Rio Rancho Public Schools (RRPS), in partnership with Edit House Productions, has announced a brand-new video series meant to showcase the “senior year experience” for a handful of students across the district. This year-long project, called “Destination: Graduation” will follow and document the lives of eight members of the Class of 2024 as they navigate the exciting and challenging final year of high school.
The participating students come from one of each the district’s four high schools (Rio Rancho HS [RRHS], V. Sue Cleveland HS [CHS], Independence HS [IHS], and Rio Rancho Cyber Academy [RRCA]), as well as the Career Technical Education (CTE) Program, and all represent different goals, pathways, backgrounds, and talents. The eight contributing seniors are as follows, in alphabetical order:
Maya Anderson, V. Sue Cleveland High School
Maya is the Senior Class president of CHS and is actively involved in most of the activities that happen at school. She is highly focused on learning while also maintaining a vibrant and active social life.
Kaiya Brown, V. Sue Cleveland High School
Kaiya created the Native American Student Union at CHS and is a member of the New Mexico Indigenous Youth Council. She is dedicated to educating her peers about indigenous culture and uniting indigenous youth across New Mexico and beyond.
Tamaya Oliver, Rio Rancho High School
Tamaya is an active member of RRHS’s Black Student Union and Yearbook Club and has taken four years of American Sign Language classes. After graduation, Tamaya is interested in becoming a Doctor of Audiology with an emphasis in Speech Pathology.
Diego Solano, V. Sue Cleveland High School
Diego, the CHS Student Body President, is an active member of the CHS Student Government, a pole vaulter for the CHS Track Team, and the co-creator of the CHS Multicultural Club.
Alex Thompson, Rio Rancho High School
Alex is a member of the RRHS JROTC and recently completed basic training with the US Army over the summer. He also plays baritone in the RRHS Marching Band and is committed to successful academic outcomes.
Benjamin Valencia, CTE (CIS Program)/V. Sue Cleveland High School
Benjamin is dual enrolled in CTE and CHS and attends the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Network Engineering career pathway. He is also an avid wrestler for CHS and has set a goal to help his team win 1st place in the NMAA State Championship this year.
Ranaya Westerman, Independence High School
Ranaya is an outgoing student at IHS and is interested in pursuing a career in childcare after graduation, with an end goal of someday becoming a third-grade teacher.
Alyssa Zielinski, Rio Rancho Cyber Academy
Alyssa is taking several Advanced Placement (AP) courses to receive college credits before graduation. She is also a lettered member of the RRHS Diving Team and has been a gymnast for most of her life.
“We are eager to showcase the experiences that are shared by all of our wonderful seniors this year with Destination: Graduation,” said RRPS Superintendent Dr. V. Sue Cleveland. “These outstanding eight students represent the dedication to academic excellence that exists in our entire student body, and we cannot wait to see what they accomplish in their final year with our district.”
Destination: Graduation will air monthly on the RRPS YouTube channel, Facebook page and website. The first episode is anticipated to air in mid-October.