Part 1 | Senior Tribute Magazine 2022-23 | The Flash & Tonitrus | Rocklin High School

TELL ME

YOUR STORY

The freshman girl strode down the deserted hall, the only sound the echo of her heels on the tile floor. She hadn’t eaten for more than 36 hours, but food was the last thing on her mind... (continued on back cover)

ROCKLIN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR TRIBUTE MAGAZINE

EDITOR’S NOTE

Rocklin High School’s Senior Tribute is a special magazine that is meant to honor the undercovered seniors that are only shown few times in the yearbook.

We give these seniors a chance to tell their story here at Rocklin as they now move on to their next chapter in life, leaving traces of their presence with those of us who remain.

This year’s theme was TELL ME YOUR STORY, and we asked seniors to share with us the moments that they will never forget.

Without these seniors, Rocklin High School’s identity wouldn’t nearly be complete. We’d like to take this chance to say “thank you” to all intro and advanced media programs (Photojournalism, Publications, and Journalism) for working hard and creating this magazine.

Thank you seniors for letting us tell your story.

Rain rushed out of the gutter and splattered onto the cement. Walking to class as rain drops swept through the overhang and fell onto the hood of his sweatshirt. He looked down at his shoes, once clean, now drenched and covered in mud. It was early March, and it seemed as though the rain would never end.

“Hey Cole!” said Cole Rabe’s Microeconomics teacher, Mr. Hardy. Cole took his hood off as he entered the classroom for what felt like the thousandth time. An hour and 25 minutes of sitting in Microeconomics was not Cole’s idea of fun at the moment. He dreamed of being somewhere under the sun where he would be having the time of his life.

Thirty minutes into class, all Cole could hear was, “Supply and demand blah, blah, and blah. The cost of production is… blah, blah, and blah.” Just as he was dozing off, his attention was quickly brought back to him. He felt a buzzing in his pocket, so he went to grab his phone, expecting to receive an Instagram or Snapchat notification.

it’s always been my dream to go to school in Socal and after visiting the campus I really just invisioned myself being there.

-Cole Rabe

Cole Rabe Ethan Waltimire

In early August, school had just started, and everything was new to him. Rocklin High School was just another school to Ethan, and just like all the other times that he moved schools, he hadn’t made any friends that stuck with him. To cure his boredom, he spent his days skating in his garage on his skate ramp.

However on one day as Ethan went to his garage to skate on the ramp, and practiced new tricks for hours he couldn’t believe his eyes. With the sound of wheels going past his house, his attention snagged on the group of guys skating by.

He had no idea that other people skated around here and thought this was his chance to make new friends. The group stared at him with interest, and Ethan stared right back at them. He watched them get farther down the street of his neighborhood until he could not see them anymore. Later that day, the image of the group of skaters kept showing up in his mind. He only wished that he could be a

His phone screen lit up his face, and he read the words “San Diego State University.” His mind was now visualizing himself walking through the campus, which he had been dreaming of ever since visiting the campus. He could picture himself hanging out with his friends in his dorm, at the beach in one of the nicest cities in the U.S., while learning all about business administration. With a steadying breath, he became eager to read the email. He quickly tapped on the email to open it, and the moment he had been waiting for had finally come to him–he had been accepted to go to SDSU in the fall. A huge wave of happiness washed over him, and although he was able to manage to contain himself from letting out his excitement in the quiet classroom, the smile on his face remained. All he could think to do next was to tell everyone he knew, so he looked back down at his phone and began texting all his friends and family the news.

part of a group like that, wanted friends that would stick. The images in his mind were interrupted when he heard knocking at his door. He ignored it, hoping someone else in the house would answer the door. After about two minutes of loud knocking noises, he decided to just go answer it real quickly.

As he approached the door, he decided it would be safe to check who it was, so he put his eyes up to the peephole. His heart started to beat fast, realizing it was the group of skaters that he had seen earlier. Quickly pulling his eyes away from the hole, he collected himself before he opened the door. He put on a smile as he opened the door, and he immediately knew that these people would change his life.

Immediately after meeting, Ethan and his new friends would hang out and welcomed him into their group. From that moment on, they have been hanging out and skating almost every day.

Abby Clark and Olivia Cruz

Brooklynn Spiller

On April 14th, a rather cold Friday, Brooklyn received a notification from her email while sitting in her Government Economics class. Spending her Friday in this class was not her idea of a good time. Wishing the time would pass by quicker, Brooklyn waited on her phone, anticipating the end of class. Scrolling through her social media, Brooklyn was surprised to see an email from the University of San Francisco. She knew she was expecting college decisions soon but had no idea what

the email was about. Expecting an information packet or some sort of update, she opened the email. Not knowing what she was receiving, she read, “You have been accepted…”.

Wanting to scream and cry, she had to pull herself back together in class. The University of San Francisco was one of the top colleges she wished to attend. Excitedly turning to her classmates, Destiny Parker, and Emma Larson, she showed them her email. After talking about it with her classmates, she texted her best friends Olivia and Sydney Cruz to share the news.

After reading the email, it was hard not to picture her life in the city. She could see herself walking around the city with all her new friends. Going to all the shops and going around campus and going to college celebrations. She was most excited about the view of the bay. Loving city

life and hustle culture, she couldn’t wait to start moving.

Even though going to college meant leaving her family and friends behind, she couldn’t be happier. Knowing that this was her last summer living at home as a high schooler, she wanted to make it her best. Although she planned trips with her friends for the summer to keep her busy, she knew summer here would not last and she would have to leave. Looking forward to making new friends and learning more for her future career, Brooklyn had the best Government Economics class of her life.

I grew up going to SF and I love the city so much--it’s so cool!

- Brooklynn Spiller

I love the life in San Fransisco and it is where I’ve always wanted to live.

“ ”

- Brooklynn Spiller

Aiden Baumert

FRANTIC FRIDAY

As the music played and students dully danced to the rhythm of the beat, a hush fell over the gym as a message crackled through the intercom: school was shutting down for two weeks due to COVID. Suddenly, the air was filled with an electric energy as high-fives were exchanged and whoops of excitement echoed off the walls. The students had never felt so exhilarated - two whole weeks of freedom from homework, tests, and early morning wake-ups. As they filed into the air conditioned locker room to change out of their uniforms, they could practically taste the freedom in the air, already planning all the adventures they would have and the memories they would make. For freshman Aiden Baumert, this meant two weeks of pickup basketball with his friends for hours a

day. As the quarantine waged on, two weeks transitioned into two months, grades became finalized and classwork became optional. But for Aiden, it was all a blessing. “I was even more excited when I heard that the quarantine was extended. It meant that I didn’t have to do any schoolwork for the rest of the year and all of my grades were final which was great. Overall quarantine didn’t really affect me much, I was still able to do a lot of the things that I wanted to do.” Aiden said. Although many struggled to maintain quality shape for their sport, Aiden continued to show the minimal effect COVID had on him. Aiden recalled, “We would have virtual practice over Zoom. We would do little body weight workouts which was kind of weird. I think the workouts benefited me

because it showed the coaches that I was committed to the team.” Outside of basketball, Aiden continued to live his life as normal; day trips with friends, visiting family, and overall just having a normal summer break. “I personally loved the COVID break. It was basically an extended summer break to hang out with friends. Yeah there were mask mandates but it didn’t really bother us much.” Unaffected in what many consider a time of struggle, Aiden’s positive attitude allowed him to make the most out of quarantine. Aiden recalls that, “honestly it was probably one of my best memories of highschool.” Throughout those months of quarentine, Aiden learned how to make the most out of life, for each day was an exciting new adventure ready to be explored by him.

