Senior Issue 2016 by The Lancer

Senior Issue 2016 the LANCER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SENIOR ISSUE 2016 TABLE of CONTENTS HIGH SCHOOL review Throw it back to some key events

Teacher tributes After four years of classes at TOHS, see what your classmates have to say about their teachers. pg. 04

FEATURES Take one last look at talented and dedicated seniors. pg. 05–07

from the past four years of our lives. pg. 03

SpORTS STANDOUTS Check out the talent of these SENIOR DESTINATIONS From Thousand Oaks to Japan,

VALEDIcTORIANS Get to know this year’s

see where the class of 2016 will be next year. pg. 09–11

fourteen valedictorians. pg. 12–13

recruited and four-year varsity athletes. pg. 17–19

SENIOR LEADERS Meet the students who led others from behind the scenes. pg. 14–15 PHOTO » SHAY SUBAN, AMBER SUTHERLAND » THE LANCER

HIGH SCHOOL REVIEW

High school years: A review Let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of pop culture and politics as we throw it back to our freshman year. HIGH SCHOOL REVIEW » MOLLY PENDERGAST ALL PHOTOS » OFFICIAL WEBSITES

2012

Obama drama took place as he fought to get re-elected. In case you don’t know, succeeded • The Avengers was released, facing off with The Dark Knight Rises, and The Avengers definitely won• Gangnam Style happened, for some reason. Let’s not talk about it • London Summer Olympics and McKayla Maroney was not impressed • Last Twilight movie was released. It was the end of an era • Blue Ivy Carter was born and made it onto Jay Z’s album, instantly off to a better start than any of us • YOLO became a thing, but we’ve since forgiven Drake • The Black Lives Matter movement was sparked and is still going strong • Hurricane Sandy swept through the east coast. We kept an eye on it, and it blew us away • The actual world didn’t end on December 12th, but our personal worlds ended when Kristen Stewart admitted to cheating on Robert Pattinson. It’s okay she’s gay now.

2013

The government decided they just couldn’t anymore and shut down, because that’s what adults do • Kate and William popped a bun out of the oven, but his royalty couldn’t compare to the Kimye spawn that was born the same year • Local News: Amanda Bynes had her major break down right here in Thousand Oaks! • Norweigan pop sensation Ylvis had us all asking the philosophical question, what does the fox say? • Justin Bieber left his monkey at the German border. Since then, he and the monkey have split • Sharknado was released. I don’t need a quip for that because it’s already a joke • The Jonas Brothers broke up and deprived us from a seventh album. Now people in the year 3000 will only have 6 albums to listen to • Twerking went viral after a performance at the VMAs. I’m looking at you Miley.

2014

2015

2016

Obama issued an executive order on immigration while flipping the bird to Congress • Cristiano Ronaldo brought more female viewers to the Men’s FIFA World Cup after replacing Beckham as the hottest male soccer player ever • Macklemore sang “Same Love” at the Grammys while the almighty Queen Latifah marries 33 couples of all different kinds. Madonna tried to participate and, although feeble, still kept her token gay fan following • Tensions grow after Barack Obama warns Vladimir Putin to stay out of the Ukraine. He’s Putin him in his place • Laverne Cox becomes the first transgender person to be on the cover of Time Magazine. There’s a first time for everything • Ellen DeGeneres breaks Twitter with her Oscar selfie. And the award for Best Ad Campaign Disguised as Funny Show Banter goes to...Samsung! • How I Met Your Mother came to a close • The Interview is released and literally almost starts a war. It wasn’t even that good. Fifty Shades of Grey turned into a movie and middle aged housewives flocked to theaters everywhere • Gays took over the right to marry. Next, the world • Star Wars: the Force Awakens was released. Regardless of your opinion, everyone agrees: at least Jar Jar Binks wasn’t in it • Justin Trudeau was elected. Move over Babe-raham Lincoln, there’s a new hottest world leader, and he’s the Fine Minister of Canada • The Dress sparked national debate on whether or not it’s blue and black or white and gold, proving that all that glitters is not gold, it’s actually blue • Katy Perry performed at the Super Bowl, bringing Left Shark into the spotlight, making us all wish we could become internationally famous for being basically useless • Kanye announced that he’s running for president in 2020, which shocked me less than Trump’s current presidential campaign • Shia Labeouf inspires us all to just do it. I think I’m safe in assuming he’s the reason we’re all graduating. To start off the year, everyone we love died. R.I.P. Alan Rickman, Prince and David Bowie • Zika became a thing in another country and somehow, much like Ebola, freaked out the U.S. • The Oscars sparked controversy after every single winner is white. Unsurprisingly, white people don’t care. As long as Leo won • E. coli was discovered in Chipotle’s food. Everything good must come to end • Batman vs. Superman is released and the public continues to be #TeamAnythingMarvel • The Zodiac Killer was finally caught under the alias Ted Cruz. However, an unfortunate lack of evidence allowed him to walk free • Seniors graduate! Well, it will happen. Soon.

how to be more vocal

mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell

to not take anything too seriously

the pythagorean theorem

I’m the only Bay Area sports fan down here

how to park in a crowded parking lot

sleep is important

how to take chances

I can function off of two hours of sleep

grades are important, but so is your sanity

wHAT did you learn from high school?

TEACHER TRIBUTES

MS. SCOTT,

THANK YOU SO MUCH for being an awesome counselor and dealing with my constant requests for letters of recommendation. I’ll miss you! —Natalie Ruckstuhl

MR. KATZ,

was probably the hardest class I have ever taken, yet it was also the most fun. I think this is a testament to how passionate you are about what you do and how much you are about each and every student. So thank you for helping to make my high school career that much more memorable and for inspiring me to major in chemical engineering this fall! —Nathan Cabasko

MRS. COOPER, I cannot thank you enough for allowing me to peer mentor for you. Every day getting to walk into your classroom and be warmly greeted by the biggest smile is a huge reason I can make it through each day. Your support, kindness, and pure joy is the reason I knew I wanted to engage in more than just a typical “student/teacher” relationship. I cannot begin to put into words how much you have helped and motivated me to become a better person each and every day. I will miss our 8 AM gossip and venting sessions. I truly don’t know what I will do without you next year. Love,

—Lilly Collins

MR. McGINNIS,

I would like to thank [her] for being the best teacher I have ever had in all of my years of school. She has helped me with so many things inside and outside of school, and made me enjoy going to school on days where I really didn’t want to go. She is extremely positive, funny, enthusiastic, and overall the number one person I will miss more than anything when I graduate. I will forever be grateful for her and everything she has taught me in these last four years of high school. —Lexi Boskovich

TEACHER TRIBUTES MR. SMITH,

MR. HOAG, AP CHEMISTRY

MRS. AUSTIN,

I want to say thank you for checking in on me my entire high school career. You’ve given me someone to look up to and talk to when I felt most alone. I was always able to be 100% honest with you which I can’t even say about my parents. You have had a bigger impact on my life than you know and I am so insanely grateful for you and the support you’ve provided. You were so accepting and truthful with me about anything that I told you. You have been such a great adult figure in my life, especially when I wanted to give up. So again, Thank you so much for everything. Always, —Zoe Graham

MS. DOLL,

You are the best teacher I’ve ever had in high school! Your class was always interesting and never in a boring way. You were such a great teacher to my class last year and always made me feel comfortable in class and free to speak my mind. I don’t know if you remember but we had an email train going on for a while where I would remind you to bring Claire’s essay to class and you would always forget haha! I’m gonna miss you!

