Puma Spotlight 2024-25

Congratulations to the following band members for their hard work, dedication, passion, and commitment to pushing themselves to the highest musical level possible in the State of Colorado for High School Band. Out of approximately 800 auditions across the state of Colorado, these students went through a challenging audition process and were selected to perform in this year's All-State Concert Band. Students spent two and a half days in intensive rehearsals led by Dr. Richard Strauch, Professor of Music at Whitworth University. Students gave a well-attended final performance at the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley, Colorado. During the weekend, students saw live performances from UNC's small ensemble groups, three different UNC bands, an Over The Hill Band (made up of band directors), made some new friends, and even performed in their own concert—all in 2.5 days. This is the first time in P2P band history that so many students have made the All-State Band at once. Approximately 10% of this year's band was made up of P2P students. We are so proud of each of these students and what they have accomplished. Way to represent Peak to Peak at the state's highest musical level!

Class of 2027: Madeline Adkins (flute), Sadie Beylkin (bass clarinet), Sona Karande (clarinet), Shaan Karande (tenor sax), Zala Klemenc (oboe), and Prokop Kolman (euphonium).
Class of 2026: Saatwik Das (clarinet), and Jacque Steven (bass trombone).
Class of 2025: Ryan Cahoon (trombone) and Max Turczyn-Scheppach (tuba).

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These rising 6th graders recently performed in The Arts Hub’s musical production of “Newsies Jr.” They practiced all semester and were shining stars on the stage. They are looking forward to being part of Peak to Peak’s Middle School performing arts next year.

Pictured: Gisella Mansour, Cora Timmons, & Cora Harpp (class of 2032)

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Ritu Murari (class of 2030) was awarded 2nd place in her age group for the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Junior Duck Stamp Contest for the state of Colorado — a prestigious national program recognizing young artists and conservationists. Her artwork stood out among hundreds of submissions and was celebrated for its creativity, detail, and environmental message.

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The Girls' Tennis team had a fantastic season that culminated in a State Championship win! 

In addition to the Team win, our athletes played exceptionally well at the Individual State Tournament as well:

#1 Doubles – Molly Kolachov & Sydney Parkinson (both '26) took 1st in the state!
#2 Doubles – Lhadze Olsen & El Allen-Bonney (both '25) placed 1st in the state!
#3 Doubles – Abby Fitzgerald & Jolie Sassesville (both '25) took 2nd place!

#1 Singles – Lena Crotty ('25) placed 4th
#2 Singles – Sydney Lewis ('25) placed 2nd
#3 Singles – Ranye Ezenekwe ('25) placed 3rd

Congrats to all of these talented athletes. Way to end the season with a bang!

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Congrats to senior (or should we say, alum!) Jack Cerullo ('25), who set a new school record in the 1600m at the HOKA Saint Vrain Invitational early this month. Jack ran 4:30.29 to become the fastest Puma of all-time and qualified for the CHSAA State Track & Field Championships last week.

Jack (far right) is pictured here with his teammates (L-R): Will Cerullo ('28), Nick Griffin ('26), and Tyler Ford ('28).

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The Middle School Boys A team had a great season and made it all the way to the finals! Congratulations, Pumas!

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The Peak to Peak Wind Symphony traveled to Adams City High School on March 13th to participate in the Colorado Bandmasters Association’s Music Festival. The band performed three challenging selections: "English Folk Song Suite Mvt. 1" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, "As Summer Was Just Beginning" by Larry Daehn, and "Puszta Mvts. 1 & 4" by Jan Van der Roost. The approximately 16-minute-long performance was presented in front of three professional judges and other schools in attendance. The students had an outstanding performance and were able to showcase their learning and the many performance skills they have been working on.

The Wind Symphony received a Superior (I) rating from each of the three judges, the highest score an ensemble can receive based on various grading criteria. The students then had a fun and educational 25-minute clinic right after their performance with one of the judges. The judge, Gary Hall, a retired Colorado Hall of Fame band director, worked on advanced/college-level skills, showing students even more that can be accomplished in the realm of music. It was a very enjoyable and educational experience.

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On Saturday, April 19th, the Colorado affiliate of the National Center for Women and Information Technology recognized students with the annual Aspirations in Computing Awards. The Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) is open to 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students and recognizes students for their computing achievements and interests, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

Congratulations to the following students:

• Miralisa Trivedi ('26) - Colorado Award Winner (and National Honorable Mention)
• Emily Fu ('26) -  Colorado Honorable Mention
• Shibani Senthilkumar ('27) -  Colorado Honorable Mention
• Kate Guengerich ('28) -  Colorado Rising Star
• Kyra Rein ('27) -  Colorado Rising Star
• Emily Soesilo ('26) -  Colorado Rising Star

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Grace Baumgarten (class of 2030) got 1st place in her age group for the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Junior Duck Stamp Contest for the whole state of Colorado.

The Junior Duck Stamp is an annual art competition designed to teach youth about waterfowl and wetlands. Students compete in four grade-level groups within their state.  Each state's “Best of Show” is sent to compete nationally where an overall winner is selected.  Artwork from the national Best of Show is used to create a collector’s-edition stamps.