Senior Aiden Baumert reflects on the day COVID took over Rocklin High School

BRANDON CHIPP

Ryan Kluessendorf

Friday March 13th, 2020 as the rumors flooded the halls Ryan Kluessendorf and his friends were caught up in the buzz about a supposed two week break from school due to the new virus circulating. “We had been talking about [COVID] all week because that’s when it started to become more publicized.” Kluessendorf and his friends were excited for the prospect of two weeks off, but the excitement was short lived as administration made an announcement on the intercom that there would be no lockdown. However, just hours later, while working on a project in his last class of the day, Engineering Support Technology, there was roughly 10 minutes left of school when all of a sudden administration “sent an email to all of the teachers to inform them we were going into quarantine.” As some students were scared for what was to come, he felt a rush of excitement. “We didn’t do much schoolwork,” students were given an update stating quarantine would be, “extended to a month [and] this is when they tried doing [distance learning],” but since grades weren’t going to change from what they were before, “no one did schoolwork.” This turned out to be a “four month long summer,” and to keep busy “we rode our bikes 14 miles a day doing random things throughout town”.

Luke Price

As the morning light crept through the blinds and the sound of the alarm clock pierced the peaceful silence, a wave of nervous excitement washed over him- it was the first day of school. Getting ready that morning, Luke Price was reminded of the struggles of waking up early, especially after a long summer of late nights with friends and teammates. Greeted by the sounds of birds chirping, Luke could already feel the sweltering heat moving in as he left his house that morning. Driving to school he felt unusually out of place, for at this time during the summer he was usually on his way to another eventful day at the golf course. Nonetheless, he was quickly overcome with feelings of excitement for the new school year. After all, he was eager to reconnect with old friends he hadn’t seen over break. Arriving at school that morning, traffic was at its busiest; families dropping off their children, hundreds of familiar faces passing by his car, as well as a few unfamiliar ones. Dapping up his friends, Luke was reminded of how much he missed seeing them everyday, their long-awaited inside jokes always brought him joy any day of the week. He was ready for his senior year of high school.

ROMAN MESSINA

Chloe Kimbrell

Chole Kimbrell, still nervous, arrived at her freshmen homecoming in her floral beautidul black dress. Once she entered the dance, she took it all in and that nervous feeling started to slowly fade away, deep into the abyss of sweaty teenagers. Kimbrell became happy and was glad to be there as the night went on, glad that she didn’t miss the dance. The atmosphere was incredible, good music playing, adrenaline filled the people around them. She was having fun dancing, smiling along with the others.

Kimbrell felt nervous and terrified days before the dance. Being new to high school and not having many friends at the time did not make things easier. Kimbrell felt more anxious and had no desire to go to the

dance, but one of Kimbrell’s good friends came and saved the day. Her friend encouraged her to go and said, “C’mon you have to go [or] you’re going to regret it.” Little did her friend know, she just saved Kimbrell from making a big mistake and missing an unforgettable night.

As Kimbrell arrived to her last ever homecoming, she entered the dance the same way she did her freshman year, nervous but excited. A weird feeling of deja vu encompassed her, as if this dance was going to be a repeat of one of the most incredible nights of her life.

Don’t Blink or You’ll Miss It Nicholas Dagenbach

The moment Nihcolas Dagenbach stepped out on campus, he had to be alert to run and dodge Mr. Reynoso, the disciplinary tech.

Dagenbach gathered many hours of detention during his junior year due to him. Whenever Mr. Reynoso was near, it was time to hide. He would get help from his friends while he was hiding, and they would look out for Mr. Reynoso as if soldiers on a battlefield, giving him the clear if he wasn’t around.

To Dagenbach, it was quite fun and was a good time he spent with his friends. This activity of

dodging and running made Dagenbach closer and feel more connected with his friends. These were moments that he is never going to forget. As time went on, he got closer to geting caught to serve his endless detention hours. Eventually Dagenbach couldn’t escape and was finally caught. He had to serve all his hours of detention. In the end, it was worth all the running because it created a memorable moment Dagenbach enjoyed and brought him closer to the people he cares about, his friends.

HANNAH WAMPLER

“It was really weird, I felt like I was having deja vu.”

Her Love

Looking at the screen with a nervous face, cold sweat dripping down onto the keyboard. Nikolay Marunov looked away from the bright computer screen and into the eyes of his mother as always soft and gentle. “It’ll be okay, just fill in your information here” she touched his shoulder to help him calm his breathing and focus. He took a deep breath and began filling out each question with his mother by his side, guiding him on what to say and what not to say. Confidence began to circulate through his blood and the closer he got to the end, the more at ease he felt pressing the button “submit.” The button that would pave the future he will have after his high school career.

Marunov described himself as an average student academ-

ically wise, sometimes having no motivation to finish a small assignment. He described a moment when Mr. Morrison, the physics teacher at Rocklin High School, gave his class a speech on doing their best. Marunov felt very impacted by his speech and coming out of that classroom he told me he realized that, “the small steps count, I realized that doing those little things will make a greater impact.”

Marunov said, “I am pretty introverted so I like being alone. I do have some friends but nobody I’m super close to.” One instance persists however, Marunov had a friend dear to him in sophomore year that sadly moved away. He said, “my sophomore year I was pretty close to someone but they moved away.” Marunov and his friend were very close,

but when he moved Marunov had to go back to his introverted days.

His mother had one of the biggest impacts on him. When it came to college applications, Marunov said, “I didn’t know where to start, I was panicking and she walked me through it.” His mother walked him through the process and built up his confidence throughout the application process. He is now on track to go to Sierra College for 2 years and then transfer to a different college.

Nikolay Marunov

“It pushed me further, further to do those little things.”

RADIAN HONG

DAVID HILTON THE FLAG & THE FUTURE

That night, David Hilton felt like he was on top of the world. Just before the biggest event of the year, the Quarry Bowl, he and all his friends were hanging out and having the time of their lives, just enjoying being teenagers while it lasted. It was the rival team Whitney High School (WHS), on their turf, with the odds against them, but Hilton still believed they could win. He led the crowd in, waving the flag through the air. Hilton being the proud Rocklin student he was, he was wearing the Rocklin High School (RHS) Quarry Bowl shirt. It was white with blue writing because the theme of this year's game was white out (RHS) against black out (WHS). He also had on some brown shorts to tie the outfit together. As the game was about to kick off and they were heading in, everyone felt the same; there was no popular group, no weird kids, no shy kids, no jocks — it was just teenagers being a part of their school.

The excitement of walking into the STORM section was electric, the students thundering with applause. That Rocklin High School was a united force; the spirit between those students and the pride they had for their team was at full force. The feeling of cheering for their team for

the last time at the Quarry Bowl felt different from previous times. Walking into the crowd, Hilton felt powerful, and leading everyone in made the energy so much higher.

The game was filled with excitement and promise of victory. It was a tight game, everyone on their toes waiting for the results. When the class of 2023 got to see Rocklin High School beat Whitney High School for a final time, everyone was ecstatic. If he had the chance, Hilton would go back to that moment because he felt as if everyone felt the same emotions he did. The RHS students were so excited at the results of that game. Rocklin beat Whitney at the Quarry Bowl. Hilton and his fellow classmates were all out there cheering on their boys that night with so much hope in their eyes.

Hilton had hope, not just for the results of that game but also for his future. He felt that night made him more of a leader and reminded him of the power he and everyone around him had inside them. He felt like everyone had the power to lead that night. Everyone would be off to somewhere new next year, so they had

to make the best of that night. Hilton has known his classmates, the people that he was surrounded by, for years. Even if he wasn’t friends with them or didn’t like them, they were the people that made up his life for four years.

Now that all of that was ending, it was a bittersweet realization for Hilton. The class of 2023 was going to college, work — off on a new adventure anywhere but here. Hilton feels that his classmates all have different visions of what their future will be in their mind, a different place where they will thrive. Hilton's future as of now is Cal Poly. He is off on a new adventure to college. It’s not the path for everyone, but for him and some of his classmates, it is. For Hilton, the ending of high school is coming fast, and a new adventure is beginning just as fast. It’s very surreal to him to be going off to college; he feels like a freshman still, and in a way he is: instead of a freshman in high school, Hilton will soon be a freshman in college. He has made many memories in his high school experience, but there are many more that await him. With a flop of his tassel, his new adventure will begin.