Thought I’d send you one of these teacher appreciation cards. Honest to god, I was/am glad I was able to have you as a teacher last year. I learned a lot from that class, truly. Now, I’m not one for sap or “kissing up,” as it’s sometimes called, and I figure you don’t care much for that either. Just know you’re the realest teacher I’ve met, and one I won’t forget (rhyme unintended). Looking forward to that podium. I’ll definitely come visit when I’m in town. YOU’RE AN AWESOME MAN. (I know I used “awesome” incorrectly, because it implies a real state of awe, not just casual speech. Learned that from you, so I figure you’ll let it slide.) —Alex Bazan

—Helena Gershwin

I cannot possibly thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me this year! You helped keep me calm during times of high stress and somehow managed to answer all my questions no matter how obscure! Thank you for everything! I will miss you so much! —Laura Zisko

MR. CUMMINGS, You are by far the best teacher I’ve ever had! You made English an enjoyable class for me and something that I will use through college and life! It’s so nice to have a teacher that takes an interest in their students inside and outside the classroom, and who gives us great advice. I’m so happy to have been one of your students for three out of the four years here because your class taught me more about life than any others, from politics to current events to social awareness. All of your students are so lucky to come through such a helpful, applicable classroom and will be better contributing people because of it.

THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN AMAZING TEACHER AND MENTOR. —Allison Moyer

FEATURES

NOAH JACKSON: DISC GOLFER JOYCE HUCHIN

“My favorite part of disc golf is probably the nature. The courses are in some of the most beautiful places. —senior NOAH JACKSON

In-Focus Editor

In the simplest terms, golf played using a frisbee is the best explanation of disc golf. It is a non-contact sport that requires accuracy and precision. The objective is to land a disc in a basket. This recreational and competitive activity creates an athletic bond between senior Noah Jackson and his older brother. “My brother got me into it; he got introduced to it in college,” Jackson said. “He’s the older brother, so I was trying to copy everything that he did. I got into it, and I liked it a lot. It was fun, a competitive thing me and him could compete at.” Initially, Jackson’s brother was the more skilled of the two. However, with time and practice Jackson was able to begin matching his brother’s skill. “At ﬁrst, my brother was always better than me,” Jackson said. “Then it started getting a lot more even, and disc golf became a super fun hobby and a brotherly bond. It’s really awesome.” Disc golf requires only a disc and a basket, and it is scored similarly to ball golf. Each throw and penalty count as a stroke. The game score is the sum of all strokes. The player with the least number of strokes wins the game. “I’d say a disc is an aerodynamic frisbee; think of a beach disc frisbee that’s fat and thick. A disc is way more aerodynamic and dense, so they go a lot farther,” Jackson said. “In [disc golf] you tee off just like in golf, throw the disc and try to get it into the basket.”

The sport can be played competitively and players can earn the title of professional. Through the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA), players’ rounds from tournaments are ranked. They are then either titles amateur or professional. “I think I’m right on the edge of being pro,” he said. “I’ve accepted money for winning tournaments before. The tournaments are super fun, and there’s one at the home course off of Acorn Acres.” Jackson participates in tournaments and practices on courses in nearby cities, such as Fillmore, Lake Casitas and Pasadena. “My favorite part of disc golf is probably the nature,” he said. “The courses are in the most beautiful places. I’m in the forest, unlike golf where it’s a man built place and there are manicured fairways.” Rather than golf carts and clubs, which are essential parts of ball golf, disc golf stands out to Jackson because of it’s natural simplicity. It is an inexpensive game that surrounds the player with nature. “Disc golf is like hiking,” Jackson said. “I’m just walking in nature, it feels like a hike where I’m throwing a disc at the same time.” After summer vacation, Jackson will be attending UC Davis. He hopes to further his involvement in disc golf by starting his own team. “There are a bunch of courses in the UC Davis area,” Jackson said. “For athletics, they have collegiates in college, so I might try to start a collegiate team. That way I can participate in disc golf and compete against other colleges.” This leadership opportunity is perfect for Jackson to continue participating in disc golf after in a new area with new people. Disc golf plays an important role in Jackson’s life as a hobby, competition and family activity. He plans on staying involved with the sport even after college. “Whether or not I try to do it more competitively, I don’t think it’s going to be a career because it’s not a big enough sport, even though it’s currently growing,” Jackson said, “but it’s deﬁnitely going to be a hobby of mine for the rest of my life.”

TEE OFF — Senior Noah Jackson demonstrates the formation of the movement used to throw a disc in disc golf. His brother introduced him to the sport and they both play competitively. Jackson hopes to organize and lead a collegiates team next school year when he attends UC Davis. PHOTO » JOYCE HUCHIN » THE LANCER

having a crazy roommate

making my own food

finding a new friend group

paying for everything

taxes

freshman 15

paying car insurance

missing high school

being a grown up

growing old

senior column

MOLLY PENDERGAST In my last column for this paper, I discuss not only my regrets in high school, but also, my other regrets in high school. Everything I’m going to say right now, or I guess explain through the beauty of printed language, is something that seniors already know. So juniors, sophomores, freshman, this one is for you. The end of senior year is the most emotionally conflicting time I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve experienced some ish. There’s joy at the fact that it’s all over and the future is finally here. There’s also sadness at the aforementioned fact. The life you’ve known is basically gone. There will be visits with friends at breaks, but it will never be meeting up to walk to your classes together between periods. However, there’s also promise of new friends, new experiences, new classes, new everything. With any luck, these new things won’t completely suck. Within the good and the bad, there’s moments. Moments in which everything really hits you. These moments can be random. They may not even come at a time they should, like while cheering at the Finale Rally or watching the senior slideshow. The feeling may overcome you when you realize it’s your last Monday of high school. Perhaps a friend in the hallway will go for a high five and your hands will slap together. Time will slow as you realize that you won’t be able to high five that friend that you met in freshman biology anymore, like you have been for the past three years. This may be something underclassmen won’t understand, but the arrival of summer is bittersweet. You want to be happy that the school year is ending but it’s not just the school year. Throughout the break, your friends are picked off one by one by the College Virus, each with different orientation dates and move in days. Now all of this melancholy monologue has finally reached it’s main message. I’m not going to tell you to enjoy every moment of high school because “it won’t last forever, kids.” I’m sure you’ve all heard that a million times and all you can think about when you reflect on your high school experience so far is the drudgery. What I will tell you is not to hurry. I remember a little emo sophomore Molly, angrily writing in her journal about how much she couldn’t wait to find get out of here, move to New York and meet the man of her dreams. That’s more ironic if you know me. Not only do I regret those journal entries, but I regret rushing through everything. I should’ve appreciated the little bowls of spaghetti my mom left on the stove for me when I came home late. I should’ve kept going back into Mrs. Crawford’s class everyday after school just to talk about life. Enough about the regrets of my high life. This isn’t another emo journal entry. I’m just saying, don’t miss opportunities given to you, even the smallest ones. Don’t focus on how cruddy everything is and how great life will be on the other side of this mess. Embrace the mess. Embrace the late nights with your project group and the traffic in the hallways. You don’t have to stress about loving every second of high school, but just take your time. Don’t live for the future because you’ll want your time back. Appreciate some stuff, homie. It flies by.