Congratulations, Grace!

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This year, Peak to Peak had eight teams (yes, eight!) compete in the high school New Venture Challenge at CU. Not only did these teams have to prepare a pitch for elite judges, but they all had to go through a rigorous question-and-answer round in this full-day competition for scholarships. After the field was narrowed to just the finalists,  teams presented again to a different panel of judges. Last year's grand prize winners, Peak to Peak students Oat Freshour and Ash Brave, gave a very inspiring speech about the importance of being yourself and were the announcers for the finals! 

All the student teams were lauded by the professors and professionals judging the competition, and TWO Peak to Peak teams were runners up for the grand prize. Biobandage (Evelyn Kraft & Arden Crighton, both class of 2028) and Prom Pocket (Lexi Pop & Sophie Walker, both class of 2028) each won three thousand dollars in scholarship money for their excellent pitches and innovative ideas. All teams were encouraged to keep innovating! 

Way to go, Pumas, and congratulations to all 16 innovators!

PanicWear - Oorja Gujarathi and Caitlin Anderson (both '28)

Find Your Sole - Jillian Ingle and Stella Carter (both '28)

PowderPeak - Justin Kim and Silas Sladden (both '28)

NoiseGuard - Nolan Kvan and Kira Law (both '28)

ThymaLink - Megan Liao and Alyssa Lewton (both '28)

Smart Drip - Mili Sobti ('28) and Aadi Sobti ('26)

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Alex Wade (class of 2032) won silver in kumite at the 2025 USA Open Karate Championship and Junior International Cup tournament held in Las Vegas between April 18th - 20th. Kumite is one of the three main components of Karate and includes sparring or fighting training, where students engage in combat drills with a partner, applying learned techniques and developing skills like timing, distance, and reflexes.

Way to go, Alex!

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Silas Sladden (class of 2028; right) won First Place in the World Series of Innovation for his "Solar Shade" concept for schools in their CBT Technology Solar Innovation Challenge. He will receive a $1,500 (and "a lifetime of bragging rights," according to Ms. Letter).

Luke Howard (class of 2028; left) was also a runner-up for his innovative concept "Luke's Finance Machine" in the Intuit Game-Based Financial Learning Challenge.

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Peak to Peak's High School Student Council was recognized as a 2025 National Gold Council of Excellence (NCOE)!

This prestigious award is a testament to the highest standards of quality, leadership, innovation, and community engagement that our council consistently demonstrates through its operation, projects, and activities.

Thank you to all of our student council members for their valuable contributions to our community!

Avery Pascoe (class of 2032) and Kayla Pascoe (class of 2033) were awarded competitive scholarships for their musical theater and hip-hop performances at the NUVO Dance Convention in Westminster, CO on April 12th. They are both invited to continue their training at the national level at Dancerpalooza in Los Angeles, CA this summer. Congratulations, Avery and Kayla!

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The Peak to Peak chapter of National Honor Society was honored with the Lafayette Chamber Champions Award at the Annual Chamber Dinner on March 28th!

The award was given “in recognition of [our] students' enthusiastic commitment and dedication to being truly present as volunteers. We (the Chamber) appreciate [the] students' ability to create a sense of belonging with each interaction.”

Representing our chapter at the event were Ranye Ezenekwe ('25), Nick Griffin ('26), Kayla Streifel ('26), Siddu Vellingiri ('26), and Ms. Tarbutton, the NHS Sponsor. This was a special moment of recognition for our students’ hard work. 

Thank you to all of our NHS members for your leadership and service to our community!

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Kes Pikiewicz (class of 2026) took first place in the adult North American Cup for lead climbing. The event took place earlier this month near Nashville. Congratulations, Kes!

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Several Peak to Peak students emerged victorious from the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair in Fort Collins earlier this month.

Neha Pesaramelli ('26) placed third in the Senior Chemistry Division for her project, "Measuring Chemical Kinetics in High School Labs." Neha was also awarded the Colorado Chemistry Teachers Association (CCTA) Chemistry Award!

Tanush Shekhar ('26) and Jack Cerullo ('25) received an Honorable Mention in the Senior Mathematics & Computer Sciences Division for their project, "Revolutionizing CryoEt: Novel Simulation Techniques for ML-Based Tomograph Labeling," and received one of the National Security Agency's (NSA) Special Awards.

Calvin Johnson and Aarnav Jain ('25) were recognized with the American Psychological Association (APA) Achievement in Research in Psychological Science Award for their project, "Sympathetic Nervous System Activation Effects on Short-Term Memory in a Virtual Environment."

Congratulations to all of our competitors, and thank you for representing Peak to Peak!

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Emaline Donovan (class of 2035) competed in her first gymnastics meet last month. She placed in several individual events, and her team won second place overall. Keep up the good work, Emaline!

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Eddie Humphreys (class of 2027) won 1st place on Floor and Parallel Bars at the Region 2 Men’s Gymnastics Championships. Eddie is the best in 12 states! He was also named an Academic All-American by USAG Gymnastics. Way to go, Eddie!

