Valley Lutheran seniors serve, earn scholarships
Students at Valley Lutheran High School completed more than 3,000 hours of community service during the 2025-26 school year. Research from colleges and universities continues to show that admissions teams are looking beyond grades and test scores to identify students who demonstrate leadership, initiative, compassion, and long-term community involvement.
Students completed service hours through Valley Lutheran’s two annual Giving Days, National Honor Society (NHS), Hearts to Serve Club and the school’s Interim Program, which provides hands-on learning and service opportunities throughout Arizona and beyond. School leaders note that colleges are often more interested in sustained involvement and meaningful impact than simply accumulating volunteer hours.
The impact extends beyond admissions. Valley Lutheran’s Class of 2026 was offered more than $5 million in college scholarships, with school leaders noting that meaningful service and leadership experiences often help students stand out in both admissions and scholarship reviews.
For more information, visit www.vlhs.org.
Tolar to lead swim and dive
Robert Tolar has been named the head swimming and diving coach at Brophy College Prep, athletic director Josh Garcia announced in June. He replaces recently retired Patrick O’Neill.
Tolar assisted O’Neill during the 2025 season, leading the Broncos to the AIA Division I State Championship and a state-record point total. He is in his second season on the Brophy faculty in the mathematics department.
Brophy gears up for back to school
At the end of June, Brophy sent out a special back-to-school newsletter with detailed information about the first few weeks of school, including important dates for the next school year: Monday, July 27 – school offices open; Wednesday, Aug 5 – mandatory student orientation; and Thursday, Aug 6 – classes begin.
In addition, Brophy will host a Back-to-School Boutique Shopping Event on Saturday, Aug. 8, 6-8 p.m., at the Varsity Shop. Support the 2026 Brophy Auction by attending a moms-only party to kick off the school year – enjoy food, drinks and shopping. This will be a first chance to shop new gear in the Varsity Shop and check out the limited number of auction special sales items. All proceeds from this event will benefit the auction’s fundraising efforts.
Visit the school website to RSVP: www.brophyprep.org.
School ranked first for student-athletes
In June, Xavier College Preparatory announced that the school has been named the No. 1 high school for student-athletes in Arizona and No. 5 in the United States by Niche.com.
The ranking places Xavier among the country’s elite athletic programs while competing against all public and private schools, including coed schools. Niche evaluates schools using a combination of student and parent surveys, athletic participation and data from the U.S. Department of Education.
“For decades, Xavier has built a tradition of excellence that extends well beyond the playing field,” the school said. “Today, the school offers 26 interscholastic sports and has captured 166 Arizona state championships, while emphasizing leadership, teamwork, perseverance, and academic success.”
Tui Selvaratnam, athletic director at Xavier, added, “This recognition reflects the extraordinary dedication of our student-athletes, coaches and the entire Xavier community. Our mission is not simply to win championships, but to develop confident young women who lead with integrity, compete with character and excel in every aspect of their lives.”
Class of 2026 Arizona School for the Arts graduate Colin W. earned his Eagle Scout rank by revitalizing the garden space at his school. The new Eagle Scout planned the project, raised more than $1,700 in donations, gathered community support and led volunteers to rebuild the garden beds and restore irrigation (photo courtesy of ASA).
The national recognition comes on the heels of another exceptional year for Xavier athletics, which has continued its legacy of success across multiple sports while maintaining the school’s longstanding commitment to academic achievement and the holistic development of its students.
Learn more at www.xcp.org.
Student updates school garden
As part of earning the Eagle Scout rank, the highest achievement in Scouting America, Class of 2026 Arizona School for the Arts (ASA) graduate Colin W. led a project to revitalize the ASA garden.
The school said that after seeing the garden space every day for years, the student wanted to create a place that students and staff could enjoy again. He planned the project, raised more than $1,700 in donations, gathered community support and led volunteers to rebuild the garden beds and restore irrigation.
The project was completed in April, and the student officially earned the rank of Eagle Scout in May.
In a social media post, the school said, “We are proud of Colin’s leadership, hard work, and thankful for this lasting gift to the ASA community.”
