Jackson Hole Seniors 2024

2024 SENIORS 2024 SENIORSCongrats Congrats

Portraits in education

By Jeannette Boner EDUCATION REPORTER

Each year headlines highlight the pomp and circumstance of graduation, a time draped in gowns, crowned with mortarboards as tassels dangle like shiny new medals marking the end, and also the beginning, of a journey.

The march toward graduation in Jackson hits a celebratory pitch this time of year, but the stories of students that define the classes of 2024 are forged with grit and carefully cultivated through community, family and educators — many of whom may never know the depths and breadth of their impact.

The following are just a small sampling of those stories.

Angel Villanueva

As a young child, Angel Villanueva was living in his parents’ car in the parking lot of a Mexican hospital with his brother, mother and father. His youngest sister was an infant, and she was sick with meningitis.

Villanueva told his mother that he wanted to help his sister.

“My brother and I were too little, and they wouldn’t allow us to see our sister,” he said, remembering being shuffled from different homes while his parents remained vigilant at his sister’s side. “The doctor said she was not going to be able to walk or speak and she would have to lay in that bed her whole life.”

Two years ago he and his family immigrated to Jackson. As a newcomer, he didn’t speak English and navigated the hallways of Jackson Hole High School with grit.

“It was a little bit tough with all the classes,” he said. “But I thought, if I overcome this I will be someone in life. So I kept pushing.”

This fall, Villanueva will start his journey toward becoming a neurosurgeon, a nod to the kind of help he dreamed about providing his family as a child. Earning enough scholarships to attend the University of Wyoming, Villanueva is the first in his family to go to college.

“It’s an honor,’ he said. “I’m very excited to represent my family and my culture.”

As for his sister, she’s currently a student at the middle school and is thriving, he said.

Roxy Martinez

Being in the outdoors with a group of kids is one of Roxy Martinez’s favorite places to be.

“I’ve been working at Camp Jackson, and that has really led me to realize that I like kids. I just like seeing how they grow, and I like being a person who can support them,” she said. “I have always had people help me and push me to be better.”

Martinez has set her sights on studying elementary education at the University of Montana this fall. She said watching students over the last four years at the camp grow and change has inspired her.

— Jeannette Boner

Sydney Bolden

From earning his Eagle Scout badge to hucking the big mountains in the backcountry, Sydney Bolden goes big and doesn’t go home until he’s given everyone his best. It was his parents who instilled his drive in him, he said.

“They were always making sure I got stuff done,” he said. “My dad’s whole philosophy is if you’re going to do something, don’t do it poorly; if you commit to something, do it; and if you’re committed, do it well. I think that’s something I’ll live by: ‘If you do it, do it well.’”

She credits Jackson Hole High School art teacher Shannon Borrego as a model for her embarking on this next step in her career.

“Sometimes when kids come to camp, they are scared or nervous. I like getting down on their level and asking them how they are doing and how I can help.”

“Shannon Borrego is one of the teachers I love the most at school because she not only cares about school, but she cares about things outside of school. She always checks up on me.

Working jobs through high school, powering through advanced placement classes and attending ski team practices was “tough,” said Bolden.

She notices when something’s wrong and that’s what I really appreciate about her.”

“I feel like I want to put my hard work to use,” said Bolden, who will attend the University of Wyoming this fall on a full scholarship. “I want to do something fulfilling, that is a job that I want to do and where I’d come home

feeling great. I feel like being a doctor is all of that and being a trauma surgeon is directly helping people.”

Angel Villanueva walks through a tunnel of teammates during the Broncs boys’ swim team’s Senior Day at the Rec Center in February. Villanueva was the only graduating senior.

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Jackson Hole High School senior Roxy Martinez, co-president of Lose the Vuse anti-vaping group, calls on students during a presentation at Jackson Elementary School in February.

COURTESY PHOTO

Sydney Bolden wants to be a surgeon.