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Mason Widman (class of 2030) shaved his head for the 9th consecutive year in solidarity and support for kids' cancer research. He shaved his year-long hockey flow to support St. Baldricks. Thanks for your selflessness, Mason! #ShavefortheBrave

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Peak to Peak’s student-led robotics team has had an award-filled season! Both the sophomore and senior teams qualified for the VEX World Championship at the State Competition. The sophomore team took second place overall, while the senior team earned the prestigious Innovate Award, recognizing their unique engineering design process. Congratulations to all team members on their remarkable, self-directed success. Good luck in Dallas next month!

Senior Team ('25): Tyler Holman, Aarnav Jain, Bennett Ross, and Tyler Roy

Sophomore Team ('27): Alden Bradley, David Brady, Michael Liu, Rohit Movva, and Pierce Ross.

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Tysen Burton & Cole Boonstra ('26) were selected to play in The Show All-Star game for small schools (1A-4A). The Show is the biggest all-star game in the mountain region and was played on Saturday, March 29th. Congratulations Tysen & Cole!

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A team of high school debate students has secured a spot in the "Elite 8" round of the prestigious International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) competition. After competing against more than 280 teams, the Peak to Peak team has earned a spot among the top 8 finalists, which comes with an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City and a chance to compete for the $10,000 grand prize.

This competition is the only one of its kind, offering high school students the unique opportunity to engage in both written and oral debates on critical public policy issues. This year, teams are debating the topic, “Resolved: Equitable access to pharmaceuticals should be prioritized over protecting intellectual property rights.”

Join us in wishing these students good luck at the final competition in May!

Congratulations to the whole team on this very impressive accomplishment: 
Saatwik Das, Owen Widmar, Aadi Sobti, Tanush Shekhar, and Ram Mangu (class of 2026).

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Charlie Haskins (class of '28) & Soren DuMond (class of '27), who ski for the Eldora Ski and Snowboard Club, competed in Rocky Mountain/Central US Ski U16 Regional Championships at Vail/Beaver Creek. Haskins finished 5th and DuMond 20th in Downhill; they also competed in Slalom and Giant Slalom and finished in the top 20 in the region. Congratulations boys!

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In February, the Middle School Math Team competed in the MathCounts competition, and took 4th place. The team included April Duan ('29), Kunwoo Kim ('31), Anaya Petkar ('30), and Matthew Dykhuis ('31).

April also represented the school in an exciting buzzer round and came in 5th out of 200 students. She competed at State in mid-March. Congratulations, Mathletes!

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Maylin Hewing (class of 2030) was selected for a Bird Camp Scholarship by the Broomfield Bird Club. Maylin told the Broomfield Enterprise, "I love birds and can’t wait to learn more about them. I’m excited to see so many different species of birds at the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies bird camp.” Congrats on your scholarship, Maylin!

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The Peak to Peak Wind Symphony traveled to Adams City High School on March 13th to participate in the Colorado Bandmasters Association’s Music Festival. The band performed three challenging selections: "English Folk Song Suite Mvt. 1" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, "As Summer Was Just Beginning" by Larry Daehn, and "Puszta Mvts. 1 & 4" by Jan Van der Roost. The approximately 16-minute-long performance was presented in front of three professional judges and other schools in attendance. The students had an outstanding performance and were able to showcase their learning and the many performance skills they have been working on.

The Wind Symphony received a Superior (I) rating from each of the three judges, the highest score an ensemble can receive based on various grading criteria. The students then had a fun and educational 25-minute clinic right after their performance with one of the judges. The judge, Gary Hall, a retired Colorado Hall of Fame band director, worked on advanced/college-level skills, showing students even more that can be accomplished in the realm of music. It was a very enjoyable and educational experience.

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Congratulations to Ms. Medina, our outstanding 8th grade English teacher, for being recognized as a 'Rising Star' by Voyage Denver! Check out the full article online and join us in celebrating Ms. Medina for this well-deserved honor. We're so lucky to have her on our star-studded team!

Read the article from Voyage Denver.

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Five students traveled to Austin, TX to represent Peak to Peak at South by Southwest EDU this year and were interviewed by Anatola Araba, the director of the ReImagine StoryLab! Our students spoke about empowering students and about GreenifyAI, their innovation to help students with nature-based climate action, which won accolades in their Student Impact Challenge. They also networked with professionals from around the world and innovated mechanical salmon ladders using Legos!

Thanks for representing our school, Shibani Senthilkumar ('27), Stella Corzine ('25), Amanda Zou ('26), Penelope Letter ('26), & Josephine Gaarder ('26)!

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Team "Ma'am" presented their solution to the 2024-25 Destination Imagination Scientific challenge and won first place at the high school level!

Congratulations to Mili Sobti, Arden Crighton, Megan Liao, and Aleema Razzak of the class of 2028!

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Congrats to Shaan Karande, Sadie Beylkin, and Sona Karande (all class of 2027) for performing with the CU High School Honor Band on Saturday, February 22! The CU Honor Band program assembles only a single high school band for students in all grades across all Colorado high schools, both large and small. Students audition for a very limited number of spots, making for an extremely competitive selection process.  Out of numerous auditions, these three were chosen to perform with the band under the direction of Kevin Sedatole, director of bands at Michigan State University. The students practiced all day Friday and Saturday, culminating in an evening performance at Macky Auditorium. The performance included an exciting and energetic Viennese waltz, a trio of folksongs paying tribute to the director's home state of Michigan, as well as a lively Sousa march.

