NN May 2023

Brent Learned – Grand Junction, Colorado … Some 250 Pathfinders, staff, and parents from small towns and larger cities across RMC came together on May 21 for the annual conference-wide Pathfinder fair. The event was held at the Intermountain Adventist Academy campus in Grand Junction, Colorado, and was organized by Pathfinder coordinators Dwight Laubscher and Jodi Gage.

The day started with the Pathfinder clubs setting up booths in the gym displaying everything they had learned and accomplished throughout the year. These displays were scored by a team of Pathfinder leader judges.

The Pathfinders then marched the field perimeter, club by club, to the rhythm of drums pounding and cymbals crashing, skillfully played by several clubs. The clubs were collaborating under the direction of the RMC Pathfinder drill master Joel Domingez. Following the parade, clubs stood together and sang the Pathfinder song before a worship service led by RMC assistant youth director Jade Teal.

RMC youth director Brandon Westgate then presented Joel with the Pathfinder hall-of-fame plaques and pin recognizing him for his exceptional leadership and commitment to Pathfinder ministry within the RMC. The award presentation was followed by the club’s lively judged marching competition.

Cinthya Miranda, Northeastern Colorado Area adventurer coordinator, said, “[I] saw kids praying prior to participation. They weren’t asked to pray by an adult, it was done out of their own volition. These small, yet big gestures remind us why Pathfinder clubs are so important in a kid’s overall growth.”

At lunchtime, the participants could purchase food from clubs that were selling food as a fundraiser for their upcoming activities. The Pathfinders rotated through more than a dozen activity stations after lunch where they participated in a variety of team-building activities. They learned skills such as tying knots and played field games such as Capture the Flag.

After the activity stations, clubs returned to the gym where awards and accolades were handed to top-performing individuals and clubs before the participants packed up and returned to their respective communities.

One of the Pathfinders in attendance, Kaylon Miranda, commented, “This fair was amazing!”

Eli and Veronica Gonzalez, RMC club ministries associate executive coordinators, said, “We were so impressed by all who attended the Pathfinder fair. We believe the real way to gain happiness is to give it to others. This weekend you (Pathfinders) have shown a happy heart while participating and competing with each other.”

—Brent Learned is the RMC assistant youth director and Mills Spring Ranch manager. Photos supplied by Aaron Dove and Cinthya Miranda.

Tiffany Mogaka – Loveland, Colorado … The Campion Adventist Academy gym came alive May 20 as the Academy held its highly anticipated Award’s Night and annual Pop’s Concert. The event showcased the musical talents of students and recognized their outstanding athletic, academic, and artistic achievements.

Campion’s orchestra opened the concert with the selections City of Stars and Highlights from Grease, an extravagant commencement to the event. 

Orchestra violinist, Shawn Furgurson, commented, “The music was really fun to perform. The piece Highlights from Grease was a struggle to learn, but I would definitely say that it was well worth it. Being able to open up the concert was a thrilling experience. It allowed me to reminisce about the past year’s performances because this was the last concert of the year.” 

Students from the various music departments, including Jazz Band, Bells, Chorale, and Koinonia choir, showcased their incredible talent and hard work through a delightful array of performances prepared under the guidance of Campion’s music director, Cecilia Simmons. 

Senior, and Koinonia member, Melody Mambo reflected, “My highlight of the concert was when Koinonia sang Stand Up, which is our favorite. It was cool to show our creativity with this song. I also enjoyed the theme and detail that Miss Simmons put into prompts to introduce each presentation. It was overall a memorable experience.”

Between each performance were moments of recognition and celebration as deserving students were acknowledged for their remarkable achievements. Awards were presented for a wide range of accomplishments, including academic excellence, leadership, musical, and athletic recognition. 

Senior Ana Segawa commented, “I found it wholesome to watch people get recognized for their accomplishments. This school year was hard, but it felt nice to receive appreciation and to be able to celebrate that with my friends and staff members who have always been so supportive.”

At the end of the event, students and staff gathered in the chapel to watch presentations by the current dorm staff announcing next year’s Resident Assistants. They enjoyed a selection of animation video projects and appreciated the year-end video prepared by Campion’s Student Association (SA) tech director, Ciara Felix.

