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March 2026
Three Peak to Peak students participated in the CU Model United Nations High School Spring Conference last month. Kavi Gokula Giridaran ('26), Prisha Jain ('28), and Sadie Corbett ('28) received the Best Delegate award. Congratulations, Pumas!
The Peak to Peak 6th grade (6A) Brain Bowl team finished 8th and made it to the second round in the qualifier tournament last month. Out of 4 Peak to Peak teams, 6A got a wild card spot in the Championship Tournament held in Littleton earlier this month, where they placed 11th in the state. Way to go, Pumas!
Left to right: Pippa Chittenden, Lara Zhang, Nikita Gupta, Shanvi Soma, Naomi Antman, Hailey Leadens, and Coach Meiler
Peak to Peak's 6B team came in 14th, 7A finished in 16th, and 8A placed 17th in their respective divisions at the North Qualifier.
The Scholastic Art and Writing awards honored three Peak to Peak students with Silver Keys for the seven-state West Writing Region-at-Large: Penelope Letter ('26) in the Screenplay and Script category, Skye Williams ('26) in the Critical Essay category, and Caitlyn Power ('27) in the Short Story category. Way to express yourselves, Pumas!
Shibani Senthilkumar ('27) won the Colorado NCWIT Aspirations in Computing High School Affiliate Award and also received a National Honorable Mention for her amazing work innovating with technology to make the world a better place. Way to use technology to achieve amazing things, including a state win and national recognition, Shibani!
Ellie Hayes ('26) was selected to perform in the 2026 Colorado High School All State Choir. This statewide honor recognizes exceptional musical skill, including vocal technique, intonation, rhythm, diction, and artistry, measured through a rigorous audition process. Last month, she joined Colorado's most talented high school singers under the direction of renowned conductor Dr. Lynda Hasseler at the Buell Theatre in Denver. Congratulations, Ellie, on representing Peak to Peak with excellence! Go Pumas!
Vyom Jain ('27) and Prisha Jain ('28) were selected to shadow Colorado State Senator William Lindstedt on the Senate floor at the annual Legislative Day at the Capitol last month. This was a great learning experience for both students. Thanks for representing Peak to Peak!
Ayla White (class of 2035) competed in the Dreamcatcher Invitational gymnastics meet held in Santa Fe, NM last month. She medaled in all four events, taking gold on the Floor and Uneven Bars and winning the Dreamcatcher Beam award. She won the Silver medal in the all-around competition and helped her team secure the first place spot. Go, Ayla!
These three mathletes qualified and attended the 2nd round UNC Math Competition in Greeley last weekend. Other Peak to Peak students also qualified, but were unable to attend. To qualify, students complete challenging math problems, including geometry, combinatorics, probability, logic, and number theory. All work is completed with paper and pencil, no calculators or electronic devices.
Sunwoo Kim ('33), Shaurya Singh ('30), and Rishi Muppenani ('30)
After a hard-fought battle across three rounds, and the first-ever tie-breaker final round in state history, Kavi Gokula Giridaran ('26) took second place at the 2026 Poetry Out Loud State Finals. Check out her sweet trophy!
The Peak to Peak Speech and Debate Team took second place at the CHSAA 4A State Championship Tournament last month.
Neva Joseph ('27) and Naitik Sinha ('26) each brought home an Individual State Championship title for US Extemporaneous Speaking and International Extemporaneous Speaking, respectively.
Everyone worked so hard to prepare for the competition, as evidenced by our participants' strong finishes. Other notable placements include:
Saatwik Das & Tanush Shekhar ('26) 2nd place in Public Forum
Skye Williams & Miralisa Trivedi ('26) Semifinalist in Public Forum
Cindy Woo ('27) 3rd place in International Extemporaneous Speaking
Emily Soesilo ('26) 2nd place in Original Oratory.
Last weekend, Peak to Peak hosted the local chapter of the Mathcounts competition. After 3 Â morning rounds, Sharvi Shahi ('31) placed 8th during the buzzer round and Kunwoo Kim ('31) placed 18th. Both students will be participating in the state competition on March 28th. Thank you to all who participated, and to Mr. Putnam for his coaching contributions.