JACKSON HOLE HIGH SCHOOL

Hugo Alberto Alvarado Villegas

Brynn Abbey

Kade Adee Danny Aguilar

Marco Barraza-Torrecillas

Sienna Anderson

Edwin Arellano-Ramos Griffen Anderson Diego Avila-Castro

Avery Binstadt

Jair Bedolla Perez

Tosh Bessette

Brian Barrios Montiel Alyosha Billimoria

Lane Brazell

Jerry Bonilla Gonzalez

Maisen Borchardt Sydney Bolden

Shane Bourassa

Sean Brice

Mia Brazil

Derek Buschow

Camden Brown

David Brown Anna Brown Sebastian Brunner

Hitzel Castaneda Vazquez

Cadel Carrigan

Thomas Caruso Kasey Carr

Justin Castagno

Marilyn Chun Juc

Petra Cernicek

Lesly Cervantes Garcia

Ashly Castaneda

Yair Cervantes Sosa

Brynn Crabtree

Hayden Clark Joshua Correa Pina

Brianna Clancy

Costilla Trejo

Alexander Brown

Oliver Cruz Garcia Travis D’Amours

Isaac Crabtree

Colton Eickhoff

Joseph DiMarco Jackson Duckett Devon Deshner Cole Eccles

Adan Flores

Arath Gaona Mendez

Liseli Garcia Torres

Camila Garcia Hernandez

Gaona Perez

June Darin

Andrew Hanna

Juliana Gutierrez Alan Guzman-Escobar Rebecca Griebel Ellis Hagan

Peyton Harris

Paedon Hare Grainger Harris Linden Hansen Parker Harris

Melany Hernandez Garcia

Conner Healy

Brooks Heard Evan Hawkins

Jimena Hernandez Alonso

Darlin Hernandez-Martinez

Kevin Hernandez Lopez

Giovanni Hernandez Perez

Rodolfo Hernandez Gonzalez

Maite Hernandez Terrazas

Tatum Graham

Elizabeth Hill

Braden Hills

Melany Hierro Hernandez

Wesley Hiltbrunner

Daxton Jones

Will Hunt

Miles Huseby Lucas Hong Kenner Johnson

Gavin Keelin

Mario Juarez Cervantes

Jennifer Juarez-Tzompa Zoe Joralemon Gabe Kantor

Cole Kreikemeier

Axl Koch

Nicholas Korpi Cameron Kendall Madison Kramer

Roxana Martinez Martinez

Kevin Loaeza Luna

Jackryza Mach Avery Kyle Layton MacLeod

Joe Martinez

Edie May

Lizbeth Martinez Tzompa

Thomas May

Maggie Hofmann

Olivia Mielke

Grace Meadows

Camila Mendez Juarez Brennan McGowan Keysi Mendez Rodriguez

Madeleine Moore

Lane Miller

Carla Montiel Perez Griffin Miller Edwin Montiel

Sarah Palazzolo

Ben Murphy

Mackenzie Olvera Bautista Jackson Moss

Teddy Opler

Ariel Perez

Valeria Perez Carrillo

Leslie Perez Esquivel Jesse Patton

Emily Perez Sanchez

Kole McCune

Alex Robles-Montiel

Reina Rhodes

Dania Rios Angel Resendiz Lola Roberts

Cecily Ross

Angel Rooks Orton

Gracen Rosenberg Leela Rogers Anastasia Rosikhina

Levana Sangros

Kate Ryan

Jean Sanchez Vazquez Carly Ruiz Ayala Vega Sanchez

Jenson Smock

Carter Selleck

Samuel Sinclair Tiernan Schuldt, in memoriam Mesa Smithmen

Emily Stafford

Matthew Steele Leslie Sosa Cruz

Aurora Stiles

Nuria Ramos

Felix Suske

Jack Stolte

Owen Strand Sophia Stoessel Stewart Sullivan

Lucy Turner

Jane Taner

Aldric Torres Rangel Emma Sutton Bodie Turner

Michelle Vargas Ramirez

Noel Tzompa-Sanchez

Ty VanZanten

Jimmy Tzompa

Yahir Vargas Perez

Logan Ward

Anette Vazquez

Angel Villanueva Ordonez

Larisa Vazquez Hernandez

Harrison Ward

Hailey Stines

Taylor Watsabaugh

Hayden Wieloh

Ella Watkins