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Lucy Ladd (class of 2032) was recently named the USA Track & Field Athlete of the Year for girls 9-10 in Colorado! Way to go, Lucy!

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Congratulations to Sadie Beylkin ('27), Zala Klemenc ('27), Sona Karande ('27), Jacque Steven  ('26), and Madeline Adkins ('27)!

These outstanding students auditioned for and were accepted into this year's 2025 High School Combined League Honor Band (CLHB). CLHB is an audition-only group for students in Northern Colorado. Out of 102 auditions across 25 different schools, Peak to Peak had five students who made the cut! This year, students had the chance to work with Jonathon Hinkle from Colorado Mesa University. These talented young musicians gathered for a day of rehearsal followed by an evening performance. This year's concert was held at the Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley on February 18th.

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Thursday afternoon, hundreds of students and staff packed the halls of the middle school to surprise Jake Cousins, Middle School World History Teacher, with the news that they are a 2025 Impact on Education Award Winner!

From the Impact Nomination: "Jake Cousins creates inquiry-driven, creative, and safe learning spaces that expand students’ capacity to think critically and independently. Each student knows that they are capable, valued, and seen as a unique individual in Cousins' presence, consistently encouraged forward in their growth as a scholar and human. From sponsoring our QSU to launching our first-ever Dungeons and Dragons club, Jake intentionally chooses the middle years – inspiring, dynamic, and magically messy – to walk alongside young adults as their mentor and champion."

Jake and the other BVSD award winners will be honored at the Impact Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, April 30th. Please join us in congratulating Cousins on this well-deserved award!

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20 Peak to Peak high schoolers participated in the BVSD Regional Science Fair last month, with over half of them receiving awards in their category. Winners from the regional science fair have the chance to compete at the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF) in Fort Collins next month.

The following students will compete at CSEF:

• Jack Cerullo ('25) & Tanush Shekhar ('26) took second place in Math with their project "Revolutionizing CryoET: Novel Simulation Techniques for ML-Based Tomogram Labeling"
• Aarnav Jain ('25) & Calvin Johnson ('25) placed second in Psychology with their project "Sympathetic Nervous System Activation Effects on Short-Term Memory in a Virtual Environment"
• Divy Pandey ('27) won first place in Biomedical and Health Sciences for her project "Simulating Cardiovascular Flow in a Fontan Heart"
• Neha Pesaramelli ('26) took second in Chemistry "Measuring Chemical Kinetics in High School Labs"
• Amanda Zou ('26) & Jenny Xu (Fairview) placed first in Biology for their project "Disrupting PCSK9 and ANGPTL3 Genes for CRISPR Gene Editing Technology for Hypercholesterolaemia Treatment" and also qualified for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)!

The following students also received awards for their projects:

• Carly Graziano ('25) received the Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award and the Stockholm Junior Regional Water Prize for her project "Too Hot to Handle: Investigating Climate’s Aquatic Impact on Freshwater Shrimp Behavior"
• Saatwik Das ('26) placed second in Astronomy with his project "Correcting Deviation in Quantum Metrology Optical Spectrum Analysis Using NMovel Frequency Comb Technology"
• Colin Drake ('25), Aidan Krusinski ('25), and Emory Vasquez ('25) placed 3rd in Math & Computer Science for their project "NilVec"

Peak to Peak Honorable Mentions: Sebastian Sermeno-Urroz, Ranye Ezenekwe, Erica El-Hehiawy, Elsie Sladden, Quentin Bona, Vishal Karimuthu, Will Rigney, Aadi Sobti, and Anders Sicker

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Three Peak to Peak students took 2nd place in the Tune-Up Tournament for Boulder Valley Girls Softball Association.

Congratulations to Elyssa Nerstad ('30), Campbell Weiss ('31), and Julianna Nerstad ('32)!

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These competitive swimmers were part of the 2025 CSI 14 & Under Age Group State Championships, where their Flatiron Swimming Team placed 1st among all Small Teams! 

Congratulations to Ethan Soesilo ('30, pictured left), Sophia Banjo ('28, pictured right), Natalie Wand ('29), Hadley Wright ('31), Liesl Seeber ('33), and Dillon Zhang ('34)!

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Vyom Jain (Class of 2027) was selected to shadow Colorado legislator Elizabeth Velasco on the Senate and House floor at the annual Legislative Day at the Capitol. Selected students have the unique and informative opportunity to spend a day at the Capitol shadowing a Colorado legislator on the Senate or House floor, attending committee meetings, and having lunch with them and their aides. What a unique opportunity!

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Olivia Heieck (class of 2033) crushed it at her final competition for this year’s solo. She performed "Ring Them Bells" and took 3rd overall at the Bravo 2025 Regional Dance & Talent Competition and was also given the Showmanship Award. Way to go, Olivia!