Nine Peak to Peak students swam with the Monarch High School Girls Swim Team this season. They had an amazing year, and the team placed 6th at the 4A State Championship last month.
Pictured left to right: Maggie Rigney ('29), Kyra Rein ('27), Miriam Altunsoy ('26), Orly Schwarz ('29), Katherine Zerwekh Reardon ('27), Audrey Griepentrog ('29), Isabel Swarr ('26), and Sofia Griepentrog ('26)
Not pictured: Aneeqah Shaik ('29)
Several swimmers qualified for the State Championship, and Isabel placed 3rd in the Championship for the 100yd breaststroke. She was also selected to the CHSAA 2026 First Team All State for Swimming & Diving.
Congratulations to all of these student athletes, and thank you for representing Peak to Peak!
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February 2026
Pam Rutigliano, our secondary Library Paraprofessional, has spent the past 20 years nurturing a vibrant culture of reading on our campus. With her unwavering patience and calm, steady presence, she has guided our literary community through many seasons of growth and change, remaining a constant source of support for students and staff alike.
Pam’s superpower is that she is a true book whisperer. Whether working with a reluctant reader, an avid bibliophile, or a colleague searching for the perfect classroom text, Pam has an uncanny ability to suggest just the right book. Under her care, the library has become far more than a place to check out books. It is a welcoming hub of connection and belonging. The consistently full library before school, after school, and during lunch is a testament to the culture that she has created. Through her thoughtful curation of our collection, each student has been able to see themselves reflected in the stories on our shelves.
It is with deep gratitude and pride that we announce Pam Rutigliano as Peak to Peak’s 2026 Impact on Education Award recipient.
Neva Joseph (class of '27) was awarded a $600 Student Service Grant from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). NASSP’s Student Service Grant program is a new national initiative designed to empower student leaders to create and lead impactful service projects in their communities. Grants ranging from $200 to $1,000 are awarded to fund youth-led, youth-driven service projects that address real community needs.
Neva is starting a local chapter of Create for Kids at Peak to Peak, which focuses on connecting students with pediatric patients through art and creative care. She says, "We plan to organize art-making events, donation drives, and care packages for children in local hospitals, aiming to provide comfort, joy, and inclusion for young patients while giving students meaningful opportunities to serve their community."
Congrats to Bobby Yuan ('28), Sadie Beylkin ('27), Zala Klemenc ('27), and Cayden Mallory ('28) for representing Peak to Peak at All State Orchestra in Fort Collins earlier this month! This was our largest and youngest group accepted in the last decade. The weekend was full of classics and contemporary classical selections, pushing our students to new levels of musicality with selections such as Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, Moncayo’s Huapango, Omar Thomas’s “Of Our New Day Begun,” and Jennifer Higdon’s “Blue Cathedral”. Bobby and Sadie performed with the Symphony under the direction of nationally renowned educator and composer Brian Balmages, while Cayden and Zala performed with Dr. Christopher Cicconi from James Madison University. Bravo, Pumas!
Shaan Karande (class of 2027), who plays tenor saxophone in Peak to Peak’s Advanced Jazz Band, auditioned for and earned a coveted spot in the 2026 Colorado All-State Jazz Band. This ensemble is extremely selective, drawing top high school jazz musicians from across the entire state, and this marks an impressive third time Shaan has been selected to the All-State Jazz Band.
Selected students took part in two and a half days of intensive rehearsals, culminating in a final performance on January 31, 2026, at the historic Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs.
Way to go, Shaan! Thank you for representing Peak to Peak with such talent, dedication, and musicianship.
Alden Bradley, Rohit Movva, and Pierce Ross (all class of 2027) secured the Excellence Award at last weekend’s national-level robotics event, the highest achievement at a VEX Robotics competition. This award is reserved for the team that demonstrates the most comprehensive success across technical interviews, engineering documentation, and on-field robot performance. This victory secured them an early spot in the VEX World Championship this April.
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for teen artists. Each year, thousands of students across the state submit works that are judged blindly on originality, technical skill, and personal voice.