What are you most nervous for after graduation

FEATURES

KIRSTEN BRIGGS: ALTRUIST SHRAYA BLAISDELL JOYCE HUCHIN

Entertainment Editor In-Focus Editor

The typical cruise involves sun tanning, fancy rooms, all you can eat buffets and every luxury imaginable. Last summer, senior Kirsten Briggs challenged the stereotype of cruises and used a cruise as an opportunity to help those who are less fortunate than herself. “One of the cruise’s stops was in Haiti,” Briggs said. “I wanted to bring care packages to the kids. I got my dentist to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste, and I put together some note pads, put a couple of toys in and made girl and boy packages. I took about 30 packages, that was all I could ﬁt in my suitcase.” She also included a personalized message inside of each notepad. When the family’s cruise ship landed in Haiti, Briggs and her mother ventured out of the tourist areas to ﬁnd locals. Briggs approached a woman and asked if she had any children in order to give her care packages. Once those around realized what Briggs was doing, they swarmed her offering photos of their children as proof in order to obtain a package. “Those were the slowest and fastest two minutes of my life,” Briggs said. “All of a sudden, all these men, and women came over and started showing me pictures of their children in their wallets. I handed care packages out, and it went so fast ” After summer vacation, Briggs will attend the University of Southern California (USC). She is going to

use her USC degree to aid her pursuit of helping others. She hopes to build a water system or new buildings in impoverished countries, and she wishes to demonstrate more humanitarian acts throughout her future travels. Briggs has also participated in Operation Christmas Child, an organization that sends collects and sends Christmas gifts to anonymous children in impoverished areas. In one of the gifts that she prepared, Briggs included a letter and an envelope with a return address. “When I did Operation Christmas Child, I didn’t know where the gift was going,” Briggs said. “I included my address, my name, and an envelope inside of the gift. We sent them in November and I got a letter in March. The girl who received the gift sent the letter in December, so it

JUSTIN THAI

Senior Editor

One day after preschool, four-year-old Cassiel McEvoy came home to the PBS Kids’ program, Caillou, showing a little girl playing the violin. At that moment, McEvoy knew

took three months for the letter to be mailed from the Philippines to here. It was the coolest experience.”

PHOTO » SHRAYA BLAISDELL » THE LANCER

she, too, wanted to play. “That’s how it started,” McEvoy said, “I went through a program at my preschool, and we started with literally a cardboard box [as] our violin.” Early on McEvoy found her love to perform: from acting, to singing and as a violinist. While she was growing up in New Jersey, she joined the Thurnauer School of Music playing in their youth orchestra. Within this orchestra, she gained a world of opportunities as a young performer, including working with the New York Philharmonic. “I was thirteen, and I got to see the professionals – some of the biggest music names there are in the world. I got to work with them and shake hands with them,” McEvoy said. “It was really inspiring. It makes you work a lot harder when you see what you can accomplish.” About a year later, McEvoy moved from New Jersey to California. Here she built up her expertise in a ﬂash and continues to develop her art form. She takes lessons and plays in chamber groups at the Colburn School, considered to be the Juilliard of the West. She also joined the Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra and after four

years, won the position of concertmaster, a leader of the orchestra just after the conductor of the ensemble. “[Being concertmaster] was my goal,” McEvoy said. “It’s just [everyone’s] goal to be the best.” This past summer, McEvoy attended the Summer Violin Institute, a two-week long intensive workshop, at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. During the workshop, she got a chance to play a Stradivarius violin, one of the few instruments of its kind left in existence. “It sounded so beautiful,” McEvoy said. “It’s one of those moments in your life where you see your future, and you see where you are, and [think,] ‘wow, I need to get there. I need to work.’” Following that, McEvoy continued to chase her ambitions, resulting in her acceptance into Northwestern University. There she will be studying music performance for violin. “I want to be a professional musician,” McEvoy said. “I want to live in New York City in a penthouse. I love New York.” McEvoy cannot stress enough how performing, music in particular, has changed her life and can have a powerful inﬂuence on anyone. Music as she sees it, is a lifelong process and skill. “It teaches teamwork, focus, spending hours staring at the same page [of music, trying] to be a perfectionist. You learn to think for yourself,” McEvoy said. “Nobody succeeds without working for it.”

PHOTO » CASSIEL MCEVOY » WITH PERMISSION

CASSIEL MCEVOY: VIOLINIST wHAT WILL YOU MISS THE MOST?

friends

stealing coffee from teachers

the comfort of knowing everything

the homies

surfer boys

green hole and TO spirit

the atmosphere

my Lancer family

my one-man shows

having my own bedroom

FEATURES

KEATON COUSINS: SOUND TECH K.D. MIRELES

They lurk in the shadows, staying just out of sight They dress in all black when they work and most people don’t even know they exist. They’re not ninjas; they’re the technical theatre crew. Among their ranks is Senior Keaton Cousins. Most recently, Cousins worked on the Spring Musical, Sweet Charity. “I [did] lighting for this, my partner [did] sound,” Cousins said. “And then the rest of tech worked backstage, so during the show they just push the sets on and off.” Cousins discovered his passion for sound design when he ﬁrst joined the technical theatre class two years ago. “[Mr. Donia] took us on a tour of the booth where all the equipment is,” Cousins said. “He had us program each board and play with them. I got to the sound board, and I just fell in love with it.” Since then, Cousins has spent countless hours honing his skills. “I got [taught] the ba-

PHOTO » JOYCE HUCHIN » THE LANCER

SHRAYA BLAISDELL

Entertainment Editor

Senior Allison Zatlin realized she wanted to be an actress when she was a small child. Immediately after watching movies and TV shows, she would research how the actors got into character and prepared for their roles. After graduating high school, Zatlin is going to New York to further pursue her own acting dreams. “My ﬁrst audition ever was when I was a baby,” Zatlin said. “My mom took me to a Lay’s Potato Chip commercial audition. I cried the whole time.” Zatlin currently works with a number of acting groups, including the Young Artist Acting Ensemble in Thousand Oaks, Panic Productions in North Hollywood, Rubicon in Ventura, and LA Kids Act in Los Angeles. She also takes acting classes with Dallas Lovato, her acting coach. “My coach worked with different agencies and casting directors and so I have kind of taken after her and have become interested in [working with] different agencies,” Zatlin said. Currently, Zatlin is working with the SCB acting agency. When she moves to New York, Zatlin plans to attend Pace University and major in Arts and Entertainment Management and transfer to another agency based in New York. “I was originally going to major in Theater,” Zatlin said. “Then I decided that if I’m going to college, I