NATHEN MANLEY

ROHAN KISHORE

THE DRESS

It was the first week of school, and RHS held its first annual welcome back carnival. Nathan Manley and his friends decided to walk down to the campus closet to see if there were any fun outfits to pick out. They were looking through the clothes when Manley held up a hot pink dress with a devious look on his face. Manley and one of his friends looked at each other, and their other friends burst into laughter, knowing what they were up to. Manley threw the dress to his friend who put it on and danced around before walking straight out the door. Manley was laughing, and in that moment he realized that he had missed out on moments like this in the past; he made a promise to himself that he would have more fun and hang out with his friends as much as possible. He began to keep that promise to himself when his friend took off the

dress to put it back — Manley snatched it up and put it on, joining in the fun. That day ended up being one of the greatest days he had in high school. He learned that not everything has to be serious all the time. Throughout his four years of high school, Manley had focused on performing academically; he had a good friend group, but he was never one to make the group crack a laugh. Now that he’s a senior, he’s taking a different approach; he doesn’t want to waste his last year at Rocklin High School only focused on his studies. Manley wanted to laugh and have fun while time lasted. He wanted to make his senior year the best it could be instead of worrying so much about school. He has since learned how to go with the flow and let out his inner self.

THE UNPLANNED EVENT

In early 2020, the world felt the sting of the global pandemic that changed everyone's lifestyle. It was a time of suffering that swept across the world, leaving us in a storm of anguish and pain that stained every corner of the globe. No one was immune to the devastating effects of COVID-19. Yet, in the face of adversity, Rohan Kishore adapted and learned to overcome this challenge.

Kishore was a fast learner and figured out how to adapt quickly and make the best out of his time at home. This taught him how to face challenges, which in this case was the changing world around him. “Although it wasn’t any great high or wonderful experience I had during high school, it definitely introduced me to having to adapt quickly and face challenges head on, especially in new environments,” he said. In the matter of days, things escalated quickly, school shutting down, people losing jobs, and stores closing. All of this resulted in panic and stress. Even when these problems occurred, Kishore found calm within the storm by recogniz-

ing that it was a good opportunity for him to grow as a person; the pandemic taught him that not everything will go as planned and helped him become a more mature person.

Kishore’s mature attitude helped him grow throughout the strangeness of 2020, revealing his true resilience. “I’d say missing that opportunity or giving it up for something better isn’t exactly something I’d like to do,” he said. Kishore saw the pandemic as a chance to embrace change and a chance to deal with himself. Even when COVID-19 threw a wrench in his life, he moved on, shaking the dust off his shoulders and continuing to grow and mature even in the face of calamity.

KAELYN CUNNINGHAM

Amanda Bell THE LAST 15 MINUTES

It was a hot summer day in July, and only a few weeks remained before the start of Amanda Bell’s senior year. She was playing soccer in a college showcase in San Diego, and there were only about 15 minutes left of the game. Tired, she turned in just the wrong way, feeling and hearing a pop behind her knee. At first, Bell didn’t think much of it, but as the days went on, it became harder for her to walk. “This is when I knew something was really wrong,” she said. She explained that tearing one’s acl is “something most female athletes fear.” She underwent surgery in the last week of August. “I was really bummed because this meant I couldn’t enjoy a senior night or senior season with my childhood friend Caitlyn,” she said. However, her friends Blake Coursey and Olivia Igou came to visit and support Bell after her surgery. Bell had to miss a few football games, but those that she could go to were “a lot more enjoyable.” Bell’s recovery will be about a year long. Her injury has taught her “to never take a soccer game for granted, [to] always play like it’s your last game.” She said, “It’s made me realize also how thankful I am for my family and friends who helped along the way.”

BEAT

OF THE STREET

Xavior Ramos put on his Matador suit and sombrero for his marching band competition in Santa Cruz while trying not to faint in the October heat. He and his friends from Grenada High School all decided to participate because of their love and enjoyment for music. Ramos’s interest in the clarinet started in the sixth grade, and led to him winning a music competition. Some of the songs were older, including “Purple Pageant.” “I was just so focused on playing the music,” said Ramos. “I didn’t even realize I was pretending there was no one around us. It was just like the band mark, like doing a normal routine.” Xavier and the rest of the band ended up scoring high in the competition and got to spend some quality time with each other.

Cameron Birdwell

AIDEN MCCURDY

Friday night lights shone brightly and the student section was cheering loudly, but all Aiden McCurdy could focus on was the field. This was the game that would decide which team was going to the section championship. Rocklin High School’s varsity football team was down around 10 points with two minutes left. Rocklin High School was able to score and had the opportunity to kick a field goal. McCurdy, who was a junior at the time, stood alongside his teammates as Rocklin’s kicker, Connor McGregor, made a field goal that gave them the winning point. It was the last home game of the season. The student section exploded with so much energy the staff had to stop them from running onto the field. All Aiden felt was shock at what had just happened. The varsity football team went into the game expecting to win, but it was a very close game, back and forth all night. At the beginning of the game, Aiden had gotten a tackle at kickoff that started it out strong. Although he didn’t play the entire time, he was happy with his contribution that night. The score glowed 51-48 on the Thundertron as the team jumped up and down and hugged each other. Aiden and his friends went to In-N-Out after the game and hung out late at night to celebrate.

AMY SOLORIO

Amy Solorio took a deep breath as she fiddled with her costume, preparing for her final dance show of high school. Even though Solorio tended to get nervous before performances, she always felt better once the first show was over. Solorio has been a part of Rocklin High School’s dance program since she was a freshman here at Rocklin, when she joined Dance 1. Dance 2, 3, & 4 perform at the advanced dance show in May. She was very grateful for the experience and for all of the friends she made in that class. Her last dance show was a bittersweet memory because Solorio knew that she was never going to be able to perform in a high school dance show again. She believes that participating in dance made her a lot more social; she came into Rocklin High with only a small group of friends, and she can see how it has expanded over the years because of all of the new people she met through the class. The shows are always really fun for Solorio — she enjoyed everything from going to rehearsals, to

class bonding games, to the actual dance show itself. She usually gets food with her friends in between or after dance shows and always looks forward to the opportunity to get to know girls in the other dance classes. As the curtain closed and she took a bow with her fellow dancers, she was content with her decision to become a part of the class and grateful for all the experiences it gave her.

“It was such a surreal moment ...”

ANTONIO GOMEZ-BEJAR

PARIS THAO

PARIS THAO

GAME DAY

Ryan Saxe showed up to the first tee at Morgan Creek golf course with butterflies in his stomach. The course was in a terrible condition, with puddles of water on the fairways. It was a dreary day, cold, cloudy, and rainy — less than ideal conditions for golf. Saxe and the team were wearing their blue polos, blue hats, and black pants, drenched in the pouring rain. After a little bit of warming up, it was time for Saxe to head to the first tee and start the match. “I was definitely very nervous, but nerves are ok because I really wanted to do good, not just for me, but for my team as well,” he said. It was Saxe’s first ever match on a team where the score actually mattered. At that moment, Saxe wanted to make that best shot possible to launch his team to victory. The first hole was a “slight dogleg left;” the biggest danger was hitting the ball too far left and out of bounds. Saxe did exactly that. “I was pretty mad after I sliced it, actually I was extremely mad,” he said. Now as Saxe is nearing the end of his senior year, he looks back at that particular moment as a learning experience. “I’ve learned to take my driver out of my bag a lot less after that day and play golf holes safely. Sometimes playing safe and average golf is the best golf you will ever play,” he said.

FUN FOR ALL

The senior girl walked swiftly with her three friends down the busy Rocklin High School halls, listening to the loud laughter and cheers from the other students. The campus was loud, with music blasting from the tents and classrooms. Chatter filled the air. The girl and her friends went to the student store where they were selling clothes. In particular, she was looking for plaid for her and her family to wear at her horse competitions. At the beginning of the carnival, Josalyn Mcgarvey assumed that she’d have a bad time since she didn’t really talk to her friends over summer; she was worried there would be an awkward tension in the group. However, by the time the carnival came to an end, Mcgarvey knew she would remember it for a long time. She said that the fall carnival set the mood and momentum for the rest of the year with her and her friends, bringing them closer together. “From then on, we have been best friends,” she said.