Miriely Wilmo Brito

Isaac Zarate Carrillo

Axel Wogoman

Kathleen Wylie

Daegan Wilson Nico Yeomans

Riley Zeleznik

Ryleigh Zepp-Olsen

Fernando Zarate Cervantes

Dylan Zimmerman

Jackson Hole graduates: Blake Abbey

Lucas Wilmot

MOUNTAIN ACADEMY OF TETON SCIENCE SCHOOLS

Wednesday, June 5, 11 a.m.

Teton Science Schools Jackson Campus

“Understand that one day you will have the power to make a difference, so use it well.”

–

Mindy Kaling

Congratulations to: Jackson & James Neishabouri and the class of 2024.

We are so proud of our sons’ accomplishments. You boys rock!

We are thankful for Jackson Hole Classical Academy and its wonderful teachers, faculty, board members and especially the Friess family for their generosity and for founding this amazing school.

Franklin Walter Daly

Virginia Jade Bartz

Biz Carlin

Jacob Riley Collins

Alondra Reyes

Dolyn Kinney

Sophie Nielsen

Elizabeth Echt Augustine Rome Porter

Avery Mae Taylor

Thursday, June 6, 5 p.m., Center for the Arts

JACKSON HOLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL SUMMIT INNOVATIONS SCHOOL

Friday, June 7, 5 p.m., Center for the Arts

Peter Concannon

Benjamin Aepli

Megan Brown Finley Brownfield

Jackson Heaton

Jocelyn Gillespie

Beatrix Goldstein Huck Dyer

Alexa Higgins

Ana Rosa Castro Rojas

Isaac Morris Crabtree Lucy Jane Dillon

Tyler Kucera

Bryce Johnson

Carter Johnson

Keane Hultman

Owen Khanna

Alex Roldan Vazquez

Tiernan Schuldt, in memoriam

Ryan James Nowlin

Betzabed Vazquez Zarate

JACKSON HOLE CLASSICAL ACADEMY

Friday, June 7, 5 p.m. on campus

“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”

Emilie Wasserman Charlie Webb

Ava Tozzi

Whitney Wilcox

Not pictured: Lauren Guh-Siesel

Ila Musclow

Beckett Maher

Taya McClennen

Piper Lee

Hayes Millham

Jackson Aria Neishabouri

Jackson “Cotter” Wolcott Friess Paschal Grace McDaniel Sascha Blankensee Mizelle

Brooke Rogers

Noah Parazette

Tegan Ritter

Bryn Noojibail

Arden Rogers

James Arman Neishabouri

Questions to ask a senior besides ‘where are you going to college?’

By Andrew Hanna JHHS SENIOR

There are a lot of changes that come when you’re a senior, including where you park, how “all-out” you dress up for school themes and how many faces in the hallway you suddenly don’t know.

The biggest change, however, is the lack of conversation starters.

The average high school senior gets asked on average 6.7 times per day where he or she will be attending college. If you are a high school senior, you know this pain. If you are not, imagine a big red button on your forehead that says, “Press for immediate extreme anxiety and faint feelings of sadness,” and every adult you meet or have ever known smacks it whenever they see you.

It’s a wonderful thing really, being asked to explain the entire plan for the rest of your life with a place you might’ve only seen pictures of online. To expect 18-year-olds to know what the rest of their years on Earth look like is ridiculous.