Senior Editor

should probably have a backup plan because it’s really difficult for actors to make it in the industry.” Zatlin is most excited to have more opportunities to audition for big productions in New York, in contrast to not getting major theatrical experience in Los Angeles. “I’m really excited to do more theater based things,” she said. “I’m a super big theater nerd, so I would love to work on Broadway someday.” Her favorite part about acting and performing is becoming a different person for the extent of the role. “I like the whole outlet of escaping from reality and going into this fake world where anything can happen,” Zatlin said. “I think it’s really fun.” Yet, Zatlin understands the instabilities and fluctuating circumstances within acting. Although her family is supportive and excited about her dreams and career choice, they also recognize the different factors that go into auditioning for roles. “[Actors] had to work to get where they got to. It’s not super easy,” Zatlin said. “It takes a lot of determination and you can’t let people get you down if you don’t get a part. You have to separate yourself from your character.” While in Los Angeles, Zatlin mainly worked in commercials, starred in pilot episodes, and made guest appearances on TV shows. Now, she looks forward to experiencing New York specific

sics,” Cousins said. “Then I kind of just learned the harder stuff on my own through practicing and watching video tutorials.” He often makes remixes of his favorite songs. “I just try to take two songs and mash them together in a way that works,” Cousins said. “Kiss is one band that really inspires me because I think that they have great showmanship.” Cousins has also interned for the Thousand Oaks DJ Company and a sound studio in North Hollywood. He might even intern for the Jimmy Kimmel show after graduation, but he knows he still has much to learn. “I am actually taking classes at Moorpark for sound mixing,” Cousins said. “I want to go for a four year and get a BA for audio mixing.” In technical theatre, Cousins found a group of friends that support each other. “I have a disability, Cerebral Palsy, and some things are harder because I have a disability,” Cousins said. “But being able to just get in there, and have them not saying, ‘Oh, you can’t do that,’ they’re always like you can do this, if you try you can do this.” While Cousins loves being in technical theatre, many are missing out on a great experience because they haven’t heard of it. “Most kids don’t exactly know what it is,” Cousins said. “But they don’t realize how much fun it is because they don’t really notice it. Once you get into technical theatre it’s a whole different world.”

opportunities where nobody knows her. Along with theatrical ventures, Zatlin is also going to audition for movies. “[Acting] gives you a sort of high that I couldn’t get any other way,” she said. “I feel unstoppable.”

*Senior Allison Zatlin pictured on right.

PHOTO » ALLISON ZATLIN » WITH PERMISSION

ALLISON ZATLIN: ACTRESS I would’ve done it the same

be more confident in myself

wear less makeup my freshman year

try not to procrastinate as much

not be so bitter

take more naps

take ceramics

do more volunteer work

actually study for APs

not be annoying my freshman year

wHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU COULD DO IT AGAIN?

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SENIOR DESTINATIONS

COMMUNITY COLLEGES Alabama CALHOUN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Olivia Smith

California COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS Tiffany Herring CUESTA COLLEGE Sean Madden Sara Stewart MOORPARK COLLEGE Amber Ackerman Rebecca Adams Cara Aguila Erika Aguirre Brianne Akahoshi Landon Alatorre Ziad Alsalami Lauren Althoff Valeria Andrade Jeffrey Ange Melissa Angulo Alexander Avalos Kassidy Averill Martin Ayala Jacob Baker Mackenzie Baughn Sarai Bello Rachel Berg Hannah Bowman Aurora Britzman Eric Brown Tiffany Bruckner Brielle Brunner James Brutchin-Roose Cassandra Buenrostro Elizabeth Bugtai Cambria Burga Alexander Butler Isaac Calam Jennifer Cano Flores Angel Canul Alexander Chatoff Kelly Chehadah Abraham Chen Payton Chilano Gonzalo Chocano Martin Cipres Hayden Clancey Adrianna Cohen Lucas Conejo

Keaton Cousins Dean Crownover Frida Cruz Taylor Cruz John Culhane Bryce Curson Cassandra Dannas Drew Davies Conrad De Santiago Sterling DeLong Kody Desjardins Arisay Diaz Carah Dorthalina Alyssa Drucker Fabriel Duarte Parker Dupree Jonathon Dutton Calista Eaton Steinberg Hannah Elders Maria Espinoza Ronaldo Farfan Emily Flores Nidia Fonseca Griffin Fox Caleb Frattali Rebecca French Emilio Garcia Ivan Garcia Leanne Garcia Marta Garcia Benjamin Gaspar Nikolas Gigena Renee Giragosian Anthony Gonzales Jon Gonzalez Nicholas Gonzalez Arden Grant Kaitlyn Grech Daniel Gullett Kassem Hamideh Cailin Healy Calvin Henderson Joshua Herskowitz Jonathan Hodges Alexandrya Hoskings Julio Ibanez Chavez Jonathan Jasso Autumn Jenkins Avery Joffe Maria Johnson James Kaufman John Keenan Justin Krietzberg Kaylee Lara Tanith Ledbetter Nicholas Leiterman Kelly Leopold Kelly Leoza Jakob Liebeskind Hanna Lucero

Rowan Lull Kayla Macandili Chelsey Maddox Logan Malley Quinn Mannen Shawn Martinez Karilynn Martyn Trevor Massen Jack Mazzeo Haley McCoy Madison McCurdy Sean McHugh Jenna McRae Maria Mena Kevin Menendez Cameron Metcalf Shayna Meyer Matthew Miller K.D. Mireles Alexandra Montiel Jesus Morales Lauren Morreale Chance Mosier Joshua Moss Arline Moya Renae Mueller-Leclerc Killian Murphy Ryan Nelinger Mike Nguyen Stephen O’Neal Natalie Oliveri Marie Ollivier Karla Ordonez Tyra Orduno Sofia Orozco Alexandra Ortega Ruby Ortiz John Henry Otis William Patlin Brenda Pena Brianna Peraza Giovanni Perez Lauren Perez Neftali Perez Kyle Peterson Skyler Peterson Christopher Portillo Trevin Poulos Reeba Qureshi Naveed Rajaee Kaelyn Reer Christian Richmond Ashlynn Rivas Alejandra Rodriguez Michelle Rodriguez Louren Ruano Ochoa Carsen Ruger Mark Russell Connor Ryan Bryan Rymer

OTHER DESTINATIONS Adult school Kayla Dawley Daniel Laufenberg

FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING Monique Aingworth Taylor Bringhurst

Art school

LOS ANGELES FILM SCHOOL Andrea Castro

ACADEMY OF ART UNIVERSITY Aime Ayuso Bailey Lopez Lesly Ortiz Jacqueline Zavala

Career Technical Education

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS Jennifer Scott AMERICAN MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC ACADEMY Lily Belanger Kyra Hurlbut

senior column

K.D. MIRELES

Veronica Salazar Gabriela Sanchez Conor Sapelli Makayla Schmalz Alexandra Schmitt Alexa Schreiber Dylan Scobey Tanner Shapiro Katherine Shaw Jayden Silpachai Keilly Solis Fernando Soriano Max Stockstad Rachel Sundstrom Antonio Swann Athena Swisher Spencer Talan Kelsey Taylor Austin Thorne Sonja Torres Brandon Travers Crissiel May Turqueza Noah Valdez Alexis Van Renselaar Danny Vargas Joshua Vicente Donovan Ware Kyle Warner Chase Wildermuth Lauren Wissusik Noah Wood Eva Zedan Cody Zimmerman