When Taylor was younger, she was always afraid to try new things. Taylor would stick to what she knew and never venture out of her comfort zone. She was afraid to learn new things because she did not want to mess up or fail. But that all changed when Taylor first rode a dirt bike in Summer of 2021. It was a sunny and warm day in Loomis along a trail that was near the train tracks and she was with one of her friends. At first, she was hesitant to try it. She had never ridden a dirt bike before. But her friend convinced her to give it a try, and she’s so glad she did. Taylor said, “This moment just really changed me because it opened my eyes to a whole new interest which led to a whole new life style and me learning a lot of new things.” It was such a small moment but it also led to a domino effect of so many things in her life. This moment gave her the courage to try new things in other areas of her life as well. Taylor started to take risks and put herself out there. Taylor learned so many new things, including that life is full of opportunities. It made her much more excited to learn and to try new things. This moment is a moment that really changed Taylor in high school because she’s no longer afraid to try new things, and Taylor is so much more confident in learning new things.

RIDING INTO NEW ADVENTURES

TAYLOR CASETTA

FACING YOUR FEARS GRACE SIRENKO

Grace remembers the day of her junior year English teacher told her class that they will give an activism speech. She felt her heart sink into her stomach, and her palms started to sweat. Grace had always been afraid of public speaking, and the thought of standing up in front of her classmates made her feel sick. Despite the fears Grace said, “but since the activism speech was really important to me, I wanted to do my best. Not only that but I had an amazing teacher, Ms. Kramer, who really inspired me to be more confident and passionate.” Ms. Kramer gave Grace a lot of good tips and advice that helped settle the anxiety Grace had felt about speaking in front of the class.

On the day of the speech Grace said, “I volunteered to go first, I took a deep breath, smiled, and suddenly I felt a confidence I never had before.” Grace will never forget how this moment made her feel, and although she still struggles with confidence, she now knows that she can do great in anything.

CHASING THE MOMENTS

It was a hot spring day in 2021, and the sun was beating down on the track. There were a lot of teammates in the stands, and the air was filled with excitement and anticipation. Jane was part of the 4x100 relay, and they were about to compete. She was running the anchor leg of the race, and she was feeling nervous. Jane had run very few relay races before, and she didn’t want to let her team down. The first runner took off, and she ran as fast as she could, and she had a clean hand-off with the girl running second leg. She sprinted down the back stretch, and passed the baton onto the girl running third leg. They were in the lead and she ran around the curve, and made her way towards Jane. She was nervous waiting to enter the exchange zone. She continued to approach her, and then she passed it to Jane, and she took off running. She could feel the wind in her hair, and her heart was pounding in her chest. Jane could hear her teammates shouting words of encouragement, and Jane ran as fast as she could. She was so focused on the race that Jane didn’t even notice the crowd cheering them on. As Jane crossed the finish line, they all ran onto the track to celebrate their victory. It was an incredible feeling for Jane to know that they had accomplished something as a team. This feeling is what kept Jane going through four years of track at Rocklin High School. There is not one moment during a race that forever changed Jane, but it is all of the little moments. Going through all of the practices as a team, and feeling the accomplishments on the track throughout all four years of high school helped her to form meaningful friendships with all of the girls, Jane said, “going through practice with these girls helped me form meaningful and and lasting relationships. I learned how to work together with teammates to reach our goals. I’m grateful for my team and all they have taught me my four years of track & field.”

JANE ANTROBUS

MEMORIES UNDER THE LIGHTS

KOBY NGUYEN

As a kid, Koby always felt like he didn’t fit in, but Koby always knew he wanted to play in the big games under the bright lights. Everything changed in high school when Koby started playing basketball for the RHS Boys Basketball team. The first day of tryouts when Koby stepped on the court, he was nervous and unsure of himself. As soon as he started playing, he felt a sense of belonging. He was part of a team, and they were all working together towards a common goal. As the season went on, he started to make friends with his teammates. They would hang out after practice and talk about the game. Koby felt like he had finally found a group of people who understood him. He felt like he was part of something bigger. Koby loved the feeling of running up and down the court, and he loved the adrenaline rush of making a shot. It gave him energy and a happiness that he had never really felt before. Another moment that sticks out

to Koby was going to the football games with his friends. Being together under the lights and cheering for their team gave Koby a sense of community. It gave him a place to fit in. When there was a big play or somebody scored a touchdown, everyone around him began to high-five and cheer together. It was like one big community, and it changed his whole perspective of high school. Koby explains how, “going to the Quarry Bowls and the playoff games, the football and basketball games were super fun and it made me feel super connected to the school and the community as a whole.” Playing sports helped Koby become more confident and outgoing. he no longer felt like he didn’t fit in. Instead, Koby felt like he was part of a community. Koby has learned that sometimes, all it takes is finding something you’re passionate about to help you feel like you belong.

DESTIN ARMSTRONG

No Clue

Samantha James shares all of the emotions throughout her student directed play Clue

Samantha James sat in the booth in the Rocklin High School theater, waiting for the show to start and feeling a bundle of emotions. It was a fall day, with clear skies outside. She was wearing pajamas because the more comfortable she felt, the more professional she could be, calling the names of the kids that needed to be called. James was wondering if something would go wrong, she said, “if the lights didn’t change. If the wrong sound was being played. if someone didn’t move something correctly, or if like an actor messed up, but mostly it was so exciting for the whole thing just being behind the scenes, seeing how the whole thing played out. every night there was something different that happened and so I was ready to jump on that.” After everything was over, she thought back to how it went. James remembered how the community supported each other. This moment changed her perspective on directing she said, “I saw a whole different side, cause I’m usually either acting, or im watching the production, and so actually being behind the scenes is really cool.” It changed her in a lot of ways, the way she presented herself in the theater, she got to know a lot of the actors which helped in many ways. This experience made her feel more confident in herself, because she wants to be a director. The whole experience was so much fun for her.

Time to shine

A choir student’s stressful expirence becomes her best high school memory

The stage lights brightly shining down on her, lighting up the dim stage. The audience was filled with familiar faces, and the warmth from the lights heated up the theater. Elleanor Cooper, a choir member at Rocklin High was about to sing a solo for the very first time in front of an audience. Although she felt confident, stage fright was beginning to take hold of her thoughts. Underneath the harsh lighting, her heart was racing. Behind her were her peers, who would be watching as she sang. They all wanted to get the performance over with because they were scared. As her solo part arrived, her palms began to sweat. Would she mess up in front of the audience? Then she sang. Her mind went blank, only focusing on getting the notes right. What was only a couple of minutes felt like forever for the whole choir. Astonishingly, she did great! Has all the practice finally paid off? As the audience bursts into applause and cheer, Cooper couldn’t help but feel awe at herself for hitting every note, especially after the choir had struggled for so long on this piece. This was the moment she decided to pursue a music degree and hopefully become a music teacher. With that, a single opportunity began a new path in Cooper’s mind.

KYLEEAH NICHOLAS MANN

SUGGS NATHAN NATHAN

The image of Nathan and his friend Jack “-pulled up to the school in a tan sedan blasting Jimmy Cooks by Drake,” and ready to take on the night, was almost cinematic. The fact that they left the dance early to continue the fun with friends made the memory all the more special. But Sugg’s description of the moshpit is what really brought the memory to life.

The energy, the sweat, the pushing and shoving - it was clear that this was the kind of experience that you don’t forget easily. Reminiscing about the night, he claims, “There was barely any room when you got in [the moshpit]. You would come out covered in sweat because it was almost 90 degrees in the middle of the gym and it was already warm outside the moshpit too.” And yet, even in the midst of the chaos, Suggs was able to focus on the importance of the moment, recognizing that this was a once-in-alifetime opportunity to make memories with his friends, stating, “I needed to live it up with my friends to make the most of it….this was my last homecoming.”