Almost as ridiculous as asking them what the meaning of life is, or if a god exists, which is exactly what we did.

Gabe Kantor

What’s the meaning of life? 42.

Is there a god? When things go right, God exists. When things go wrong, God wishes he didn’t.

What’s your biggest fear? Carnies. Not the clowns but the people who actually run the carnival. They’re just creepy.

Do you believe in soulmates? I’ll let you know if I ever find one.

A small summary of you: I’m a junior senior who spends way too much time in the Robotics Lab. When I’m not at the lab I’m usually out hiking, skiing, or running away from my responsibilities.

Seb Brunner

What’s the meaning of life? In my personal opinion the meaning of life is to be completely and utterly happy with who you are and to obtain the goals that you desire in life.

Is there a god? Yes, there are many different cultures that believe in different gods.

What’s your biggest fear? Clowns

Do you believe in soulmates? Yes, but I believe most people do not actually find their soulmate in their time of living.

Learning Noonji

By June Darin JHHS SENIOR

Forty-four American high school students jittered in front of Hanyang University’s International Building. They were called in individually with nothing but their backpacks, leaving with a host family and the luggage they hauled from San Francisco to Seoul.

We had spent the past six days together sitting through orientations, cautioned about drug use and marriage in a foreign language and the possibility of interfering in an election.

Now we were going our separate ways, nothing but our translating app and Instagram group chat to aid us.

I followed my host sisters, who arrived wearing matching T-shirts and basketball shorts, into their car. We sat in awkward silence as they tried to ask me questions. I was able to catch words like “robotics” in their sentences but had to resort to my pocket translator.

After about 30 minutes of stuttered introductions and regret on my part for not investing more time into Korean studies before my departure, we arrived at a swimming pool.

I spent the next five hours immersed in Korean millennial culture, learning slang for ass, listening to niche Justin Bieber songs and clinking my Coke with their beers. They taught me my favorite Korean word,

one that still sticks with me, 눈치

Noonji is the sixth sense, an attunement to social nuances. Before I was taught how to use it kindly, I was taught how to use it as an insult.

눈치�없어요

The lack of Noonji: when a close friend starts talking loudly about a secret whispered minutes before, or when a 20-something man is sitting in the subway seat reserved for pregnant women.

My trips were hallmarked by moments with a lot of Noonji — or too little.

When I was stranded in Seoul at 2 a.m. with a dead phone and was miles away from my normal bus stop, navigating my way through dark sidewalks and drunken strangers, finally finding my way to a convenience store to charge my phone, call my host sister and get home.

I had Noonji.

When I took a joke too personally, needing to ask for clarification as to whether my friend actually hated me or not. When I raised my voice a little too loud in the subway. When I told my teacher she didn’t look 19-years old. When I showed my host sisters and a new acquaintance “Magic Mike” on their TV. When I insulted my friend about her taekwondo skills because I thought we were “on that level”.

I didn’t have Noonji.

My tendency to overthink others’ actions as well as disregard for cen-

A small summary of you: I am 17, I play football and basketball. I strongly dislike school, my favorite color is orange, and my favorite animal is a Liger, IYKYK.

Sean Brice

What’s the meaning of life? I mean to me, it’s about making a difference. Being a positive influence and inspiring others.

Is there a god? It’s hard for me to believe something that I can’t prove. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a creator, though.

What’s your biggest fear? I think my biggest fear is losing memory. I feel like what makes us who we are is the people who we hang out with, our experiences and how we grew up. To forget all of that is to lose your character. It’s like being a shell of what used to be a person.

Do you believe in soulmates? I believe there are definitely strong bonds that can occur in a relationship. However, I don’t think that there are soulmates in the sense that it is destiny to be with a person. I feel like life isn’t scripted like that.

A small summary of you: When I’m not in school, I’m lifting, working or skiing. I’m the president and co-

founder of the JHHS Investment Club. Jane Taner

What’s the meaning of life? Being a Swiftie.