This year, Peak to Peak students received thirty-four Scholastic Awards, setting a new school record! Each of these artworks will be featured in the 2026 Colorado Scholastics Exhibition. Gold and Silver Key award winners will also be displayed at the Denver Art Museum and the 40 West Gallery from February 3rd through March 12th, 2026.
Student artwork has been featured across our social media channels all week, and a compilation of their work is available here.
January 2026
Maxwell Lucchetti ('29) was selected to play the violin for the Combined League Orchestra, which performed at Severance High School earlier this week. Congratulations, Maxwell!
Charlie Haskins ('28) and Soren Dumond ('27) kicked Aspen in the Wilder Dwight Memorial Super G races in Aspen on January 8th and 9th at Aspen Highlands. Soren placed 5th and 4th in the SuperG, while Charlie placed 9th and 5th in the two days of racing. Our Puma athletes beat all of the Aspen skiers on their home hill in both races. Ski fast, Pumas!
Congratulations to Eera Gujarathi (class of 2034) on her 1st place win and to Sunwoo Kim (class of 2033), who took second place. Eera will move on to represent Peak to Peak at the BVSD Spelling Bee in March.
December 2025
Naina Joseph ('31) has been selected to perform in the 2026 Colorado Middle School All State Choir. This statewide honor recognizes exceptional musical skill, including vocal technique, intonation, rhythm, diction, and resonance measured through a rigorous audition rubric. She will join Colorado's most talented middle school vocalists under the direction of Elite musicians at the Bellco Theatre in Denver on February 13, 2026. Congratulations, Naina, on representing Peak to Peak with excellence!
Sona Karande ('27), Prokop Kolman ('27), and Jacque Steven ('26) were all selected through audition for the 2025 CSU High School Honor Band Festival. Jacque earned a spot in the Festival Concert Band, and Sona and Prokop were accepted into the Honor Wind Symphony.
Chosen from hundreds of applicants across the western region, these students participated in a three-day festival held this past weekend at the University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. During the festival, students had the opportunity to work with renowned guest clinicians and conductors, gaining valuable musical insight and expertise. In addition to intensive rehearsals, they enjoyed several performances by CSU faculty and student ensembles.
The weekend culminated in a final performance by the Festival Concert Band and Honor Wind Symphony in the beautiful Griffin Concert Hall. Please join me in congratulating Sona, Prokop, and Jacque on this outstanding accomplishment.
Emma Gyaltsen's (class of 2029) ideas for an inclusive cafe impressed the judges at KnoPro, a non-profit working to build career and skill experiences for teens. Emma won the top prize in this challenge out of all the entries nationwide! Congratulations, Puma!
After months of conducting research and working with mentors through the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, Shibani Senthilkumar ('27) and Pranavi Mantha ('26) were invited to present their work at the Colorado Space Roundup last week. This event, held at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, was attended by nearly 300 guests, including some of the best minds in Colorado's space industries and academic institutions.
Just before the break, twelve Peak to Peak runners (and one coach) traveled to Mesa, Arizona for the Nike Cross Regional meet. Seven athletes ran personal or season bests for 5K. Lindsay Roy led the group with an impressive 15th-place finish of 19:04. On the boys’ side, the team placed a strong 9th out of 19 teams with a five-man scoring average of 17:51. Congrats, Pumas!
Two Peak to Peak students took part in the 2025 Combined League Honor Jazz Band, an audition-only group for students in northern Colorado. Jeeya Karande (Class of 2030) was the only pianist selected for the middle school group, and Shaan Karande (Class of 2027) was one of four tenor saxophone players chosen. It was a great opportunity to work on jazz tunes and improvisational skills alongside other selected students and under the guidance of leading conductors in the region. They practiced several tunes for the past few weeks in preparation for the event. Then, on November 18, they met altogether for an intense day of rehearsals, which was followed by an outstanding evening performance. Congratulations to these stellar musicians and thank you for representing Peak to Peak!
November 2025
We are proud to share that Neva Joseph's (class of 2027) artwork was selected for the 7th Annual Art Contest by the Colorado Association for Gifted & Talented. CAGT received over 115 entries from students across Colorado on this year's theme, "Empowering Change," and Neva's art piece was among the selected works recognized for its creativity and expression. Congratulations, Neva!