Surrounded by the people he cared about most, Suggs let loose for one last time at Rocklin High School, embracing the chaos. As the interview wrapped up, it was impossible not to feel excited about the prospect of making unforgettable memories and living in the moment, just like he had on that memorable night at

“Living in the Moment”

DRIVE HOME SAFE

The warm summer wind blew through her locks of brown hair. Jillian Moeller had all four windows down enjoying the summer evening. With the breeze swaying her hair she lost track of her surroundings and hit a lady on Pleasent Grove on her way home from Bible Study. Her first thought was “My mom is going to kill me.” Although after this thought it dawned on her that niether of her parents were home. Her dad was at a work conference and her mom was on a trip. Fear washed

JUST KEEP DIVING

The cold wet suit stuck to her skin as her pace quickened, approaching the dock. Nerves made her skin pucker as she watched the diving instructors fasten the harnesses to the oxygen tank. Hannah Wampler, obtained her certification after completing a two week course down in El Camino at Dolphin Scuba Center. She was with her grandfather at the time and this took place during the winter months. Dressed in her gear, She went through two weeks of training to prepare to go into the ocean and to scuba dive. Through the process mixed emotions racked her mind, fear especially, due to how many things could go wrong if certain precautions weren’t taken. Learning to use the oxygen tank was one of the more challenging parts of the training.

With the first plunge Wampler said, “When I first went underwater with all my gear on it was pretty nerve racking because I felt compressed underwater and when I was breathing it felt like someone had their hand on my chest the whole time.” As the days past she began adopt breathing techniques and how to say her oxygen for

longer periods of time. Not only learning how to save oxygen she also had to learn how to protect her ears, “Also the whole time I had to learn how to decompress my ears without bursting my eardrum while I was underwater so that was a little tough in the beginning.” She felt the support radiate from her grandfather as he was learning as well. “It was a really fun experience. These two weeks were training for Hannahs trip to the Pacific Ocean in Maui. This experience has a lasting impact on her, “These moments have changed me because I feel I have more freedom to explore the places in the Ocean that we as a society do not know much about. Scuba Diving really has helped better myself into becoming a more adventure loving person.”

over her body as she got her necessary papers out to exchange with the other driver.

Although thoughts raced through her mind she handled herself and got everything sorted, the other driver was very sweet and didn’t make a huge deal out of it. As the days past, Moeller decided it was best to stay at her friends house and not drive until her parents got home. Thoughts bounced around as she waited for her doom. “I had no idea what I was going to do.” Her best friend, Marissa drove her everywhere for about a week until she got over her short term fear. Soon after the wreck she got some concerning texts from the seemingly sweet lady she hit a few days prior. The texts contained death threats about what will happen if she doesn’t fix the damage she ensued, although she just needed to wait for her parents to come home to move foreword with the report. The texts began to include her home address, and became more aggressive. Over time she stopped texting and the threats were empty. This event taught her that safe driving is the best route. To this day Moeller approaches the roads with this memory in the back of her head.

Our highschool years come and go in a flash, and moving on from a small town highschool to the big open campus of a college can be pretty nerve racking. Blake Coursey excitedly took his parents with him to a college preview day at the University of Tennessee, which is where he will be attending college for the next four years! He remembers feeling nervous leading up to the tour, but after meeting new people and experiencing the culture on campus, he felt at home and ready for the adventure. Exploring a new place brings new feelings and new views. When asked how it changed “It changed me because it gave me a different perspective on how different parts of the country are, and it just made me feel like I could fit in really Another thing that helped Blake feel as welcome as ever, was the friendly students, who have been in Blake’s shoes and know exactly what a new student is thinking, as well as how this campus will be their everyday and new

TADPOLES AND TEAM BONDING

How many people can say they catch tadpoles on their runs? Ainsley Jantz sure can. On a hot summer practice, the day before an important race in the middle of Cross Country season, Jantz and the girls team are out on their normal run. They run past Twin Oaks like usual and onto a dirt path to a creek. The girls found live tadpoles in the water during their run and Ainsley got in to grab one of the tadpoles with her bare hands, and place it into a water bottle, filled with water. Jantz then took that tadpole home to the pond at her house, eventually letting it grow into a full frog! What made this moment so special for her, was being able to bond with her teammates and just being able to enjoy the moment so purely, not having to worry about the race they had the next day. Jantz described feeling “happy and excited” for the entirety of that particular run, and got to feel as though her teammates weren’t just teammates, but they were her friends and they were all getting along so well. She said that there was no “‘who wants to take him, or who wants to carry him’ kind of thing. It was

just, ‘Let’s work together and let’s make this moment as fun as we possibly can before we have to go out and try our best to meet tomorrow.’” Finding friendships and good team connections is so important to have in sports and so important to hold on to, and this moment embodies it perfectly.

BLAKE COURSEY TO TENNESSEE

PREYANTHAN RAGUPARAN

MaKenna Fraser

MEMORIES WITH THE BOYS

The white Jeep rolled through the quiet neighborhood, the driver looking left and right as his fingers tapped the wheel. Glancing down at his phone, he checked the address, wondering where everyone was. As he turned the corner, he could see about a dozen cars badly parked up and down the street, mostly gathered around one house. As he approached, he could hear a murmur of noise emanating from the house. While he walked up the drive-

way, he heard a shout from above. His head whipped upwards. About a few teenagers were propped up across the tiled roof, holding plates of food. He grinned. This was definitely the place. As he opened the door, the aroma of hot pizza hit his nose. A group of boys were sprawled across the couch, clutching their controllers as they stared intently at a TV screen and trash talked one another. Yet another group of screaming teenagers raced around the room, blasting

each other with Orbeez guns. Over the course of the season, the Rocklin High School’s boy soccer team had grown together and bonded as a family. But for Jaydon Folsom, a senior, this team dinner would be last. “It was a pretty great time. We all messed around, all got to know each other better, went out and did some dumb stuff, but, you know, it was just a good way to make memories with the boys.”

LINKED LEADER

The sophomore girl took a deep breath, sizing up the group of freshmen before her. The laughing, smiling students looked alright to her, but she was anxious for this experience to go well. She had been anticipating this moment ever since the year prior, when she was a freshman. Dhara Patel had signed up for the Link Crew about 3 months prior, in May, with the intention of giving incoming students “the best start to their year.” She was accepted, and she attended a few training sessions with Rocklin High School (RHS) Activities Director John Thompson to get an idea of what to expect. Patel recalled that Mr. Thompson mentioned that if any of the freshmen misbehaved, she could give him a call instead of having to deal with it herself. “That felt kind of nice, to know that we can have support,” she said. Patel was instructed to pair up with someone, and, despite not knowing anyone there, she ended up getting to know Avery Wilkins, who proved to be “a lot of fun to hang out with.” On orientation day, Patel was surprised by her assigned group’s energy; she hadn’t been “expecting to meet so many people who [were] so excited about doing the same thing.” Patel led a bonding activity in which two link leaders and their group of freshmen were assigned a theme and instructed “to create as creative a picture as possible” to send to RHS English teacher Angela Parker. Patel ended up having an unforgettable experience that day through these fun little activities.

THE WORLD OF DESIGN AND CREATION

One of Jacob’s most recent projects was designing a poker chip using the CNC mills. Although he had some knowledge of how to use the machines, he needed a lot of help from Brandon to make sure everything was done correctly. The process of designing and creating something new was an interesting experience for both of them, but it was also frightening at times.

Jacob learned the value of collaboration and the importance of seeking help when needed. He also gained a greater appreciation for the machines and tools he was using, and the endless possibilities they presented. As he continues on his journey in engineering, Jacob is excited to take on new challenges and continue

LUKEVELLUTINI

EITAN RUBINSTEIN

JASON

CORA

The day was young, at its prime. The sun had already risen, but the air was still cool and crisp. Six boys piled into a van, filling all but one seat. The fatigue of the short night was quickly subdued by the excitement of the day ahead. The sun slowly crossed the sky as the van traveled down the highway.

The music filled the car and pushed outwards, shaking the windows and seats and doors. The conversation simply climbed over the beats, never faltering for a moment. The boys over for some cheap breakfast, and quickly got back on the road.

Jason Cora scrolled through a playlist, settling on one song that he knew that everyone would enjoy: MOTW by Gunna. Though they switched off drivers, he was almost always on aux.

“The boys,” as Cora refers to his group of friends, were on a day trip to Monterey. “Traffic was ugly, but we made it after a long time,” Cora said. They made the most of that day, walking the pier--where they shared an Oreo churro and dined at a burger joint---and visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

This kind of excursion is a regular occurrence with Cora and his friends. While they do go on a few overnight trips, most of the time they leave early in the morning and are back late at night.