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The Denver Center for the Performing Arts recently announced the 12th Annual High School Playwriting Competition Winners. After a careful review of 119 submissions by a panel of artistic, literary, and theatre education professionals, three talented playwrights were chosen, including Peak to Peak's very own Penelope Letter (class of 2026)!

Penelope's play, "Waiting for Download or Samuel Beckett's Revolutionary Playlist," received a public staged reading as part of the 2025 Colorado New Play Summit last weekend and will be included in the 2025 Playwriting Anthology.

Congratulations, Penelope!

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Hagen Hewing (class of 2032) recently placed 5th in the Colorado Youth Wrestling State Championship. He was one of 56 kids in his 10U - 83lbs bracket. Nice work, Hagen!

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The Peak to Peak Speech & Debate team had a tremendous showing at the 4A State Championships this past weekend at Pueblo Central High School. They placed third in all Sweepstakes categories: Debate, Speech, and Overall Sweepstakes. This is Peak to Peak’s first top-3 finish at State!

Individually, our students had some amazing results as well:

• Saatwik Das and Tanush Shekhar ('26) were the state champions in Public Forum!
• Neva Joseph ('27) and Neha Pesaramelli ('26) took 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, in US Extemp, and both earned a NIETOC Bid
• Emily Soesilo ('26) earned 3rd place in Original Oratory and earned her 4th NIETOC Bid for Nationals in May
• Cindy Woo and Shrika Acharya (both '27) placed 4th and 6th, respectively, in International Extemp
• Samanvita Meti ('27) finished in the Top 12 for Original Oratory
• Naitik Sinha and Tyler Li (both '26) both finished in the Top 12 for International Extemp.
• Sonny Avula and Smrithi Ganesh (both '27) competed in the Quarterfinals for Public Forum
• Ram Mangu and Owen Widmar (both '26) competed in the Octafinals for Public Forum

Congratulations to the entire Speech & Debate team, and good luck at the National Qualifiers in 2 weeks!

 

Last weekend, Rishi Gyambavantha ('27) competed in the regional Geography Bee organized by the International Academic Competitions. He has qualified to participate in the National competition in Virginia this spring and hopes to qualify for the international competition that will take place in Summer 2026. Rishi finished as a national quarterfinalist in Virginia in May 2023 and also participated in the international competitions in Vienna, Austria in July 2024. Congratulations, Rishi! Keep up the good work!

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Milan Shahkarami (class of 2037) placed 5th in the Peak 2 Peak State Wrestling Championship this past weekend. Milan started wrestling in October 2024 at just 5 years old and wrestled as a rookie! Very impressive, Milan!

Peak 2 Peak Wrestling is not associated with Peak to Peak Charter School

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Ben Griffin (class of 2028) was selected to participate in the Colorado Gifted And Talented Day at the Capitol. He shadowed Representative Junie Joseph and interacted with state policymakers over the course of the day, learning about issues such as climate change, clean energy, and affordable housing. Way to go, Ben!

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Congrats to Sona Karande ('27), Zala Klemenc ('27), and Edwin Kim ('25) for performing with All State Orchestra earlier this month! Out of hundreds of auditions, these three were selected to perform with the Symphony under the direction of Dr. Soo Han, including an incredible orchestration of Arirang (a beautiful folk song indescribably important to Korean culture) and Bernstein’s West Side Story Symphonic Dances.

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In conjunction with the Denver Month of Photography (MOP), the Colorado Art Awards invited Colorado high school photography students to enter a juried exhibit. Four Peak to Peak students were selected for the show and will have their work featured during the month of March in the atrium at Red Rocks Community College.

Congratulations to Parker Manley, Jolie Sasseville, Dhruv Shajikumar, and Fritz Weber! (all class of 2025)

View the uncropped photos online.

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Raul Shrestha (class of 2030) was selected to represent Team Colorado at the 2025 Midwest All Star Swimming Championships held in Des Moines, Iowa last month. Congratulations, Raul!

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Several Peak to Peak students competed in the 4A State Swim Championship last week with their home school. Congratulations to all of our dedicated athletes on a successful season!
Swimming for Centaurus:

• Abby Fitzgerald & Josie Karr ('25) placed 3rd in 200 yd Freestyle Relay & 8th in 200 yd Medley
• Abby also placed 13th in 50 yd Freestyle and 9th in 100 yd Breaststroke
• Josie also placed 17th in 50 yd Freestyle
• Virginia Walsh ('25) placed 3rd in 100 Flys & #2 100 Backstroke
• Isabelle Blaustein ('26) finished 14th in 1 Meter Diving
• Sydney Cusack ('25) finished 18th in 1 Meter Diving
• Isa Brady ('25) competed in 100 yd Butterfly

Swimming for Monarch:

• Avery Zerwekh Reardon ('25) placed 3rd in the 400yd Freestyle Relay, 12th in 100 yd Freestyle, and 19th in 200 yd Freestyle
• Isabel Swarr ('26) placed 10th in the 200 yd IM and 7th in 100 yd Breaststroke
• Sophia Banjo ('28) placed 1st on the 200 Medley Relay Team, 6th in the 100 Fly, and 12th in the 500 Freestyle
• Katherine Zerwekh Reardon ('27) competed in the 200 yd Freestyle

Shaan Karande (class of 2027) had the honor to perform in the 2025 Colorado All-State Jazz Band on February 1st at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. Based on his auditions, Shaan was impressively offered both the piano and 1st tenor sax spots for the Small Schools Band. Having played piano for this group in 2024, Shaan chose to play tenor sax this year. He had the opportunity to rehearse and jam alongside the state’s finest high school jazz musicians and learn from talented guest directors over three intense days, closing with a knock-out concert. Congratulations to Shaan on his accomplishment!