Brandon Jackson Alex Mitchell Beverly Peneda Jason Tooch Erik Treadaway

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE Bodhi Edwards

SKYLINE CITY COLLEGE Nancy Vera Mendoza

OXNARD COLLEGE Austin Barry Quinn Brain William Chamul Wade Cookus Nicholas Gourlay Christian Ramirez

VENTURA COLLEGE Jake Ange Gary Baylis Cynthia Hidalgo Brooklyn Holguin Dominic Maldonado Leah Merville Chandler Niemann Ethan Winkler

PIERCE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Alexandra Boskovich Kamden DiPinto Madison Dominguez SAN DIEGO MIRAMAR COLLEGE Lesly Palacios Nava SAN DIEGO MESA COLLEGE Stephanie Caro Deja Gaston Randolph

SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE Steven Brondyke Nikki Fido Jessica Garcia Camille Johnson Rebecca Marshall Perry Martin Alyssa McDermott Kristen McEachron Conor McLaughlin Cesar Nubla Joshua Osborne Brandon Pritz Jacob Semenza Kiana Shane Bruce Stanton Phesjiah Stewart Aiden Taillon Tyler Waldron Tyler Whetstone SANTA MONICA COLLEGE Emma Canseco Albyn Chi Billee Datan

WEST VALLEY COLLEGE Christopher Ryskey

Texas AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Rachel Hubenthal

PARAMEDICS Mackenon Beninati

Military

Travel

PAUL MITCHELL THE SCHOOL - SHERMAN OAKS Haley Nimie

ARMY Erik Barajas Brian Chafin Jack Mudgett

Jay Welsh

Gap year

NATIONAL GUARD Boaz Reid Hunter Reid

Jessica Bond Lily Brooks Brendan Garland Brandy Jones Angela Mehl Lion Orduno Beverly Pineda Jared Reichert Erik Simpson Zachary Winokur

Trey Braheem Cole Clark Thomas Cooley Zoe Graham Lynn Jung

LU ROSS ACADEMY Emily Campos Taylor Howarth

LDSMission

OAKLAND FLIGHT SCHOOL Lauren Ricciotti

Scott Smith Cooper Stout Alan Tarbet

MARINES William Comerford Francisco Diaz Dionisio Ferretiz Jessica Kemerling Joshua Reyes Tyler Simpson Jillian Torres NAVY Christopher Aguilar

Work

Undecided Jeremy Libang Jena Salomon

If I could go back in time, I would punch freshman me in the face: A memoir. Ah yes, the senior column. Where staff members wax poetic about how they’re going to miss Thousand Oaks, but they’re just so excited to go off to university and see the big wide world. Except I can’t do that, because I have a bit of a confession to make. I’m not going to a four-year, and I’m not going “off to” anywhere. I’m staying right here because I’m going to Moorpark Community College. Now, that’s not the most shocking of revelations. The Moorpark poster at senior seminar had four sheets of paper worth of names on it (and I wasn’t even on it, not that I’m mad or anything). ‘Big deal,’ you might be saying, if you talk to yourself while reading the newspaper. ‘Who cares? A lot of people are going.’ In these times of rising college prices and stagnating wages, it makes a lot of financial sense to go to a CC for the first two years. You get your general ed classes out of the way, so you only have to pay full price for the important two years of undergrad. Let’s be clear though, that’s not why I’m going. It’s a good reason to go, but more of a happy accident for me. No, I’m going because I’m a failure. I’m not calling people who go to Moorpark failures right now. Moorpark is a great school, but it’s not where I planned on going. Could I have gotten into a four-year? Yes. And I probably could’ve gotten into a decent one, but it probably wouldn’t be a college I would have been happy with. And that’s because I haven’t been a person I’m really happy with. I’m not happy with my GPA. I look at my transcript and I’m mad at my past self. Freshman year me, what the hell were you doing? Sophomore year me was pretty on top of it, but then Junior year me came and screwed the whole thing up for Senior year me (aka current me.) I haven’t outright failed any classes, but I’ve failed plenty of tests. I’ve skipped weeks of homework, pushed everything to the last minute; I once got a D in an English class just to spite the teacher. Now, if that doesn’t scream Ivy League material, I don’t know what does. My point here is not to just list my inadequacies in public so no one will ever hire me. It’s not to make the valedictorians seem even smarter by comparison. It’s to say most of where I am today is because of my failures, and I’m not ashamed of it. In fact, I’m kind of proud of it. Failure has been my greatest teacher here (sorry, Tasha) and even though his lessons don’t show up on transcripts, they’ve had the most effect on my life. Some of my failures were out of my control, some were definitely my fault. I’ve made a lot. Failing forced me to discover what’s important to me in life. Failing showed me that I don’t actually want to be a biologist or whatever. Failing has taught me that the things I want the most are going to beat me up, make me cry and keep me up all night (metaphorically speaking). Failing has shown me that just because it doesn’t go according to plan doesn’t mean it’s gonna be bad. Failing has shown me that everything about myself can be improved and we can always be better people. I’m going to Moorpark so I can get a better transcript and also, so I can be a better me. When I go to that four year, it’ll be because I’m ready to. Am I going to screw myself over at some point on the way there? Absolutely, and multiple times. But I’m cool with that. So sure, middle school me would be embarrassed I didn’t make it into UCLA. But middle school me also watched anime, so I think we know who wins here.

SENIOR DESTINATIONS

Alabama

1 UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA 11 Alan Goddard Taylor Thomas

Arizona 2 ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Seth Gregory Emily Miglionico Emma St. John Joshua Waite

10 12

3 EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY Shane Warburton 4 NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY Kristen Caldwell Thomas Estrada Savannah O’Reilly Rachael Pritz Luke Raymond David Roach William Shields Jessica Suchman Oliver Willis 2 GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY Madisyn Given Rebecca Jansen 5 UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Austin Leonard

California 6 AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY Danny Chulack 6 BIOLA UNIVERSITY Rachel Kimball 7 CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY John Glenn 8 CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY Dariush Apfelthaler Bailey Borup Brisa Calan Mark Caverly Allison Chenevert Ana Corboda Destiny Klepacki Karlie Lemon Kassidy McEnroe Sahar Mohammadi Danny Suarez Karla Toledo

12 SAN DIEGO Rachel Craft Michael Fontanilla Shelby Glasser Holden Guilles SANTA BARBARA Jonathan Hinich BUSINESS COLLEGE Connor Kastan Michelle Tafolla Miles Melamed Ryan O’Toole UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE Jillian Smiley Heidi Argueta Ryan Stuver Steven Tyson UNIVERSITY OF SAN Julianne Valentino DIEGO Hoyt Yeatman Jordane Schooley Max Zakowicz Laura Zisko UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 19 SAN FRANCISCO Kirsten Briggs Christina Benevento Helena Gershwin Carly Heath Faith Hwang Evan Langer Molly Pendergast CAL POLY POMONA Logan Werner 16 Daniel Jadah Adams