Is there a god? Yes.

What’s your biggest fear? People in my life dying.

Do you believe in soulmates? Sure. Why not? Yeah.

A small summary of you: I’m a dancer. I like talking to people and my license plate says YANE. •••

You see, if you had asked, “So where are you gonna be next year?” you would’ve never known about Seb’s love for ligers, Gabe’s bachelor status, Sean’s amazing investment club or Jane’s sweet plates.

The next time you see a senior in the hallway, first tell them that they’re going to be OK wherever they end up. Then ask them something about themselves that will give you a real answer.

Everyone is mu ch cooler than what they can put on an application or where they get accepted to go study. I promise.

Andrew Hanna is a member of the Jackson Hole High School class of 2024.

sorship made the presence of Noonji up to a coin flip.

This culture of Noonji, being so prevalent that it was the first word I learned in Korea, accurately describes the generosity and respect I was treated with, this kindness of all the people I crossed securing them a place in my heart (and wall) forever.

My host sisters welcomed me into their home, cooked me meals, took me shopping, introduced me to their friends and family, and talked to me every night at the dinner table.

My teachers indulged me by listening to the “Jessie” theme song, search-

ing up “Captain America Pre-Serum” and continuing to text after our departure. My college friend Najin took our group to try new foods, listened to our gossip and explained complicated Korean TikTok trends patiently.

So instead of talking about the action-packed six weeks visiting Gyeongbok Palace, singing in karaoke rooms, riding roller coasters at Lotte World, and eating Bulgogi, I picked this word to describe it.

School class of 2024.

June Darin is a member of the Jackson Hole High

COURTESY PHOTO

Jackson Hole High School senior June Darin, back left, with her host family and friends in Korea and the day she learned about “Noonji.”

Fowler

Your resilience and strength of character are beyond question. AJ will attend Link Academy in the fall. We love you LT!

We are so proud of you! May your kindness and empathy for others guide you through life. Love, Mom, Dad, Sadie, and Nana

Best Wishes to you Lucy as you head to Eckerd College! With love from all the Dillons!

Gingery Elizabeth Prince Lucy Jane Dillon Eva Flanagan

Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and twice as beautiful as you’ve ever imagined -DrSeuss

on

Congrats G-man! Excited for your journey at University of Redlands-Columbia University 3-2 Engineering Program and commitment to play basketball!

Grand Canyon University Bound! Congrats Sienna, we are SO proud of you! Wishing you all the best in your next adventure! Love, Mom, Dad and Sean

Riley will be attending Boston UniversityLive big, enjoy every moment and always jump head first, fearless! -Always, Dad, Mom, Noah & Hayden

AMAZING GRACE ~ SAIL THE SEA OF YOUR DREAMS! *ZAKAR* Grace will begin studying Vocal Performance at the University of Utah in the Honors College.

Flight School in Florida. Congratulations Jackson Bonner Moss, we are so proud of the amazing young man you are becoming! Matthew 22:37

Justin will serve a 2 year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (tbd) then attend & play football for Wartburg in Waverly IA

and Lucy Turner

Congratulations Bodie and Lucy! The best of luck at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Kansas. Triangle X Ranch

Congrats to Elizabeth! She will be attending Boston College in the Fall, majoring in political science. We are super proud of you.

Hailey plans on attending the University of Utah this fall. This summer Hailey is excited to begin guiding rafts for Dave Hansen Whitewater.

Gavin Keelin Hailey Stines

Grace Caroline Meadows

Ila Musclow

Ila, YOU DID IT!!!!! Congratulations

your well-deserved success. Here’s to a bright future at St. Lawrence. All our love, Mom, Dad and Leif

Colorado School Of Mines awaits! We are beyond proud of you. Love Mom and Dad

Sienna Gayle Anderson Piper Lee Jackson Bonner Moss

Riley Zeleznik Justin Castagno

A Toyota is a rose

By Linden Hansen JHHS SENIOR

Iwas few days old when I first tasted the high life, steering home in a fabulous white Toyota Land Cruiser.