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Miralisa Trivedi (class of 2026) was awarded a National Honorable Mention for Aspirations in Computer Science by the National Center for Women & Information Technology.

The Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) is open to 9-12 grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students and recognizes students for their computing achievements and interests, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education. Congratulations, Miralisa!

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Scholastic Art Awards are the longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for teens in the US, and Peak to Peak is proud to have nineteen student artists recognized this year! The selected artworks will be displayed digitally and physically at the Denver Art Museum and 40 West Gallery in Denver.

View the slideshow of the impressive artwork from these talented artists.

Since November, NHS students have been hand-making blankets for people experiencing homelessness. Last week, during the extreme temperatures, Nick Griffin (class of 2026) dropped off about 100 blankets from our NHS members at the Boulder Homeless Shelter to help keep our community warm during this cold snap. Thank you for using your skills and spare time to help others, Pumas. You make us proud!

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Congratulations to our Spelling Bee winners!

In elementary, Naomi Antman took 1st place and Arrin Petkar was named runner-up (both class of 2032). At the middle school level, Sophia Alter placed 1st and Juston Liu was our runner-up (both class of 2029).

All participants did an amazing job competing for the title!

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Avery Pascoe (class of 2032) showcased her equestrian skills during her debut at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association Point Show on January 12th. Riding Gideon in the Future Beginner Walk/Trot category, Avery delivered an impressive performance, earning a well-deserved 4th Place finish on the flat. This remarkable achievement marks an exciting start to her competitive equestrian journey! You can watch a clip from her performance on YouTube.

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The Peak to Peak National Honor Society (NHS) has been honored with the Scholarship Award of Excellence from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). This is an incredible achievement, and Peak to Peak is one of the only schools in the state to receive this distinction for 2024!

Peak to Peak's NHS chapter was recognized for its extensive tutoring efforts through Summer Lab, Summer Bridge, and Study Skills courses. These programs, which were developed to support struggling students, are designed to help them fill learning gaps, stay on track, and graduate on time. To make these initiatives sustainable, Ms. Tarbutton (NHS sponsor) creatively integrated them with NHS by training our students to be effective, empathetic, and engaging tutors and mentors.

The impact has been profound—not only on the students receiving support but also on the NHS members themselves, who have demonstrated tremendous growth in leadership and service. Together, they’ve fostered a more cohesive school culture, one of collaboration and shared success, breaking down the divides between "us" and "them."

This national recognition highlights the incredible efforts of our students and underscores the significance of prioritizing programs that support equity and academic achievement. We are so proud of these Pumas and what they've accomplished!

Pictured: Ms. Tarbutton and the NHS Leadership Council

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Last weekend, four Pumas participated in the 2025 Colorado All-State Choir.  They worked hard in all-day rehearsals with fabulous clinicians Dr. Marques Garrett, Dr. Jenaya Robison, and Dr. Anton Armstrong. This culminated in a concert at the famed Buell Theater in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, where they sang exceptionally challenging and enriching repertoire with hundreds of the most talented singers from across the state. Please join us in congratulating Ellie Hayes ('26), Sydney Lewis ('25), Abby Fitzgerald ('25), and Alex Henry ('25) for representing Peak to Peak at the highest level of choral singing. Way to go, Pumas!

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Allison Duan (class of '27) qualified for the American Invitational Math Exam (AIME), which will be held in February. Her score in the qualifying test (AMC10) was among the top 5% of all participants in the nation. Great work, Allison!

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Aadi Sobti (Class of 2026) was recently named the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge and was recognized by Congress. Aadi's app, Firewatch, provides real-time emergency fire and weather updates and was inspired by his own experience of losing his family home during the Marshall Fire in 2021. Congratulations, Aadi, on this impressive achievement!

Read the full article on CPR.org.

Photo courtesy of Amita Sobti via Colorado Public Radio.

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These middle school actors recently performed in The Arts Hub’s musical production of “Alice in Wonderland.” They practiced all semester and were shining stars on the stage. They finished just in time to join the cast of Peak to Peak’s middle school play- “Romeo and Juliet- Together (and Alive!) at Last” which will perform at the beginning of February.

Pictured: Ava W. (class of 2029), Sophia A. (2029), Tierney (2029), Audrey A. (2029), and Sophia N. (2030).

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Congratulations to Emory Vazquez (Class of 2025), who was awarded the Dorothy Rupert High School Service Award by Congressman Joe Neguse as part of the 2024 2nd District Congressional Service Awards. Emory was recognized for his work with his nonprofit organization, Connect Digital Inclusion Labs, which is a group of Peak to Peak high school students who offer technology support at no cost to members of the community.