13 CAL POLY SAN LUIS OBISPO Amman Asfaw Margaux Elliott Christian Kim Morgan Klintare Grace Pertessis Adam Sookikian Amber Sutherland 8 CHANNEL ISLANDS Kimberly Beas Philip Brunet Mariann Caballero Claire Camomile Alexandria DeNike Jennifer Garcia Dylan Gregory Brittany Herring Anna Kravchenko Dani Leonard Charles Pelton Kayla Spitsen 14 CHICO Danielle Cortes Dominic Terrusa 9 FULLERTON Kacie Hanke 15 FRESNO Emily Glass Spencer Isa 16 HUMBOLDT Daniel Cervantes Richard Thomas 6 LONG BEACH Wesley Couture 17 MONTEREY BAY Kristin Kudlinski

9 CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY Anastasia Gougas Cameron Love 10 CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE Lukas Svitek

18 SACRAMENTO Elizabeth Crown Macy Petrula

9 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY IRVINE Kate Fruehling

7 SAN BERNARDINO Taylor Benitez-Fanslow

6 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY Brock Squires

After this year, the clas countries to study, wor

44 46 47

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

8 NORTHRIDGE Kyle Amott Luke Bennion Nelson Chery Makena Meldrum Eric Oh

8 ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE Logan Wilson

SENIOR de

6 MOUNT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY Stephanie Hickman

19 SAN JOSE Nigel Fung 20 SAN MARCOS Shayna Hall Timothy Stevens 19 SONOMA Kevin Flynn Riley Jones Kylie Larson Jared Mayhue Kyle Page Hannah Sundstrom

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

14 19 17

9 IRVINE Audrey Byrne Matthew Dion Tomas Handelsman 6 LOS ANGELES Ryan Chang Ryan Clydesdale Rochelle Ellison Noah Hoffman Fengting Liang Vincent Lok Stefanie Shidoosh Shay Suban 7 RIVERSIDE Ryan Abunan Rochelle Simoni Adam Wise

21 22 23

15 13 11

10 6 9 20 12

4 3

39 2 5

19 BERKELEY Gino Gabella Louis Lee George McGuigan Andrew Powers Roya Safaeinili Drake Shafer Supreet Shah Kristin Yamane 18 DAVIS Justin Caverly Nathan Cobasko Lacey Conlon Meghan Elliott Noah Jackson Matthew Marlow Joseph Mendoza Natalie Ruckstuhl Nicolas Scarangello

38 18

54 53

12 SAN DIEGO Alexandra D’Amico Joshua Duff Annsley Rubino 11 SANTA BARBARA Megan Castiel Blake Haist Taylor Lovullo Olivia Simon Destiny Sueoka 17 SANTA CRUZ Bishop Bertram Sydney Chuck Erik Fleischer John Tressel

Colorado 21 COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY Dillon Pentis Kurrin Severns 22 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER Nicholas Bigelow Aaron Bronte Alexander Ditto Trent Seybold 23 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER Brenden Silverman 23 UNIVERSITY OF DENVER Hannah Santos

Florida 24 EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, DAYTONA BEACH Joshua Lorenz

25 FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY Cory Beck

Idaho 26 BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY Carmen DeMott Scott Madden Maegan Matheson Jake Ryan Ryan Strohbach 27 BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, IDAHO Rachel Galeria Kenna Peterson

SENIOR DESTINATIONS

estinations

ss of 2016 will be spreading out over 26 states and three different rk, create and make its mark on the world.

41 42 29

49 48 35 59 34

43 NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY Sarah Randall

Oregon 44 REED COLLEGE Carlee Gilbert

North Dakota

45 SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY Ivonne Hernandez 46 OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY Holly Taylor 47 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Yuval Duer Miles Elliott Danielle Rohlfing 44 UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND Ashley Lujan

Utah 56 BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, PROVO Tyson Garrett Amy Holt Kaylei Lewis Trent Pomar 57 UNIVERSITY OF UTAH Alexander Bazan 56 UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY Margaux Bean

Washington 58 SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY Nicolette Bull

Washington, D.C. 59 GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Alexandra Kaplan

Pennsylvania Wyoming

48 BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY Lilly Courts 51

49 PENN STATE UNIVERSITY Hannah Leonard

Massachusetts

36 BABSON COLLEGE Greta Clarke

24 25

Minnesota

50 UNIVERSITY OF RHODE 37 UNIVERSITY OF ISLAND MINNESOTA - TWIN CITIES McKenna Osaki Justin Thai

Nevada Illinois

8 BRADLEY UNIVERSITY Kealia Wysocki

9 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY Cassiel McEvoy Joshua Pritz

9 WHEATON COLLEGE Jeremy Jasperse

Indiana

0 BUTLER UNIVERSITY Natalie Kinney

1 INDIANA UNIVERSITY Brooke Barker

Iowa 32 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA Robert Shipley

Maine 33 UNIVERSITY OF MAINE, MACHIAS Alondra Candelario

Maryland 34 ST. MARYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COLLEGE OF MARYLAND Cristian Quiroa 35 TOWSON UNIVERSITY Amy Jacob

Rhode Island

38 UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO Kevin Howell Emily Kinloch

South Carolina 51 PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE Kelly Lucas

New Mexico Tennessee 39 UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO Brandon Lee

52 SOUTHERN ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY Rebecca Chang

New York Texas 40 HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY Sarah Treshinsky

53 TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Allison Moyer

40 PACE UNIVERSITY Chiduziem Chukwu Allison Zatlin

54 TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY Elaina Peters

40 NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Johnny Ramirez

55 TRINITY UNIVERSITY James Tatum

41 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY Rachael Rothschild 42 VASSAR COLLEGE Ariana Berry

60 UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING Bethany King

International SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY (CANADA) Emilie Gengl TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY (CANADA) Celia Jardine WASEDA UNIVERSITY (JAPAN) Danny Crown

Could not be contacted Nicholas Abrams Fatima Ambriz Kyle Anderson Alejandro Ariza Christian Avalos Alejandro Bernal Francesca Boger Destiny Breece Jorge Buenrostro Zachary Chavez Tyler Cox Ryder DeLuca Daniel Gallaga Castro Andhy Garcia Reyna Juarez Rylee Krowpman Liandra La Marchina

Jennifer Luker Zane Mandell Jacqueline Medrano Kaylin Merrill Savannah Pike Luke Raftery Gavin Ramseth Cameron Richardson Jaelyn Rodriguez Jairo Rodriguez-Pineda Kelly Royal Jose Sanchez Jensen Sierra Alyssa Snyder Hayley Tanishita Matthew Vitucci

VALEDICTORIANS

GINO GABELLA UC BERKELEY

KRISTIN YAMANE UC BERKELEY NATHAN COBASKO UC DAVIS

JOSH PRITZ NORTHWESTERN Weird study habit: I pace up and down my house and talk to myself with intensely expressive gesticulation. Bucket List item: To own a Nissan GTR and possibly figure out what I want to do with my life Good luck charm: IDK, they’ve all let me down. Tips to get into college: Try your hardest to not be an upper middle class suburban white kid. Oops.

