depth.
Fifteen Xavier College Preparatory student-athletes signed their Grant in Aid agreements during a November event held at the school (photo by Zachary Carlson).
Xavier athletes sign Grant in Aid agreements
Fifteen Xavier student-athletes signed their Grant in Aid agreements during a November event at Xavier’s Virginia G. Piper Performing Arts Center. Previously called National Letters of Intent, Grant in Aid is a financial scholarship for a student-athlete to help pay for college. The Grant in Aid can be a full or partial scholarship. According to the NCAA, less than 2 percent of high school students are awarded a college athletic scholarship.
The student-athletes included Isabella Piazza, golf; Bianca Willis, soccer; Chloe Cundiff, soccer; Ivy Schuman, soccer; Kyleigh Carr, soccer; Nev Herzog, soccer; Olivia Yu, soccer; Myriam Lawrence, soccer; Francesca Diaz, soccer; Kylie Barr, beach volleyball; Kate MacDonald, beach volleyball; Vivian Hickman, volleyball; Selah O’Connor, volleyball; Allison Dunnion, volleyball; and Mattea Saunders, volleyball.
