The Student Spotlight segment of each Board meeting celebrates a student or a group of students who are living out the Portrait of an LPS Graduate, which highlights the life skills each LPS graduate should have. Tomorrow’s workers will succeed by constantly adapting to the changing world around them, and today’s students must begin by learning and developing life skills - where every student should be well-adjusted, thriving, and balanced.

Additionally, students will develop skills in:

• Communication
• Global/Cultural Awareness
• Character & Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving and Adaptability
• Creativity and Risk Taking
• Resiliency and Collaboration
• Self Advocacy
• All surrounding Rigorous and Relevant Academic Skills

LPS strives to implement opportunities to grow these skills at every level of education and recognize students of all ages. At their regularly scheduled meeting on April 24, 2025, the Board recognized students from Euclid Middle School and EPIC Campus.

Euclid Middle School

Layla Fox, Peyton Jarkow, and Sedona Blankstein Otloski are sixth graders at Euclid who embody so many of the characteristics celebrated in the LPS Portrait of a Graduate.

First, these three were recognized as a unit because of the work they have done together. In a true spirit of COLLABORATION, Layla, Peyton, and Sedona noticed that some of their peers were not making the best decisions with trash, often littering outside during recess. As the genuine PROBLEM SOLVERS they are, these three girls became RISK TAKERS to do something outside of their comfort zone but for the betterment of the school. They started collecting trash weekly to make the school cleaner and more respected. Their actions started a chain reaction. Once their classmates saw them taking care of the school, others started joining in. This simple act was so much bigger than cleaning up trash for the sixth grade class: it established a level of respect and community for everyone.

People beyond their own classmates started noticing as well. Their language arts teacher, Ms. Benner, said, “These three girls are such incredible examples of what it means to care, not just about our school grounds, but about our whole community. What they’ve done at recess is such a reflection of who they are: thoughtful, responsible, and quietly powerful. I’m so proud of them and lucky to be their teacher!”

Each of these girls also has her own characteristics from the Portrait of a Graduate.

Layla is a leader by example. She is always on task, consistently working to meet and exceed expectations. By focusing on giving her best effort, her peers follow, and the ACADEMIC SKILLS in the classroom increase for all students.

Peyton is a positive, dedicated student who asks thoughtful questions. She has strong COMMUNICATION skills and works to ADVOCATE for herself and others to ensure all people are treated with respect and kindness.

Sedona’s attention to detail and work ethic make her a successful student. She is a CRITICAL THINKER who is able to balance many responsibilities and passions while maintaining a high level of quality in all she does.

Thank you to all three of these dedicated students for making a significant impact on the Euclid and LPS communities. We are proud of you! It’s a great day to be a Falcon!

Johnny Sieker is an Aerospace student at EPIC Campus who demonstrates the Portrait of an LPS Graduate trait of CRITICAL THINKING. He is an outstanding student, demonstrating his exceptional skills in the Aerospace Manufacturing Lab during his four semesters at EPIC. He has manufactured parts for NASA as well as custom components for student robotics projects. With his CHARACTER and PROBLEM-SOLVING skills, Johnny secured a competitive apprenticeship with Mikron, one of EPIC’s industry partners, and he frequently spends extra hours in the lab, mastering subtractive manufacturing techniques and related programming. Staff members at EPIC are excited about the prospect of collaborating with Johnny as an industry partner in the near future, where he will contribute to maintaining cutting-edge and relevant instruction for the next generation of students.

Ryann Giblin demonstrates the Portrait of a Graduate through COLLABORATION. She is an exceptional student who is dedicated to completing all the classes in the Business and Entrepreneurship Pathway. At EPIC, she has found a supportive environment where she thrives, driven by her passion for career exploration and CRITICAL THINKING. She demonstrates a strong commitment to positive collaboration, always encouraging her teammates to work together effectively. Her willingness to TAKE RISKS for personal growth and to make a positive impact on others is truly inspiring.

Jason Paniagua embodies the Portrait of a Graduate trait of PROBLEM SOLVING. He brings passion, determination, and CREATIVITY to his work in the Computer Science Pathway, and during class, he puts an enormous amount of effort into every assignment and project. Outside of class, he actively seeks out challenges, such as Advent of Code, an annual set of Christmas-themed computer programming challenges, and Cyberpatriot, a national youth cyber education program. Jason is on track to complete all eight computer science classes at EPIC Campus.

Rafael "Rafa" Alvarenga Garcia exemplifies the Portrait of a Graduate trait of RESILIENCY. He is in his second year of the Construction Trades Pathway at EPIC, and he’s currently participating in work-based learning as an employee of the LPS Operations and Maintenance Department. He is also taking the Construction Management course at EPIC. Rafa continues to amaze his instructors and classmates with his unwavering positive attitude and his ability to balance work, school, and athletics. We are all proud of Rafa’s accomplishments and excited for his future, as he has been accepted to several universities to study construction management starting next fall.

Emmy Mosteller showcases the Portrait of a Graduate trait of CHARACTER in her work in the Future Educator Pathway. She faces challenges with grace, courage, and determination. Her ability to thrive through hard work sets an extraordinary example for her peers and the EPIC community. Her dedication to learning, positive attitude, and unwavering determination have served her well as she has completed rigorous coursework, especially in the Future Educator Pathway, and will continue to serve her well throughout life.

Isa Dixon demonstrates the Portrait of a Graduate traits of RESILIENCY and ADAPTABILITY. She is professional, polite, and dedicated to her journey into healthcare. In her Health Sciences Pathway coursework, she understands that adaptability is a key characteristic in healthcare and in life. She is one of the most resilient students; she perseveres through challenges and continues to excel as a student, person, friend, and future healthcare worker. Isa’s instructor stated, “I can honestly say that if Isa were taking care of me or a loved one, I would gain comfort in knowing that she will provide the best care possible, which includes demonstrating empathy and a willingness to go the extra mile to help.” That is high praise and will serve Isa well as she continues this journey!

Zowie Wiegel is a RISK-TAKER, demonstrating this Portrait of a Graduate trait as a student in the Natural Resources Pathway. She dove into the deep end of the plant science pool and worked to extend her learning way beyond what was presented in class. She will be taking EPIC’s Horticulture course while pursuing this passion as an intern in the plant science industry. Overall, Zowie is a confident and creative young adult, and we are excited to see what her future holds.

Taylor Schlageter utilizes her Portrait of a Graduate trait of COMMUNICATION in her work-based learning through EPIC Campus. She has earned an internship at Craig Hospital, where she supports therapists in helping patients meet their rehabilitation goals. Her supervisor shared, “Taylor is warm, respectful, and positive. She is a hard worker and seeks out additional tasks when there is down time. She is reliable, communicative, and works well with our staff and patients. We are so lucky to have her on our team!” After her two years in the Health Sciences Pathway at EPIC, she will be continuing her health-related studies at CSU in the fall. Congratulations, Taylor!