Rishi Gyambavantha ('27) wrapped up his fifth season with the Dawson Cyclocross team in impressive fashion, taking 1st place in the Junior Men’s 17–18 category at the CYCLO X Boulder Reservoir race last weekend. Congratulations, Rishi, on an incredible finish to the season!
Naina Joseph (class of 2031) was selected by the Colorado Association for Gifted & Talented (CAGT) in the 4th Annual Student Talent Video Contest for her Music performance! Her talent video was showcased to over 800 educators at the 2025 CAGT annual conference and will be featured in CAGT's statewide newsletter, The Happenings. Way to go, Puma!
Last month, two Peak to Peak students were invited to speak at Erie’s first Women in Leadership Summit.
Neha Pesaramelli and Pranavi Mantha (‘26), co-founders of Erie Youth for Change, delivered a powerful message about leading with integrity and authenticity, and about the importance of representation and everyday leadership. Their words resonated deeply — the audience responded with a standing ovation, and one attendee shared, “I feel like our future is in good hands.”
Thank you, Neha and Pranavi, for using your voices to advocate for change and inspire others to lead with purpose.
October 2025
Congrats to eleven Peak to Peak String Players for representing our program at two different honors orchestras. Each year, BVSD high schools select up to ten students to represent them at the BVSD Honors Orchestra. This year, Ash Brave ('27), Hope Peddycord ('26), Catie Power ('27), Charlie Schwarz ('28), Orly Schwarz ('29), Rhea Trivedi ('29), Jordan Wilmot ('26), and Alessandra Wilson ('29) were all first time participants while Kavilaya Gokulagiridaran ('26) and Katherine Zerwekh Reardon ('27) returned for their second year. Special recognition is due to freshman Alessandra, who sat as Co-Principal Viola. In addition, sophomore Cayden Mallory ('28, not pictured) has been accepted into Western States Honors Orchestra, which will perform in November for the second year in a row! Congrats all!
Earlier this month, two Peak to Peak students were selected as winners of the Lafayette Library’s 2025 Annual Bookmark Design Contest.
Veran Radebaugh (‘31) placed second in the middle school division, and Logan Conigliaro (‘26) placed first in the high school division. Congratulations to these talented artists!
Wes Hruska and Grant Johnson (class of 2028) qualified for the 2025 Colorado Mountain Biking League State Championship Race. They competed last weekend at the scenic Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley Campus in Glenwood Springs. Both athletes completed the Sophomore race, finishing in 64th and 135th, respectively.
Tristan Townsend (class of 2027) participated in the World Pump Track Qualifier this summer, racing as a junior. He placed second, which qualified him for the World Championships held in Angelholm, Sweden. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend, but what an accomplishment! Way to go, Puma!
Join us in congratulating our National Merit Semifinalists! These students are among the top 1% of high school seniors across the country, earning this distinction based on outstanding PSAT/NMSQT scores. They now have the opportunity to advance to Finalist standing and compete for National Merit Scholarships. Way to go, Pumas!
Left to right: Ram Mangu, Pasha Trofimovsky, Amanda Zou, Saatwick Das, Julia Lee, and Mila Korah (class of 2026)
Jack Brayman ('26) finished a truly phenomenal golf career at Peak to Peak with a second place finish in the 2025 State Tournament. Jack is a 3-time 1st-Team All-Metro League player, 4-time state tournament qualifier, 10-time regular season tournament champion, 2-time top-3 finisher at CHSAA State Tournaments, and 2025 Metro League Player of the Year. Jack finished the 2025 regular season as the top-ranked 3A golfer in all of Colorado (by a significant margin). Jack will continue his golf adventure in college, as he has accepted a spot on the D1 golf team at Gonzaga University! Jack exhibited amazing dedication, performances, and character throughout his high school career. Congratulations!
Lucy Ladd (2032) placed first and Luke Justice (2031) placed second in their respective races at the middle school Boulder Country Day XC Meet last week.
The girls team won and the boys team came in third! It was an amazing event for our middle school cross country runners.