SUPREET SHAH UC BERKELEY Weird study habit: I sometimes create literary genius on the toilet. Most rewarding extracurricular: Dancing Bollywood to raise money for cancer What makes you more than your GPA: My killer dance moves How do you relax/ deal with stress? Music and golfing with friends

How do you relax/ deal with stress: Acid jazz playlists on Spotify Good luck charm: A lucky penny that cost $19.99 Tips to get into college: Begin writing all of your college essays while hyped up on Monster and Red Bull at 11 p.m. on the day of the deadline. Weird study habit/place to study: Yelling/cursing at my homework as I am working on it

How do you relax/ deal with stress: Lie on the floor and emit a highpitched sound until I feel better Weird study habit: I set a reward schedule of working for 30 minutes then taking a break but never give myself the break. Favorite website/ phone app: Twitter? 8tracks? What makes you more than your GPA? I own and operate a small business online, MelonBobaTea (apparel).

ROCHELLE ELLISON UCLA How do you relax/ deal with stress: Watching Grey’s Anatomy Weird study habit: Sleeping with the textbook under my pillow the night before a test Good luck charm: Anything purple Bucket List item: Cure Alzheimer’s Most rewarding extracurricular: Swimming

Most rewarding extracurricular: Volunteering at the library Weirdest thing about you: I listen to a lot of heavy metal and bang my head to the beat, even if I’m in a crowd or just sitting quietly. Favorite website/ phone app: Twitter What makes you more than your GPA? I love music, playing guitar, and spending time with friends.

NATALIE RUCKSTUHL UC DAVIS What makes you more than your GPA: I try my best to be kind and I tell really terrible jokes. Favorite website/ phone app: Spotify Weirdest thing about you: Where do I begin? Good Luck charm: A good reed Tips to get into college: Slide into your favorite college’s DMs and quote cheesy pick up lines until they accept you into their school.

VALEDIC ALL PICTURES » ANDREW CHAU

VALEDICTORIANS

ANDREW POWERS UC BERKELEY What makes you more than your GPA: The personality chip implanted in my brain How do you relax/ deal with stress: Sleeping or watching movies Tips to get into college: Eliminate the competition. Weird study habit/place to study: Sleeping in class

JEREMY JASPERSE WHEATON COLLEGE Weird study habit/place to study: I pretty much always talk to myself to help focus. Weirdest thing about you: I’m Canadian, but I don’t like maple syrup. Tips to get into college: Procrastination is key to success. Those who work ahead fail. Good luck charm: My natural aura

SHAY SUBAN UCLA Bucket List item: Compete in a triathlon and be on fire. Not at the same time, though. What makes you more than your GPA: My Mario Kart skills (I will fight you and win) Weirdest thing about you: I can’t sneeze only once. My record is sneezing 19 times in a row. Most rewarding extracurricular: Journalism, which is better than yearbook

JORDANE SCHOOLEY USD How do you relax/ deal with stress: Chill with Amber Sutherland Bucket List item: Be Amber Sutherland Favorite website/ phone app: Zangle Weirdest thing about you: I’m not Amber Sutherland.

AMBER SUTHERLAND CAL POLY SLO How do you relax/ deal with stress: Chill with Jordane Schooley Bucket List item: Be Jordane Schooley Most rewarding extracurricular: Journalism Favorite website/ phone app: InDesign

JUSTIN THAI UMN TWIN CITIES Weird study habit or place to study: Reading stuff upside-down Most rewarding extracurricular: The five billion hours of marching band, and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces after seven minutes of a performance Favorite website/ phone app: Google Bucket List item: Flash mob with a whole symphony— on a plane

TORIANS

GEORGE McGUIGAN UC BERKELEY How do you relax/ deal with stress: Off-road, concerts, and field hockey Favorite website/ phone app: Boxhead with Stocksdad Bucket List item: Compete in the Olympics Weirdest thing about you: I am known to talk in a Scottish accent from time to time.

SENIOR LEADERS

FOLLOWING THE

The Lancer takes time to appreciate the seniors who have dedicated themselves to making these past four years the most memorable yet.

YEARBOOK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

NEWSPAPER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kaylee Lara

Shay Suban

Amber Sutherland

Kaylee Lara. Plenty of things come to mind after hearing that name, especially after hearing it since kindergarten. After more than a decade of knowing somebody, you get the chance to see past the things that most people saw—the strong capacity for leadership, the big heart, and the sense of humor that inexplicably draws people in. But by having the privilege to share the entirety of my academic career with her, you get the opportunity to see all of the little things that make someone great. The most incomprehensible being her obsession with the number 27. But because 27 is too long of a number, here are seven things I want her kid to know before they turn 20 (Get it, like 27?). First, she won’t leave you hanging; I probably owe her like $500 worth of gas money because she drives me everywhere and I can’t tell you how many hours were killed because she just so happens to have Cards Against Humanity. That brings me to my second point, Tom Hanks. I firmly believe that he’s the only man she can truly love. She named her car after him, and not only does Tom Hanks serve as a board game transportation unit, but it’s the catalyst to impromptu McFlurry runs. The third and fourth points are that she really likes steak, and Mexican food is the key to her heart. So keep the tradition alive and go to the Latino Market on TO Blvd. for Taco Tuesdays. Fifth, she gave me crap for liking fish tacos, but after she tried them they’re her go-to at Snapper Jack’s. So it may seem fruitless to get her to try something new, but never forget her adaptability and readiness to grow. Sixthly, there’s a marker that she found that she managed to make last through the year, and it’s a testament to that no matter how close you seem to dying, she’ll find a way to bring out your potential. Finally, regardless of how obscure you find her love for Forrest Gump or the Dallas Cowboys, be patient with her. Because you won’t find anyone with as vibrant and prismatic a personality and loves the number 27 so much as to get it tattooed onto her chest. —Jon Gonzalez

wHAT cAN’T YOU LIVE WITHOUT?

I can count on one hand the number of people that I think are natural leaders. Shay Suban happens to take up the middle, ring, and pinky fingers. Something about Shay that manages to leave me consistently in awe is how exceptionally compassionate they are. They have a special gift, some sort of radar that allows them to be incredibly in-tune with how other people are feeling, which makes people gravitate towards them. More importantly, they never fail to make sure that other people are feeling at their best. To describe anyone else as a paragon of emotional strength would be an exaggeration, but for Shay— it fits. I’d have a hard time listing all of my inspirations, but I know that Shay certainly makes the list. They’re dedicated to their friends, to what they love, and to life itself, no matter how challenging those things may be at times. I’ve seen them change and grow over the years, but their unflinching and indomitable outlook, their ability to bring smiles to everyone that knows them, and their unintrusive but effective sense of humor are all constants. I consider Shay to be one of my best friends, and I’ll treasure the moments that we share. Hilarious one-liners, puns, fits of laughter and long chains of sneezes all make Shay unique on the surface, but the way they always manage to make time for other people and the way they put their feelings into words are what make them outshine everyone else. You might not agree with me, Shay, but I firmly believe that your life will be filled with success and joy, because you’re the kind of person that can control your fate just by being yourself. I’ve decided that I won’t miss you when we go our separate ways, because if I can trust you with anything, then I can trust you to keep in touch. —Louis Lee *Shay prefers the non-binary pronouns they/them