Cora has known some of the friends who went to Monterey with him since kindergarten. They spend the vast majority of their free time together. “Sometimes it can be boring,” said Cora. “Sometimes it can be the best time of your life.” Much of their conversation centers around what to do next, whether it be what to eat, where to go, or what to do over the weekend.

When they’re not off to somewhere new, Cora and his friends have started to go to the gym on a regular basis. “I think that’s a good way to bond with your bros,” he said. “You just get in the gym, you know, start doing things that are good for you.”

Fortunately, Cora and many of his friends will be going to Sierra College together for the first two years after highschool. However, a few of his close friends will be headed in different directions. Cora wants those friends to remember him as “that one kid that always wanted to go do something.” Cora rarely wanted to

stay inside, and always sought to make the most of his time. “I’m always trying to make good memories with good people,” he said.

While he expects his academic life to change drastically upon graduation, Cora envisions his social life---his trips with friends--to continue and to develop as he meets new people. “I think it’s gonna be much better than high school for sure,” he said.

Every other night, Cora watches the sunset from up on Thunder Hill with his friends. As the sun sets on his time at Rocklin High School, he is already looking forward to the next new day.

“I’m always trying to make good memories with good people”

RADIAN HONG

BEGINNING OF THE END

Fahad Almagsoosi

As Fahad Almagsooi walked through the doors of his new school, Fahadfelt like a stranger in a foreign land, desperately hoping that he could find his place in this unfamiliar environment. Fahad Almagsoosi, a senior at RHS, has had an interesting experience during his high school career, since he hasn’t been at Rocklin for a long time.

He actually move around a lot before coming to Rocklin. He went to multiple schools before attending Rocklin where he was able to form deeper connections easier. That was the way it was until life threw another curve ball as he changed schools. Fahad was concerned as he would have to form new relationships and connections with people in his last year of high school, without knowing anyone. Once he transferred to Rocklin high school, it had

a bit of a bumpy start. “at first I thought this school was kinda boring, I was kinda mad that I had to move schools my senior year.” He mostly spent time on his own, not really speaking or getting to know people. He didn’t get to know anyone. It was very frustrating and difficult as he didn’t have a place at school he could vibe with. That all changed during one of the first weeks of school. During August, is where it all changed for him. He met his first friend at Rocklin, Roman Miller.

After getting to know each other, they decided to start hanging out after school doing activities they enjoy. Roman introduced Fahad to his other friends, allowing him to get to know other people. Through Roman, he was able to see a whole new side of Rocklin. Fahad’s time here at Rocklin might have been short, but it was definitely impactful.

MORE THAN CLOTHES

Senior, Malia Schreier goes to the neon 80’s dance wearing a dress from the Campus Closet

As soon as Schreier walked into the gym, the pulsing beat of the music hit her like a wall. She had been to a few dances before, but this year’s neon dance was something else entirely. Various black lights were lit in the gym for students to get a taste of the classic 80s theme. The lights went off and the neon turned on. Schreier looked down at her dress, white with spots, hoping that it would light up like she had thought it would, but to her surprise, the dress remained disappointingly plain. Her dress was from the campus closet, a club where she had been a part of for the past 4 years. She found a modern way to expand her wardrobe without breaking the bank. Schreier said, “Campus Closet should keep going after high school because it was really cool and helpful.” A variety of textures, colors, and patterns are imperative to jaw dropping outfits. Head turning fashion hasn’t been her

only involvement at Rocklin High–freshman year, Schreier took on a new challenge: the swim team. She jumped into something new and excelled. A woman of many talents. From her involvement in the world of secondhand fashion to her devotion to make the world more eco-friendly, Schreier leaves a longstanding mark at Rocklin High School.

INFECTIOUS KINDNESS

Rosio Wells shares the relationship she made with her teacher Mr. Ohaire and how his kindness impacted her.

Wooden desks and fresh math worksheets were scattered around the room. In the back of the classroom sits Mr. O’Haire. After a bumpy day on the roller coaster of life, she turned to someone who exudes kindness. A day in spring, warm enough to be the dead of summer, during her sixth period in junior year, everything changed. She walked into the refreshing classroom,

wearing shorts and a classic tee. The AC was blasting to make up for the boiling temperature of the pavement that preceded the classroom. On this day Rosio learned, “that there are people out there who are nice and who care.” A listening ear from an outside perspective can change everything. The serene personality of her math teacher allowed her to open up to someone outside of her family and realize that life can be simpler. Their deep conversations gave her hope in a time where the endpoint of senior year seemed hard to reach. Her harder days made it difficult to find hope, but Mr. O’Haire reminded her to find positivity in the midst of problems. With the help of people who care she grew to be somebody she could be proud of. On the other side of these four years, Rosio reflects on how a caring person can not only change a life, but save one.

ISABELLA OLIVARES

THE LAST CHAPTER THE LAST CHAPTER

The sweet smell of summer air filled the Rocklin High stadium- it was graduation night for Claxton Claxton’s older cousin. The silver bleachers quickly filled with excited family members, both young and old. Hundreds of smiles lined the green football field. Students gleaming with pride and excitement. As the orange sun moved across the sky towards the horizon, Claxton knew this was a taste of her future that was quickly approaching. Her fourth and final year was almost here. She explains that, “graduation last year was the most memorable,” because she realized “oh my gosh, I’m a senior now!” The shock and excitement filled her body as she watched the hundreds of students in royal blue caps and gowns stride across the stage one-by-one. This would soon be her: full of dreams and possibilities for

Surrounded by all of her family, it was a bittersweet feeling as sadness also creeped in. Her dampened skin from the fresh summer surroundings matched with many others’ wet, nostalgic, leaving eyes. Although she was thrilled to soon be walking this stage, this day was the start of the end. Claxton explains this as, “An awakening moment. It made me think I’m the next one to go.” Each student has a unique story, an individual experience at Rocklin that will shape them forever, and she was eager to see her ending chapter. Claxton started her senior year with her little kiddy backpack and twelfth grade title. It was a weird feeling, to start off as the youngest and to leave campus as the oldest. Claxton started wide-eyed and terrified, but little did she know four years later she would have lived some of the most exciting

SENIORS TAKE SENIORS TAKE

Let’s give the stage to some of the graduating seniors of 2023

From the moment Madysen Sublett stepped on the dance floor, to the last song of the night, she enjoyed herself. Her junior year homecoming is now coming to an end, and everyone is standing outside, Covid precautions still invading everyone’s space.

People are sweaty and tired but they’re all just glad to be there. Madysen Sublett, between it all, felt a connection with people she recognized from the halls and faces she’d never seen before. As sparks flew and she heard the first BOOM! She looked around and saw just above the stadium, an explosion of fierce and loud colors split across the sky.

If she could pause time, she would. But whether she knew who was around her or not, this would be a moment she would forever remember.

Jessina Chub-Melchor

Jessina (Jesse) Chub-Melchor walked into the office nervous and overwhelmed, not knowing what to expect. She awkwardly walked through the office trying to find out where she was supposed to be until she ran into Mrs Sabins. Little did she know this would be the start of a family-like bond she will never forget.

These feelings were no help with the fact that Jesse moved from Guatemala to America and knew little English. Mrs. Sabins talked to Jesse and helped her

get to where she needed to be. The first few weeks of being an office aide were rough. Till Jesse gained communication skills with the help of Mrs. Sabins. So when Jesse was having an issue or struggles as a high school student Mrs. Sabins was right by her side.

In turn, Jesse started seeing Mrs. Sabins as a mother figure. Jesse has made lifelong friends and bonds during her time in the office; Mrs. Sabins will always have a special place in Jesse’s heart.

“It brought my friends and I closer, to all experience something so cool and unique.”

THE SPOTLIGHT THE SPOTLIGHT

Kylee Mendoza

The speech every student (with the exception of students enrolled in AP Language and Composition) gives is in there junior year. The most frustrating year filled with the hardest exams. Kylee Mendoza was going to give a speech to a full room of people she didn’t know.

That isn’t an easy feat, being shy makes these things so much harder and stressful. So she had to prepare for it, often at her job. Working at Starbucks allowed her to communicate with customers she didn’t know daily. She unintentionally was leaving her comfort zone.