The photo includes (3rd from the left) surrounded by Congressman Neguse and other Peak to Peak students who also donate their time to this great cause. Congrats, Emory and team!

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Claire Kirchner and Lucy Ladd (class of 2032) participated in the USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship in Shelbyville, Indiana this past weekend. Lucy placed 43rd, and Claire placed 109th.

Congratulations to Claire and Lucy on this great accomplishment!

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Shaan Karande (Class of ’27), pianist for the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts’ top high school group, performed live at KUVO radio station on Tuesday as part of Colorado Gives Day. The hour-long performance took place in front of a studio audience and was broadcast live on-air and streaming from the station’s Masterpiece Studio.

You can watch a video recording of the broadcast on the KUVO YouTube Channel.

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Karina Minson (class of 2029) is a 2025 Juvenile Midwestern Sectional Final Bronze Medalist and a 2025 Juvenile Southwestern Regional Pewter Medalist! She qualifies to go to the US Figure Skating National Development Team Camp in January 2026. Watch a clip from her Bronze Medal performance on YouTube.

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Nine athletes competed in the NXR Regional Cross Country Meet in Phoenix, Arizona, and each one achieved their personal best times. Jack Cerullo ('25) had an outstanding performance, finishing second in the region and setting a new school record for the 5K with an impressive time of 15 minutes, 34 seconds. Congratulations to Bennett Ross ('25), Jack Cerullo ('25), Emory Vazquez ('25), Isaac Cao ('27), Skye Williams ('26), Olin Harrison Anguiano ('25), Chris DiMaio ('28), Pierce Ross ('27), and Alden Bradley ('27).

 

Congratulations to Jacque Steven ('26) and Sona Karande ('27)!

Jacque and Sona auditioned for and have been accepted into this year's 2024 CSU High School Honor Band Festival. Both musicians made the top honor band, Wind Symphony, and were selected from hundreds of applicants throughout the western region; the three-day festival takes place at the University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Students will have the opportunity to work with guest clinicians and conductors to enhance their experience, providing invaluable insight and expertise. In addition to rehearsals, students will enjoy several concerts by the CSU faculty and student ensembles. The experience culminates in a performance by the Honor Wind Symphony and the Festival Concert Band in the beautiful, world-class Griffin Concert Hall. This is the second time in Peak to Peak history that a band member has made this ensemble. Please join us in congratulating Jacque and Sona on a job well done. Way to represent, Pumas!

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Shaan Karande ('27), who plays tenor saxophone in Peak to Peak's Advanced Jazz Band, auditioned for and was accepted into the 2024 High School Combined League Honor Jazz Band (CLHJB). CLHJB is an audition-only group for students in northern Colorado. Shaan was among four tenor saxophone players chosen. Each year, numerous students try out for an opportunity to join the band and work with some of the leading conductors in the region and from out of state. On Tuesday (Nov. 19), Shaan had the opportunity to work under the direction of a guest clinician from Washington when Shaan and the other selected musicians met for their first and only full day of rehearsal. The day ended with an impressive evening performance! Please join us in congratulating Shaan on his success!

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Model UN sent 13 delegates to the Valor Christian conference last weekend and walked away with several awards! Kavi Gokula Giridaran ('26) won Best Delegate. Kashyap Bista and Jonah Antman (both '27) won Stand-Out Delegates, and Windan Palmer ('28) won Best Position Paper. Congratulations, delegates!

This week, three high school teachers found out they were the second-place winners of the 2024 Voya Unsung Heroes nationwide awards competition and were surprised with a grant check for $12,000. Bayley Zubler (Physics), Kristie Letter (Innovation), and Cindy Guajardo (former Art teacher) worked together last year on the "Tech-Enabled Teaching Forest" project to inspire students to become changemakers to solve environmental issues in Colorado.

Congratulations to Mr. Zubler, Ms. Letter, and Ms. Guajardo, and thank you for the innovative ideas and experiences you bring to our students every day!

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After a year of hard work & perseverance, Austin Ringgold ('26) established Peak to Peak’s first-ever Red Cross Club. This club has quickly grown to 60+ members and has gained tremendous momentum. Their first event, a blood drive on October 22nd, attracted 47 donors, exceeding the Red Cross' expectations and significantly contributing to local blood supply efforts. Thank you to Austin and his club members for helping to assist in the collection of a much-needed lifesaving resource!

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Nine Peak to Peak students competed on the Monarch Mountain Biking Team this year. This was the first time Peak had enough students riding to score as its own team! Kyson Webb ('28) and Wes Hruska ('28) qualified and went on to race in the Colorado High School Mountain Biking State Championships!

Congratulations, Pumas, and way to represent!

Grant Johnson ('28), Kyson Webb ('28), Quentin Bona ('25), Wes Hruska ('28), Will Fischer ('27), Phil Fischer ('25), Calvin Johnson ('25)

Not Pictured: Soren Dumond ('27) & Cohen Hamilton ('27)

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Congrats to 10 Peak to Peak String Players for representing Peak to Peak at BVSD's District Honors Orchestra. Special recognition is due to senior Vix Douglass who sat Principal Bass and Kavi Gokula Giridaran who sat Co-Principal Second Violin. In addition, freshman Cayden Mallory (not pictured) has been accepted into the Western States Honors Orchestra, which will perform in November - a rare feat for a freshman musician. Congrats all!