Carla Ramos, a senior, recounted, “I really loved seeing the end of the year video. It took me back to all the highlights and fun memories from this year. It was a wonderful way to end a fantastic evening and great year.” 

—Tiffany Mogaka, Campion Student News Team. Photos supplied.

Jodie Aakko – Brighton, Colorado … May is a busy time of year, and Brighton Adventist Academy students were busy celebrating science explorations and congratulating proud graduates.

On May 11, a large crowd gathered in the new Brighton Seventh-day Adventist Church fellowship wing to view sixty science projects completed by the school’s future scientists, ages preschool through grade ten. Students displayed their projects on presentation boards.

“I learned every step of the scientific method! And I am just in kindergarten,” Jose Santos, a kindergarten student, proudly commented.

Jace Meyers, a tenth-grade student, explained, “I never thought I would get away with sounding a blow horn next to my teachers at school, but my project involved comparing blood pressure rates under stress changes. I charted the changes in blood pressure under calm conditions versus loud conditions.”

“I tested the effectiveness of materials in a home-made solar oven. Best smores I ever ate!” exclaimed Lili Marr, a sixth-grade student.

At the completion of the event, the fine arts classes presented musical pieces: hand chimes, band, ukulele, and K-4 choir. “Band and ukulele are fun groups, and we are sad that Mr. Dunkin is retiring. He picked fun songs like Star Wars, Snake Bite, Fantastic Foster, On Broadway, Down on the Corner, Enjoy Yourself, and Don’t Fence Me In,” said Ericsson Aakko, a fifth-grade student.

Students donned graduation caps and gowns for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten graduation on May 12 and eighth grade graduation on May 18. The young graduates were inspired by speaker Unna Trunkenbolz to become an everyday hero, and the older graduates were inspired by speaker Wayne Morrison, pastor at Brighton Church, to soar like an eagle to new heights and hew educational horizons.

“When you wait on the Lord, you can soar higher than your biggest dreams, and your strength will be renewed,” commented Pastor Morrison.

—Jodie Aakko is the Brighton Adventist Academy principal. Photos supplied.

Karrie Meyers – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … Another school year has drawn to a close at Mile High Academy (MHA). And, as the first week of summer break officially begins, the school’s hallways are quiet except for teachers busy boxing up leftover classroom items. However, just last week, the school was abuzz with excitement and celebration as MHA prepared to graduate 50 students.

The first class to graduate was the kindergarten class. Eleven graduates, displaying a mixture of excited and nervous grins, marched towards the front of the gym on May 16 to be recognized for their outstanding academic achievements. Parents’ cameras flashed as the students led the program, which included prayers, songs, poems, and heartwarming family tributes. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates and the movement of tassels, symbolizing the class has officially moved from kindergarten to first grade.

When asked about what she loved about kindergarten and her favorite memory from the school year, Jaylee shared, “I loved art, and my favorite memory was the pajama day on the last day of school when you got to bring snacks.”

On May 17, the gym was transformed with an arch of blue, black, white, and gold balloons as 22 eighth graders made their entrance. After students offered a warm welcome and prayer, the audience enjoyed pre-recorded parent tributes coordinating with a mixture of student photos. The guest speaker for the evening, Coach Michael Camacho, MHA athletic director, took the podium to inspire the students with words of encouragement. He urged them to “embrace change, overcome challenges, pursue your dreams, make a difference, embrace leadership, and cherish the memories we have shared.” He concluded with the reminder to always trust in God’s unwavering love.

Rachel Philpott, one of the newly graduated students, said she is “looking forward to helping work at some of the athletic summer camps and relaxing at home.” When asked about her expectations about upper school, she said, “I’m looking forward to meeting new friends and going on tournaments.”

For the 17 of the senior class graduates of 2023, MHA organized three additional events leading up to Commencement. The first event, Senior Blessing, was held May 18 at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship. This private gathering was an opportunity for the graduates to enjoy time with their families and teachers. While being recognized for their unique qualities and achievements, they received a special blessing from their parents. The students also received their scholarships from Non-MAUC Adventist Universities and additional colleges/universities that currently total over $1.7 million.