Even though she was prepared she was shaking the whole time leading up to the

presentation and then the time came her stomach dropped. The teacher called her name and it was her turn.As she walked to the front of the class her eyes shifted and looked to the back of the class where the inspiration tree was, each branch having leaves full of comforting sayings. One in particular caught her eye, “believe in yourself”, a common saying that had such an effect. After that even with the lights being only on her and the whole class dimmed to the stares of the students, she was comforted. She finished her speech and was finally able to breathe and able to calm down. This experience she knew was going to help her in the future and that she will be able to share her new ability with others and possibly get the job of her dreams with it. She was happy.

There is a bittersweet feeling to moving on in life, and there is no shame in asking for help to get there. Noah Adams, a senior at Rocklin High school, has spent his final year of highschool focusing on what he believes to be the most important things in life - spending time with his friends and finding himself along the way. According to Adams, “The most important thing I did senior year was spending time with my friends. We like to go to the gym, do schoolwork, just basic stuff, laugh, hangout, stuff like that.”

Noah recognizes the impact that his teachers have had on him throughout his four years at Rocklin High School. “What impacted me the most these past four years was probably the teachers, the guidance I have gotten, just finding myself, and some people have kind of helped me find myself, through these years,” Adams states.

As Noah prepares to graduate and move on to the next chapter of his life, he plans to attend Sierra College for two years. “I just got to figure out what I want to pursue, and I am going to stay working the job I currently have, so yeah more school and a lot of work,” says Adams.

Noah Adam’s final year at Rocklin High School has been a time to reflect on what truly matters to him - friends, personal growth, and future aspirations. He credits his teachers and friends for helping him find himself and is excited for what the future holds. Congratulations Noah, on all of your accomplishments and good luck in your future endeavors.

NOAH ADAMS

ALL HAIL THE KING

Jasmine Esau

There were blinding bright lights and the attention of a sea of elementary students, all focused on her. Her pulse was racing, though the crown on her head never fell. Her and her classmates’ dedication to writing and spending hours upon hours practicing and memorizing their lines was finally paying off. The role of king certainly wasn’t an easy one, even with only a couple of lines the lights felt too bright and her robes too warm. The lines were somewhere in between all her schoolwork, but eventually she found them.

Before she knew it the show ended and the sound of clapping bounced and echoed, even long after the audience left. The thrill of performing might have been what brought her back year after year. Or maybe it was the culture and the friends she made. It could have been all of it, no matter what it was, she had found a home in the contrasting lights of the Rocklin High theater.

The crown on her head never fell...

ESTEVAN ORTEGA Friends to the Rescue

Learning how to live in the moment is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself in life. Hector Ceron is an exceptional individual who has made the most of his high school experience. As Hector says, “An important thing I did my senior year was participating in senior activities, like dances and six flags, that sort of stuff.” Hector understands that life is about more than just academics, and has made sure to create unforgettable memories with his peers.

Hector recognizes the importance of his friends, as he stated, “My friends have helped me through tough times because

they are always there when I am not feeling my best.” He clearly values his friendships deeply and has created a strong support system that he can rely on during challenging times. This loyalty to his friends is a reflection of his kind nature.

Hector’s passion for working on his truck is another defining aspect of his character. He finds joy in this hobby, which allows him to exercise his mechanical skills and creativity. Ceron states, “I am passionate about working on my truck.” This hobby has allowed him to focus on this outside of school.

Finally, Hector’s father is his biggest inspiration, as he looks up to him as a role model. As he states, “He has taught me everything I know.” This quote speaks to the deep respect he has for his Dad.

Hector Ceron is an exceptional individual who has left an indelible mark here at Rocklin High. He has demonstrated a commitment to education, a love of adventure and fun, a strong sense of friendship, and devotion to his family.

Hector Ceron

It was 10:30 at night and Isabella Messina and her team were still working tirelessly to perfect their skills. The moment she had worked so hard for was about to arrive. Ever since she was seven, she has dreamed of being at this cheer competition. Finally, Messina’s team arrived at the ESPN center in Orlando, Florida. They were about to compete in the World Championships for cheer. “It was definitely very nerve-racking but also very exciting to even be there,” she said. Warming up, Messina began to feel nervous. Her coaches came to reassure the team and encourage them. As she waited to perform, Messina’s thoughts started racing, she began to think about every little detail from hitting the dance moves to making sure the stunts stay in the air. Trusting her team and herself to do what they’ve trained for, they went on for their routine. As soon as she hit the stage, she was calm. Ready to do what she’d practiced and trained for, Messina put everything she had into the last part of the dance. She and her team poured their hearts into the performance that night. As they walked

Breaking Barriers

The day started out as it always did, with senior Hannah Bond helping elementary school students out with their assignments and answering their questions. Then she met a fourth grader with learning disabilities. Bond thought she could handle this student like any other who asked for her help, but she soon discovered that the student was mute. “He wanted to talk but he couldn’t,” said Bond.

At first, the student was shy and a little standoffish, but that didn’t stop Bond from trying her best to help him. Bond realized communicating with this student would be harder than with the other students, but she was determined to help him succeed. That’s when Bond noticed a breakthrough in Johnny’s behavior. He had begun to trust her, and they were even able to communicate.

As a teacher’s assistant, Bond would go to Breen Elementary twice a week or more to help out. “I appreciated all those days with Johnny but that one specific day where he could trust me, that was my favorite,” she said.

out for awards, Messina knew that everyone there was among the best in her division. Starting with 10th place, they worked their way down to the top five. Messina’s heart started to race as she thought about how long she’d wanted this.

The judges got to the top three, and Messina’s team still hadn’t been called. “At this point most of the team was crying tears of joy,” she said. They stood as one of the top two teams in their division. As the judges announced first place, the team started to cry — they had just won the World Championships.

Messina had achieved one of her life-long dreams. The team was thrilled to know that they had finally done it, that the countless late-night practices that often ran as late as 10:30 p.m. had finally paid off. “There are 19 people on our team and I love being with them because they’re fun people to be around,” said Messina. “I love how they always push me to do my best even when we’re dead tired at 10 o’clock at night”

“This was the competition that our whole entire year leads up to.”

Mr. Pappas angrily stormed into Video Production, saying, “Is there a James Turner here?” The mostly quiet class was now dead silent. Mr. Pappas took Turner out of class, walked him in front of the cafeteria and pulled out a transcript with Kayla Nguyen’s name on it. “Do you know her?” said Mr. Pappas. “Yes,” Turner replied. Mr. Pappas’ demeanor changed, and he asked, “Do you want to go to Sadies with her?”

Kaleb Donets loved nothing more than the feeling of being in the water, the rush of adrenaline that came with every stroke and the satisfaction of scoring a goal. The water polo season was the highlight of his year, and he relished every moment spent with his team.

One of his fondest memories was from a tournament in Clovis. Donets and his senior teammates had their own room, and they spent the week bonding and getting to know each other even better. They shared stories, played pranks on each other, and even stayed up late discussing their futures.

But it wasn’t just the off-the-pool bonding that made the trip so special. The tournament itself was a thrilling experience, with each game filled with intense competition and heart-pounding moments. Donets and his teammates had to push themselves to their limits.

Coaches Scott Bergemann and Kristin Hamm played a huge role in shaping Donets’s character and instilling a sense of respect in him for the program and for his team. They encouraged him during workouts and drills, but they also took the time to offer guidance and support. For Donets, their mentorship was a vital part of his success both in and out of the pool.

Looking back on these past four years, Donets couldn’t help but feel grateful for the community that water polo had provided him. It was more than just a sport — it was a way of life, a tight-knit group of people who shared a passion and a bond that transcended words. And he knew that no matter where life took him, he would

This was Nguyen’s master plan. The night before Sadies, Nguyen wanted to ask Turner to the dance. After giving it some thought, she had the idea of having Mr. Pappas ask for her.

After all the laughs and embarrassment, Nguyen and Turner never ended up going to Sadies. Instead, they spent their night going bowling, and to this day, they are still really good friends.