Nick Griffin (class of 2026) was selected from an international pool of high school students to participate in the Summer Science Program International at the University of Guelph in Canada. For five weeks, Nick worked with antibiotic resistant bacteria and with his lab team, discovered a new resistance mechanism.
September 2025
Alex Young (class of 2028) achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Scouting America last month. Only 4-6% of scouts achieve this prestigious rank. To earn this rank, Alex coordinated a community service project for the Erie United Methodist Church, where scouts donated over 150 hours of community service, making a bench, doing landscaping, and painting for the church.
Rhea Trivedi (class of 2029) competed in the NPR Student Podcast Challenge during her 8th grade year and just received an Honorable Mention. Nearly 2000 middle and high school students across the country submitted entries, and only 4 Coloradoans were recognized.
Rhea's podcast episode, Stereotyped, includes interviews from students and staff within our community who share their personal experiences and the harmful impact of stereotypes. You can listen to her podcast on SoundCloud.
Congratulations, Rhea, and thank you for using your voice!
August 2025
For the first time ever, a Peak to Peak student has won top prize in the Games for Change competition in the Best Tabletop Game Senior Division! This competition was judged by Hasbro, with students from 91 countries participating, and students were challenged to catalyze social impact through designing games. Inspired by the Peaceformers Challenge, Charlie Seivers (class of 2028) designed his game Trigoni, in which players must learn to share resources peacefully in order for everyone to win.
Charlie said of his game: "My game would make the world a better place because it would provide an opportunity for players to grow in teamwork and learn how peace only lasts when it is formed and maintained by cooperation with other people."
Congratulations, Charlie, and thank you for using your creativity to envision a better world for all!
Avery Pascoe (class of 2032) and Kayla Pascoe (class of 2033) were invited to speak at the First Day of Issue ceremony for the Baby Wild Animals Forever stamps. Held in Aurora, CO, as part of the Rocky Mountain Stamp Show, the ceremony celebrated how these adorable illustrations highlight the universal joy of wildlife and nature. This was an exceptionally rare opportunity: the USPS only issues about 25 new stamp subjects each year, making their invitation a truly special honor. Congratulations, Pascoe sisters!
Skye Williams ('26) ran the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon earlier this month and finished 30th overall out of 1,152 runners, 6th overall in the Women's category, and 1st for girls in her age group!
James Mckay (class of 2034) played his first soccer game with his new, higher-level team (Albion B16 Academy II) earlier this month as part of the Colorado Rapids Tournament. James played in a new position as striker and made an immediate impact, scoring two goals within two minutes. He continued his impressive performance throughout the tournament with two goals scored in the second game and six scored in the third. In the tournament final, he scored both goals and was subsequently named "Man of the Tournament," receiving the match ball. What a proud moment!
During the Monarch Swimming Awards Night, Samuel Coronado (class of 2026) received the award for “Most Improved Athlete Overall 2025.” He earned this recognition through consistent practice participation, a strong desire to receive feedback from coaches, and significant improvement in his race times—especially in the 500-yard freestyle. Throughout the season, Samuel competed in the 200- and 400-yard relays, as well as the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events, often swimming all of them in the same meet. He also advanced to the semi-finals and finals at the Conference Meets. His commitment to giving his best for the team has truly paid off.
Summer 2025
Riley Watson (class of 2027) competed in a National Meet this summer and was named the top 25 national female shot putter. Her throw of 34' 10.5" exceeded her greatest distance of the 2025 season by more than 15 inches! Congratulations to this talented athlete and best of luck on your spring season.
Kyra Rein and Shibani Senthilkumar (both class of 2027) were selected to participate in this summer's Colorado Space Business Roundtable Aerospace Summer Fellowship Program. Students had the opportunity to engage with aerospace industry businesses, university programs, and nonprofits, learned about the opportunities and challenges facing the industry, and gained valuable hands-on experience. Industry participants included Lockheed Martin, Buckley Space Force Base, United Launch Alliance, BAE Systems, Inc., Space & Mission Systems, and Sierra Space.
This summer, Matthew Webster ('32) received his first degree black belt in taekwondo. Congrats, Matthew!