Left to right in photo: Kavi Gokula Giridaran ('26), Axel Rudolph ('26), Meredith Seiler ('25), Pranavi Mantha ('26), Vix Douglass ('25), Elliott Graves ('28), Katherine Zerwekh Reardon ('27), Tyler Li ('26), and Julianne Chirakattu ('27).

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Noa Carmelli (Class of 2030) organizes monthly volunteering for teens in her community at Community Food Share in Louisville. Noa and the group she organizes have helped rescue thousands of pounds of food from landfills to feed families! Thanks for making a difference in our local community, Noa!

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The boys golf team competed at the state tournament in Pueblo this week. Jack Brayman took third overall. Congratulations, Pumas!

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Niche, a national review and ranking site for schools, recently published its list of top schools and districts for 2025. Boulder Valley School District ranked as the #2 district in the state, with Peak to Peak listed as their highest-ranking school. Peak to Peak received the following rankings:

• A+ overall Niche grade
• #1 Best College Prep High School in Colorado (#119 in the USA out of nearly 18,000 schools!)
• #2 Best Public Elementary School in Colorado
• #2 Best Public Middle School in Colorado
• #22 Best Charter Elementary School in America (out of 4,191 schools)
• #24 Best Charter Middle School in America (out of 3,930 schools)
• #35 Best Charter High School in America (out of 2,638 schools)

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Nine Peak to Peak students were designated as Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Program based on their performance on the PSAT last fall and the nationally applied Selection Index. Congratulations to the following seniors!

Photo 1 (left to right): Jude Hartter, Sydney Lewis, Emma Casini, Charlotte Morton, Lauren Laird

Photo 2 (left to right): Elliott Graves, Nyima Chonden, Bennett Ross, Emory Vazquez

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Stella Corzine (class of 2025) was the 2024 Youth Speaker at the Youth Climate Action Event hosted by the Sustainable Living Association in Fort Collins last weekend. She discussed her experience with climate activism and the importance of promoting climate literacy in education. Thanks for advocating for positive change, Stella!

Last Saturday, several Peak to Peak students presented at the Climate Resilience Summit held at Monarch High School. They spoke about our schoolwide science experiment using mycelium to improve soil, the 60+ trees we've planted in the last year in front of the baseball field, and how we've partnered with the community to empower teenagers for climate resilience. Great work, Pumas!

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Peak to Peak middle school girls came out in force to attend the Innovate and Inspire Robotics Camp hosted by FIRST Colorado and Google. They spent the weekend of September 21st at the Google campus in Boulder, learning how the engineering design process works by designing, building, and programming LEGO robotics. They worked directly with industry professionals who were not only their workshop mentors, but shared what a career in STEM is like. Keep an eye on the Weekly Digest for more opportunities like this as they arise!

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Three Peak to Peak students were selected as Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Out of over 1.3 million students, less than 1% become Semifinalists. These students received some of the highest PSAT scores in the state and are now eligible to become National Merit Scholars this Spring.

Please join us in congratulating Maren Bradley, Ranye Ezenekwe, and Vivek Balachander (class of 2025)!

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Olin Harrison Anguiano (Class of 2025) presented at the United Nations this summer alongside Ollin Farms and in partnership with CU Denver. The topic was centered on the importance of Indigenous practices and regenerative farming in the modern era.

You can read more about Olin's presentation in this article from CU Denver: Families, Climate Change, and Social Justice

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Colorado Art Education Association (CAEA) is Colorado’s professional association for art educators. CAEA recently selected our very own Heather Bertarelli, High School Art Teacher, as the Colorado High School Art Teacher of the Year. We could not be more proud of Ms. Bertarelli and all that she's done to share her love and knowledge of the arts with our students over the past 15+ years. Congratulations, Ms. Bertarelli!

You can read more about Ms. Bertarelli's award, and her contributions to the Peak to Peak art program, on the CAEA Award Winners page.

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Sophia Banjo ('28) and Ethan Soesilo ('30) qualified to represent Team Colorado at the 2024 Western Zones swimming championships in Boise, Idaho earlier this month. Way to go Pumas!

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Gavin Keogh (Class of 2025) competed at the US Olympic Team Trials this summer and was selected to represent USA Swimming at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships held in Canberra, Australia this week. Good luck, Gavin!

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Clara Wright ('28) and Hadley Wright ('31) went to the USA Volleyball Nationals with their teams this summer. Hadley's team was the only Colorado 11U team to qualify and earned 13th place in the nation. Congrats!

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Sophie Walker and Prisha Jain (both Class of 2028) represented Peak to Peak's Builders Club (our Middle School Service Leadership Club) at this year's Kiwanis International Convention. Peak to Peak's club was asked to represent the entire Rocky Mountain District at this International event based on its exemplary service leadership program. As representatives, they were asked to speak of their commitment to service leadership in front of a large audience of Kiwanians from around the world.