With 300,000 miles, it chugs on.

The car contains so many memories that one should refrain from calling it a car. Rather, a safe haven, a tote bag or a time capsule seems more fitting. The passenger seat is torn open, the air conditioning is too loud, the rearview mirror falls off if you tug too hard, the brakes are strung loose, the antenna is frozen at a quarter height, and sometimes when it’s below freezing you have to gi ve a little gas when you turn the key to ease it into action.

It is older than me, but I love that car.

In the back seat lies the mess of the day: flaring cheetah pants from the night before; a sister’s unfinished sandwich; textbooks for literature, government and calculus classes.

My mother got the car around the time she was engaged to my father. A strapping American dream.

It was the first car she ever owned; she was unable to drive in the foreign Bangkok streets where she was raised.

She h ad a rule for her four daughters: When they got in the car, no staring at phones.

These days when I drive that Toyota I have to stop myself from picking up my phone. Out of boredom. Out of perhaps a lack of appreciation for the moment. For simply one thing at a time.

The fast-paced-ness of our world has taken that idea of time, chewed it up, spit it back out and trampled on it. We ignore time amid soul-sucking scrolling, amid digesting hours of content a day — on screens that have turned the attention spans of future generations into a numbed mush of 15-second indulgence.

Ironically enough, I saw a reel on Instagram recently, though I can’t remember when or by whom. It was a beautiful fashion show. The lanky figures walked siren-like down the elevated runway in dark lighting. Siren-like yet with utmost purpose

and a strong force of simplicity, as they wore neutral shades and linear silhouettes.

They looked classic, yet new.

In the caption it read something along the lines of, “When everyone is trying hard to be different, restraint speaks louder than excess.”

Change is consistent with time. Trends fold over and crumple and are rebirthed in the dust. Even in a garden full of bloom, flowering crops are rotated, swapped out depending on the flavor of the month, the season, the year.

But what is to be said for the rose?

A symbol of timelessness, of definitive unmatched beauty that will stay in that garden no matter the season. And onlookers will awe at its classic reds and whites and pinks. They will never fail to recognize the elegance in its simplicity.

Across my life I have discovered things that uphold this legacy of timeless beauty, whether experiences or objects or people or even the Land Cruiser. They carry that legacy of the rose.

When I first got my license I felt I needed to do something to make the car my own. I went to the Dollar Tree and picked up some green and pink skull stickers. My friends and I stuck them all over the car in little hiding spots. I looped some shiny beads around the rearview mirror. And I hung another necklace with a tiny carved elephant charm hanging off it.

That elephant necklace is the only decor still standing today, a rose frozen in time.

My mother used to take me shopping in big malls, buying me this and that with her money. Now I shop in her closet. The grays, blacks and navies that color her shelves speak louder than anything I could purchase. More roses tucked in dark aging corners. They stay permanent against a changing backdrop of time. Classic and dear.

And then there is the Toyota. My most precious rose, with me from first breath to the clacking of my Apple Mac keyboard even now.

But it is true that the only con-

To Linden Hansen a beloved old Land Cruiser is,

stant is change. And I wonder: This car that I love, this rose, will it change too? With time?

I’ve wanted more than anything for that car to stay the same, with my perfumes and lip balms and sunglasses in the center console. Forever carting me around town. Past the Albertsons lot. Past my first Creekside Italian sub. Past the pottery studio. Past the bridge I’ve jumped off countless times into the cold summer river’s flow.

But the windshield is cracked from side to si de and the brakes are singing. It lives in the shop almost once every two months like clockwork. It is changing too fast for time to keep

pace, and soon I fear my hands must say goodbye to the wheel.

