CRUHSD Academy News
CRUHSD Academy's Pre-Registration
Pre registrations will be held: When: Mon. December 17th & Thurs. December 21st Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Where: Room 501 - Ms. Oviatt's office |
CRUHSD Academy Registration
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CRUHSD Academy graduates overcome obstacles
![]() “Nothing you do now will change the past,” Heaton said at the school’s graduation ceremony. “Everything you do now will determine your future.” The 32 graduates all have the potential for greatness in them, said Sean Hammond, general manager at the Aquarius Casino Resort, and a 1985 Mohave High School graduate. He spoke during the ceremony of his own story, from his determination to leave town as soon as he could to his start as a beverage server to running one of Laughlin’s major casinos. Hammond said that one of the keys to his success was his willingness to try new things. “I predict that the coming days, weeks, months and years will be an amazing journey,” he said. “Great opportunities will come. Grab all of them that you can.” The five student speakers spoke of the difficulties they have conquered to get to graduation. Alec Anzalone recalled winning an award for a fifth-grade speech about reaching for the stars. He said he later lost sight of those stars and was headed down a path on which incarceration seemed more likely than being at the podium in the MHS auditorium. He said his road back was at first marked by procrastination and doubt. “But once I came to grips with the fact that it had to be done, I began to make progress,” he said. Heavenly Gonzales urged her classmates to thank those whose support and inspiration got them to their diplomas, and make dedication and sedulousness permanent habits. “A whole new life is about to start,” Gonzales said. “Whatever you decide to do, make sure you put your whole heart into it, because hard work always pays off.” Maria Mendoza and Ketzally Mojica Bustamante encouraged their classmates to turn “I wish” into “I will,” and to think of possibilities as probabilities. Riley Frei, superintendent of the Colorado River Union High School District, noted that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. He also noted that CRUHSD Academy was created in recognition of the different ways and rates at which students learn. Frei said that the graduates have shown they can deal with difficulties, such as missing substantial amounts of class time and getting off to a slow start in accumulating needed credits. “I wish each of you more obstacles and challenges,” he said, “because you guys are fierce.” Nicholas Knowles said after the ceremony that his two-plus years at the academy were sometimes hard, but that the teachers were very helpful, keeping him on track to graduate and eligible to play basketball for River Valley High School. “I’m very proud of him,” said Knowles’ mother, Rhonda Hartsfield. “He needed to recover credits and he worked hard to do it.” Knowles said his goal now is to earn an associate degree and eventually work as an air traffic controller. Gonzales said she plans to look for a job now. She said she hasn’t decided yet about higher education. “I’m excited for all the new adventures to come,” she said. “I’m ready to see what life has in store now.” |
CRUHSD Academy bids farewell to it's largest graduating class
http://www.mohavedailynews.com/news/cruhsd-academy-bids-farewell-to-its-largest-graduating-class/article_6584ea56-3df4-11e7-9b0a-53ba7e120687.html\ By RODD CAYTON The Daily News | Sunday, May 21, 2017 BULLHEAD CITY — There are a number of paths that this year’s CRUHSD Academy graduates can take toward success, Patrick Beck told them Friday evening. Beck, guest speaker at the school’s graduation ceremony, mentioned the lives of two men born in the Midwest in the early 20th century, either of whom might be termed a success. First, there was James Dean, an actor who gave three acclaimed performances before dying in a car crash at age 24. Next, Beck talked about Norman Borlaug, an agronomist the students had likely never heard of. Borlaug developed an interest in plant science and studied ways to create drought- and disease-resistant crops. In doing so, Beck said, he made profound changes in the food security of Mexico and India and prevented more than a billion people from starving. For his contributions to the world food supply, Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970. “I urge you not to find success in the stuff you can buy or in popularity,” Beck said. “Judge your success by the impact you can have on lives. That is how to find true success.” Academy director Troy Heaton opened the ceremony by talking about the “impatient age,” in which we live and the lure of quick satisfaction summed up in the phrases “video-on-demand” and “one-day delivery.” Heaton applauded the grads for putting in the effort to reach the stage in the Mohave High School auditorium. “This was not instant,” he said. “It took work, time and sacrifice.” Senior class president Brenda Robledo recalled her efforts to balance online courses with family and a full-time job. “Giving up came across my mind millions of times over the past three years,” she said. “But I made it.” She and student speakers Jasmine Gomez and Anthony Ortiz talked about the valuable assistance family members and school employees provided to help the graduates. Ortiz said that the taste of success should spur his classmates to never settle for less than their best and to not be daunted by obstacles. “‘No’ to us should be not a roadblock, but a vantage point,” he said. School Supt. Riley Frei asked the Class of 2017 to stay in touch with the community, so that it might celebrate graduates’ future successes. The school awarded diplomas to 27 students. Another six have already received their diplomas, but did not participate. By any count, it’s a record; last year there were 24 graduates. The first graduating class, in 2014, had nine students. Robledo received the Edward Cook Scholarship, the first to be awarded to a CRUHSD Academy graduate. Graduate Gloria Gonzalez said that she was upset at learning that none of her senior credits earned in California were transferable. She said that instructors believed she could make them up, and that she was determined to justify their confidence in her. She’s going to concentrate on working for a semester, then hopes to enroll at Mohave Community College in the spring and work toward a career in cosmetology or criminal psychology. Eugene Lyon called CRUHSD Academy “the best thing that ever happened to me,” based on the staff’s dedication to the success of every student. He is considering Full Sail University or DeVry University as he works toward a career in computer science, game design or computer engineering. Gonzalez said her family was planning a graduation-night party for her; Lyon had more mellow plans. “Get plenty of sleep,” he said. “Then look towards the future.” |
Academy Students Take Different Paths to Graduation