The second event, Consecration, was held May 19 at Littleton Adventist Church. Special tributes were offered to each graduates’ families, and Bibles signed by the teachers and staff were also presented to the students. This year, two students chose to commit their lives to Christ through a special baptism. Paul Negrete, MHA senior class parent and the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) associate superintendent of education, delivered a speech highlighting the sacrifice of Jesus and the promise Jesus is coming again. He condensed these two truths into one statement, “Behold the Lamb of God,” and challenged the students to live with this purpose in mind.

The third event, the Baccalaureate, took place Sabbath morning, May 20, and was hosted at Denver South Seventh-day Adventist Church. The Seniors lead out in the church service and Rebecca Berg, an MHA upper schoolteacher, delivered the sermon. She shared how special this class was to her and reminisced about the memories they had created together. Berg also focused on the class aim of “Act with Intention” and encouraged the students to reflect on their intentions as they leave MHA to begin their next journey.

Finally, the Commencement ceremony brought the MHA senior class of 2023 together with their families and friends to the MHA gymnasium at 8:30 p.m. Clad in their blue gowns, the Seniors made their entrance, followed by a heartfelt prayer by Mic Thurber, the RMC president.

Clarissa Suyatno, MHA senior class president, offered the class history and president’s address before Christina Hernández, MHA teacher, delivered the graduation speech. Hernández reminded the students that their achievements were worth the work, the tears, and the late nights. At the close of the ceremony, the graduates proudly walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and participate in the symbolic movement of their tassels. They walked down the aisle amongst cheers and pyrotechnics, marking the beginning of the next chapter in their lives.

When asked to reflect on her upper school days, Giselle Negrete said, “I will miss playing sports with my friends, singing together, and just hanging out in the classroom. Those memories are some that I will cherish forever.”

To watch the recorded graduation ceremonies or access the printed programs, visit https://www.milehighacademy.org/2023graduation

—Karrie Meyers is the marketing and development coordinator at Mile High Academy. Photos supplied.

Karrie Meyers and Denae Yuros – Highlands Ranch, Colorado … The Mile High Academy’s third-grade class has been visiting the ThriveCare assisted living facilities once a month. They enjoyed time with the residents by singing songs, playing games, and reading. The ThriveCare facilities are owned and operated by MHA parents Casey and Erika Leno and are mainly located in the Littleton area.

“Some of us went to the Yarrow House from December to May. Each time we visited, we exercised and sang songs with them. We had fun singing and reading. One person who changed our lives was Miss Lovey. We looked forward to our visits because of Miss Lovey. We need to be more like her because she is kind. Going to ThriveCare was important to us because we got to make new friends,” said the Yarrow House Group.

The Ingalls House Group said, “We went to ThriveCare because we enjoyed visiting during service day and wanted to keep going. Our group visited friends at the Ingalls House. We loved the creativity and the excitement of going to the house. We also had fun playing, singing, dancing, reading, eating snacks, doing arts and crafts, and making friends with the residents.”

“I’m glad I got the chance to go to ThriveCare. I feel really good because I got to spread God’s word a lot,” said Judd, a third-grade student.

MHA student Riley said, “ThriveCare was a fun place with really nice people, and I loved to learn about my person. I learned that she was 101 years old, and her favorite subject was math. My other person liked saying, ‘God bless America.’ She passed away, but she was so nice and kind. We know everyone misses her a lot. I hope we can go back soon.”

And another student Brody recalled his favorite part of the visitations: “We got to dance. We got to sing and have lots of fun. I LOVED IT!”

Denae Yuros, the third-grade teacher, commented, “Each visit filled my heart with so much joy as I watched my students interact and communicate with the residents. Together they sang songs, played word games, made crafts, and read books. Forever friendships were forged almost immediately upon entering each home.”

She continued, “We want to give a special thank you to Cindy Roldan for connecting our class with Barb, the activities director at ThriveCare, as well as going with us on several visits. Barb expressed countless times how much of a difference our students were making in the lives of their residents, and she looks to a continued partnership with MHA. Thank you to Casey and Erika Leno for giving the third graders an opportunity to serve and love the residents. We appreciate everyone involved with this year-long service experience.”

—Karrie Meyers is the marketing and development coordinator, and Denae Yuros is the third grade teacher at Mile High Academy. Photos supplied.