I’ve realized that goodbye is good, however. Goodbye means something true and timeless has grown with age. Accumulated experience over a lifetime shapes a unique type of beauty.

I have an entry in my notes app, a question a good friend once posed: “Are you guys gonna try to age naturally or get Botox?”

I’ll age naturally. Someone might love me as much as I love that Cruiser. Linden Hansen is a member of the Jackson Hole High School class of 2024.

Diego Avila

When Diego Avila told his parents he was enlisting in the Army, he said they were really scared.

“They thought, maybe this wasn’t the correct career choice for me,” he said as his parents considered current world conflicts. “But the more we looked into it, the more calm they got because they saw how it could just be a really good oppor-

Braden Hills will serve in the Argentina Rosario Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He’s excited for this two-year mission and will enter the Missionary Training Center this July.

“It can feel daunting at times,” he said of being on the cusp of serving. “But I’m mostly just excited. This is a

tunity for me.”

Avila will report to Fort Jackson, South Carolina this August for basic training. Fort Jackson will launch his military career for the next six years as he works toward an education in the criminal justice field.

“I was really confused on what to do after high school,” he said. “And it just seemed like a really good option because even while

I’m still in the military, I’ll be able to attend college.”

He’s leaning on his family for support and trying to hit the gym a little more before he leaves, he said laughing.

“More than anything, I’m scared to leave Jackson. I’ll meet new people, but I’m scared to leave everyone here behind and not have the connection to the people that I have right now.”

Braden Hills

huge experience, something totally new and outside of anything else I’ve done.”

After his mission, he is planning on attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. But in the meantime, the local soccer star is looking forward to this next step in his life.

“I think it’s gonna be quite the shift in my life. But something that’s gon-

na be constant for me is soccer. And being a soccer player and going to Rosario, it’s gonna be nice being able to at least play down there a little bit with the people. Just knowing that I want to be able to share His love with everyone, I thought this was definitely one of the best ways to do so,” Hills said of sharing his faith.

Alex Robles-Montiel

“You never know unless you try,” has become a guiding principle for Alex Robles-Montiel.

Robles-Montiel was in the throes of his junior year, crushing as many advanced placement courses as he could take heading toward a four-year academic college.

“And then I just, like, realized that my friends had gotten into cars, nice cars. I was like, wow, that’s cool. I like cars too. I got my hands dirty and I liked it. I decided I wanted to do something that I enjoyed.”

It wasn’t an easy road to ride with his mom, however.

“Well, I used to fight my mom a lot,” he said. “She wanted me to go to college, but my sister supported my decision.”

Robles-Montiel said his older sister Ana encouraged him to chase his dreams. She would smooth things over with his mom, and found him a work-study with a local mechanic.

Robles-Montiel will attend WyoTech in Laramie this summer, fueling his dreams of becoming a professional mechanic who eventually wants to open his own shop.

“This is your life,” his sister told him. “Chase your own dreams.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Diego Avila, second from the left, with his family.

MICHAEL S. SMITH

Braden Hills, center, celebrates his goal with teammates Teddy Opler, left, and Owen Smith during the Broncs’ 4-0 shutout of Cheyenne East in the Wyoming state soccer tournament in Rock Springs.

KATHRYN ZIESIG / NEWS&GUIDE

Alex Robles-Montiel, center, learns to make a sope at Jackson Hole High School.

Lucille Clifton

We are thrilled to celebrate the journey and remarkable achievements of our seniors. Throughout their time at Mountain Academy, they have invested deeply in your community, shown remarkable personal growth, and excelled academically. We look forward to seeing the amazing future they will create!

Augustine Porter

Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Liz Echt Colby College

Biz Carlin Connecticut College

Avery Taylor Texas Christian University

Jacob Collins Bates College

Sophie Nielsen Lewis & Clark

Alondra Reyes Colorado State University

Frank Daly Western Colorado University

Jade Bartz Bowdoin College

Dolyn Kinney Lewis & Clark