If you are willing to risk your peace of mind and talk to Amber Sutherland on a test day, there are two things you must brace yourself for. One, understand that she only had two hours of sleep. And two, the amount of energy she accumulated from the three cups of coffee she had before she fell asleep and the two additional cups from that morning will make you feel like you only got two hours of sleep. But no matter how crazy she makes you feel before the test, it’s nothing in comparison to her frantic rambling after the test. The moment Amber pulls out her maxed out calendar, you wonder how she manages to get everything done. Her natural ability to organize enables her to fulfill her high standards. Amber is driven, persistent and ambitious in every task she faces. She is that person who does all the work in Mr. Haar’s group projects. Amber’s ability to lead is not limited to co-editor-andchief of the newspaper, it is just the beginning of an exceptional life. Her curiosity encourages those around her to pursue their passions just as she has in writing, architecture, and hiking. We know that Amber’s personality and determination will be beneficial to her success, but her use of directions may not be helpful when it comes to going places. Amber has walked in the path of too many black cats and under too many ladders. When you invite Amber to your house be prepared for an amusing story of her journey there. The 5-minute drives that Amber manages to turn into 30 minute routes make her determination even more significant because we know she won’t give up until she gets what she wants (or where she needs to go). These excursions showcase Amber’s motivation, which led us to give her the nickname, and alliteration, Ambitious Amber. In fact, she is so ambitious she actually instilled her trust in us to write this tribute about her. We are so honored to call her our friend. —Kirsten Briggs and Jordane Schooley

sleep

my various vital organs

my off-campus pass, bless that shiny sticker

the seniors

my car

my headphones

my lipstick

grilled cheese

my fans

Spotify

SENIOR LEADERS

LEADERS

ASB PRESIDENT

ASB VICE PRESIDENT

Hannah Santos

Brooke Barker

TOHS would not be the same without Hannah Santos. She does so much for the school and she truly cares for each student. As the ASB president, she has a say on many things and she uses that gift to make a positive change in the Lancer community. She works hard to make TO a safe and fun place for everyone. Hannah is not only student body president, but she is also a fantastic student, classmate, and friend. She is constantly working hard, striving to do her best in every class. She encourages everybody constantly, and when things get rough, she always breaks out laughing, which makes everyone else laugh! I thank God for putting Hannah in my life and in the lives of other students and staff at TOHS because her presence itself changes people’s perspectives and moods from gray skies to shining rays! Despite the many hours she dedicates to TOHS, Hannah still (miraculously) finds time to have a life, and a really exceptional one at that. Anyone who’s ever met her or even seen her from across the room will immediately recognize that she has a glowing spirit that brightens any room. Her beautiful smile is often accompanied by an unmistakable selflessness and love for others, undeniably flowing from a life centered around Christ. Hannah’s dedication shows in all areas of her life. Whether working on an essay, playing a friendly game of dodge ball, or just getting to know you, she throws her all into each task. She really knows how to enjoy life and make every moment count, and her delightful spirit always bubbles over to brighten the lives of others. TOHS, and our community, would definitely not be the same without Hannah Santos. —Meli Angulo and Alyssa Beccue

Brooke Barker is deﬁnitely one of a kind. When I think of her I think of her very loud and unforgettable laugh/snort (I’m sure everyone has heard it), her ambition, her quick wit and knowledge, her strength to overcome any and every obstacle thrown at her, and mostly, her ability to lead. No matter what the situation is, if someone is needed she will always step up and help whether she really wants to or not and she always does a fantastic job, that is something that I really admire about her. I remember the ﬁrst time that we met, it was summer and we were both going into sixth grade. We were on the same titans cheer squad. We had to do a shoulder sit and she dropped me, no surprise. We just couldn’t stop laughing (our coach made us run for the rest of practice). Yeah, we were teammates and acquaintances but never really friends. In sixth grade she was in the same P.E. class as my brother and found out that we were twins and she was shocked because that whole time she thought I was in third grade. Our bond started growing when we were in ASB together in middle school and the same classes in eighth grade, but we became best friends through the high school cheer program. We formed an unbreakable friendship that is still blossoming to this day. It is so easy for me to call her my best friend because she’s always been there for me and I’ve always been there for her, we have countless memories and jokes, and I know that that’s never going to change, even during and past college. I can’t imagine my high school experience without her, cliché right? But it’s so true. Without a doubt in my mind, I know that she will be so successful in life and I will be so honored to say that I am her best friend. —Hannah Leonard

SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT

SENIOR CLASS VICE PRESIDENT

Natalie Kinney

Emily Kinloch

Natalie is one of the most amazing and complex people I know. I have been truly lucky to have her in my life, and consider her one of my best friends. She is the friend that knows your favorite coffee by heart, which candy to bring you when you’re happy or sad, and surprises you with balloons on your birthday. No matter what she is juggling in her own life she always makes time for her friends and to see them accomplish their goals. Through the three short years I have known Natalie I have seen her accomplish so many things; from planning Prom to Senior Ball to lollipop fund raisers to the dreaded 500yds of death, she has never given up no matter how hard these tasks can prove to be. Throughout our three swim seasons together I was her lucky lap-counter, the only voice she could hear in the pool as I watched her take off time each week. She has taught me drive, both in the pool and out, and to be proud of what I do. She was always a face I would look for at the end of my lane, a boost of conﬁdence before a daunting event. In addition to being Senior Class President she was also Girls Varsity Swim Captain and lead us to second place in leagues this year. Whether in the pool or on campus I look up to Natalie as a role model in all she has accomplished. From our drives to the beach blasting music with the windows down, to our endless sushi nights, I cannot imagine a better friend to have spent the last three years with. Next year Natalie is going to be across the country starting a new and very exciting path at Butler University!! Although I am going to miss seeing her everyday, I am even more excited to hear about all of her new crazy adventures and what the future holds for this amazing human! —Emma Faciane

Though it’s only been 5 years or so, I feel like I’ve known Em for a lifetime. She has just always felt like family to me. I can’t really pick out a particular moment when we met or became best friends. I don’t really even remember a time when it was out of the ordinary for her to show up at my house, unannounced, with food or sunﬂowers or a snail balloon. Whenever I’ve needed a friend, she’s been there. Emily is unbelievably genuine. And crazy. Possibly insane. She is endearing, down to earth, and just plain real. Not to mention, she can moonwalk like nobody’s business. Maybe it’s the charming way her Canadian roots slip out she says “hoose” instead of “house” or the fact that her entire being is made of pure sunshine that makes her so hard not to love. Beyond that, however, one of the things I admire most about Emily is how she puts her whole heart into everything she does. People like her do not come around often. She loves T.O. and puts a ridiculous amount of work into making it a great place. Just being around Emily makes you feel good. I think that is what makes her such an amazing leader. She inspires people to do and be their best. Emily is beyond impressive. She juggles a job, multiple AP classes, volunteering, as well as serving as both cheer captain and senior class vice president. Her devotion and natural conﬁdence are truly inspiring. Em, every moment of knowing your Canadian, scuba diving, hockey-loving, goofball self has been a blessing. Thank you for being my bestie. You deserve the world and more, and I wish you the best of luck. You are going to kill it in Reno! —Kenna Peterson

Alex Ortega

Stephanie Hickman

my AP calculus review book

Tessa Azani

myself

Jimmy Tatum

Justin Bieber

Cooper Stout

can’t remember their names

lime shrimp ramen from the student store

who is your high school crush?