The Wave of Life

TATIANA

ALANA WEICHERS

COMRADARY ON THE COURT

His junior year. It was homecoming week. Rocklin High School was lively during the lunch time games. Jonathan Ramos Pontoja and his friends were preparing for the volleyball game. That week they all met up at Sand Volleyball courts at Johnson-Springview Park to practice for the game. The days were warm, the sun beating down on them. Most of the time they would all hang around talking, occasionally playing volleyball under the warm sun. They’d talk amongst each other for hours. He enjoyed hanging out with his friends. The day of the game came, and he had a great time playing with his friends. They got second place, winning their first round and losing their second. But he still enjoyed the game. It was a perfect excuse for him to get together with his friends, hang out, and enjoy everyone’s

MAY THE BEST POKER FACE WIN

Before the Covid-19 wave hit, Kurt Fairchild would sit in Mr. Eckman’s room every lunch for a month with his older sister and her friends. They would all gather around a table and play the card game Mafia. There were eight people, having fun and playing cards, all just as eager as the next to win the game. After some time the group decided to create a new role in the game. The role added a new objective to the game, the new objective was to make everyone else believe you were the killer.

Everyone put on a poker face, deceiving the other players, while trying to reveal who the killer was. He would have an investigation on his own trying to figure out who it was. He had to try and vote the correct person off, to find the right killer. One of his friends was really good at the game, they always were able to figure out and decide who everyone was on the first attempt and they ultimately won the whole thing. Kurt and his friends were all competitive with each other, all determined to win.

“I don’t think we won, we got 2nd place or something like that, we lost.”

“Before Covid hit we would go in and play card game mafia…”

CHAOS TO COHESION: a legacy left behind

Every movement was a dance with death. Amidst the disarray of tools that decorated the shelves and cabinets, a lone figure navigated through the engineering workshop. With every action deliberate, he carefully inspected the piece of metal that could cost him his life: the metal was sitting, dense and heavy in his palm, warm from the summer heat. His surroundings would melt away in a mix of color and light, and with a few vague pieces of advice echoing in his mind, The simple click of one button would change his life. With one final steady breath, the piece was secured in the machine, accompanied by a soft click of the glass door.

Beginning as a novice, Rocklin High School senior, Branden Esquivel, biggest fear was that the metal could fly out when things were moving fast. The consequence of error hung heavy over his head every time he worked the machines. Reminiscing about his adventures in the Rocklin High School’s engineering shop, from where he started to where he is now, he claims that his passion for machining was never “one moment of excitement. It was more like, you get a hint of something, and then you want to find out more about it.”

The CNC machines in RHS range in price from 40K to 120K, and all pose a significant threat to the operator, no matter how qualified. Often involving heavy and sharp objects moving at high speeds, the risk factors are endless. Fortunately, the first time Esquivel used this machine, he successfully completed his task with little to no idea what he was doing. However, Branden claims that, “each project comes with its own set of variables. And once you complete it, you have proven to yourself that all the variables have been handled. However, each new processor resets all those variables. So it’s a whole new thing that could go wrong. The only thing that transferred over from part to part is you now have more knowledge. And with each additional part you complete, you are minimizing yourself as a variable that could cause things to go wrong.”

Despite understanding the risks, Branden said, “I had this goal in mind of something that I wanted to complete, and I wasn’t going to stop until I had it completed. Even if it meant mistakes.”

Branden’s courage to trek into the

unknown sparked a wave of change. He identified all the factors missing from his learning experience to make it available to hundreds of other students at RHS. “Ever since COVID, when our teacher left, the whole shop was just in disarray. Nothing was in a functional state…. So I worked with a couple of other people, and we worked to get the machines maintained. We just completely started over from the beginning. We reorganized everything. The whole system.”

Paving the way forward, Branden Esquivel leaves a legacy of inspiration and an everlasting impact on future generations of students at RHS. An invaluable member of the RHS community, his dedication, and hard work have not gone unnoticed. Though graduating this year, Branden’s impact will last years to come.

Branden’s determination to change the engineering shop facilitated his personal growth. Now a senior, he is working a parttime job in a field he loves, using the skills and techniques he learned in RHS. More importantly, his initiative to change the program has allowed students to reach for greater opportunities than ever before. Branden said, “[the most important

goal he worked toward was] to be able to give people who are genuinely interested in engineering, to get them as much education as they can in the four years and so that they can go on..and do great engineering things.”

Navigating his way through the chaos of the pandemic, from balancing the block schedule to adapting to a new engineering teacher, Branden’s introduction to engineering was rocky. “My new engineering teacher was my digital art teacher, and then I told him I didn’t want to be in art, and I somehow managed my way into the [engineering] shop somehow…I saw the machines [in the shop] and didn’t know what they were and got intrigued and then followed that curiosity.” In addition to adapting to these new changes, Branden had to figure out how exactly he was going to follow his curiosity, stating “He [the new engineering teacher] new just as much as me starting out, so it was more so just an adventure of learning through other people and m own research. Ultimately, it was just a lot of stumbling through…making my way through my failures.”

STORY CONTINUED FROM FRONT COVER...

She burst into the debate room out of breath, and five pairs of eyes—one belonging to her opponent, four to her judges—greeted her with anticipation. She seated herself at a desk, casting a sidelong glance at her opponent—by whom she’d already been defeated once that day.

The room was quiet except for the sounds of the two competitors flipping through their respective binders, each stuffed full with evidence. Both were prepared. Both were nervous.

Wiping cold sweat from her palms, the freshman— Samita Parija—made her way to the podium with soft footsteps. A look of calm settled over her face. “Are my judges ready?” she said in a clear and confident voice. “Is my opponent ready?”

Later that day, after all rounds had been decided, it was announced that Parija had qualified for the state competition.

Parija hadn’t come to the competition that day expecting to win; in fact, she had come expecting to be eliminated within the first rounds of competition. Up until then, her performance had been less than stellar—her parents went as far as to joke that they’d give her a new phone if she went to state. She approached each round with an indifferent attitude, yet she continued to advance, even as her friends were eliminated one by one. She surprised everyone around her by qualifying.

from refuting an opponent’s argument. “It’s just like going on a rollercoaster,” she said. “Which is really weird to say and really nerdy.”

She compared her initial experience at debate tournaments to starting high school, entering a tight-knit community with established friend groups and cliques. “The second you walked out of a debate, your opponent would go to their friend and talk about you,” she said. “It didn’t really feel safe at first.”

After attending multiple competitions and encountering the same students, however, Parija began to make friends of her own. She described the nail-biting anticipation of waiting for the next round’s postings as well as the sense of camaraderie between competitors who have gone against or are about to go against the same opponent. “You’d start talking to people you never would have talked to because you have that common experience and you both know what you’re going to go through,” she said.

A LOOK OF CALM SETTLED OVER HER FACE. “ARE MY JUDGES READY?” SHE SAID IN A CLEAR AND CONFIDENT VOICE. “IS MY OPPONENT READY?”

Parija also bonded with her own teammates—especially senior Maya Gutierez, who competed in the same event, Lincoln-Douglas debate. Parija described how the two would discuss the events of previous rounds and how Gutierez took on the role of a “personal coach” for her, helping her find evidence and come up with rebuttals between rounds.

Now a senior, Parija captains the Rocklin High School debate team. Unfortunately, she never did get to compete at the state level due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after the 2020 qualifiers. She, along with senior Maya Gutierez, brought the team back together following a two-year gap coinciding with the height of the pandemic.

Parija compared debating to playing a sport, like soccer or basketball. She likened the adrenaline rush from scoring a goal to that she gets from asking an effective question during cross-examination or

Parija competed at her last high school debate tournament in March, a state qualifier held at Granite Bay High School. She placed as a finalist; she also received long-overdue recognition for her achievements in her freshman year, when she was robbed of the chance to compete at the state tournament.

Parija believes that her experience in debate has helped her in all aspects of life that require talking to people, from socratic seminars to college interviews. Parija believes that debate has given her the confidence to express her opinions—and the skills to articulate them in a clear and effective manner.

OVER 100 SENIORS TELL THEIR STORIES INSIDE THIS MAGAZINE!

CREATED BY THE JOURNALISM, PHOTOJOURNALISM, & YEARBOOK PROGRAMS OF ROCKLIN HIGH SCHOOL.

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