MAGNET GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
Anthony Ruiz
Hyde Park '05
Desert Pines '09

What is your name?

Anthony J. Ruiz

What CCSD Magnet School(s) did you attend and what year did you graduate?

Hyde Park Middle School

Desert Pines High School class of 2009

What college/university did/do you attend?

Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon

What is your current occupation?

Communications Manager for the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance 

(LVGEA)

What was your favorite thing about attending a Magnet School?

Looking back, CCSD magnet programs afforded me something of great value as a teenager: choice. At Hyde Park, electives were baked into the Academy.  At the high school level, I was able to choose my path and study computer programming, video production, or both.

What’s your proudest achievement since graduating from High School?

I feel that in many ways I am just getting started professionally. If I had to pick, I would go with actually finishing college on time. I am a first-generation college student and really struggled freshman year, even considering dropping out at one point. Thankfully, I was able to surround myself with the right mentors to get me back on track.

How did attending a Magnet School help prepare you for college and/or your current profession?

For me, having targeted areas of focus let me know what I did not want to do. Turns out, I’d make for a pretty lousy computer programmer. Of course, I learned some useful things from the experience, but eliminating programming as an option allowed me to explore new areas for development. Luckily, I was able to pivot towards the humanities rather than basing my college choice around a subject that I wouldn’t be happy doing long-term.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how could you use it?

Atmokinesis. Partly because it’s the name of a superpower you have to Google to know what it means, and partly because I’m not a big fan of the cold weather.

What teacher inspired you most? How?

My fifth grade elementary school teacher, Silvia Loomis. She recommended me for the Hyde Park Middle School Magnet program and had a dedication to her students that I can only describe as remarkable. I remember a stretch near the end of the school year when she came down with a bad case of Laryngitis and could barely talk. She might have missed a day or two, but then decided to return after the substitute teacher got a bad report from the students. So she showed up with a portable PA system so she could whisper instructions to the class.

What advice do you have for students today?

To be patient with themselves. Students today are under tremendous pressure to succeed, and yes, to attend a four-year university or college. I’m the first to admit my personal preference for a good liberal arts degree, but I do not think it's for everyone. I think more students should allow themselves to explore vocational programs and take advantage of community colleges, despite what they believe their friends are doing.

MAGNET GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
Dulce Valencia
Canyon Springs '14

What is your name?

Dulce Valencia

What CCSD Magnet School(s) did you attend and what year did you graduate?

 

Canyon Springs High School Leadership and Law Preparatory Academy, class of 2014.

What college/university did/do you attend?

 

College of Southern Nevada

What is your current occupation?

 

Community Organizer for the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN).

 What was your favorite thing about attending a Magnet School?

My favorite thing were the classes. It was really cool to be able to take classes that were in a specific field, so they were classes that were interesting to me, but also gave me a taste of what college would be like. They were also taught by really amazing teachers so that was a plus.

What’s your proudest achievement since graduating from High School?

 

I have two. The first is the job I currently have. It's a job I love with an organization I love and believe in. I look forward to coming to work every day, and I get to learn and grow with some of the most amazing people in the state of Nevada. On a side note, in High School, I was required to do an internship in order to complete the Magnet program. I did my internship with PLAN and now I'm part of their staff. That was possible because of the Magnet program at Canyon Springs.

The second was speaking before the audience at the first Democratic presidential debate here in Las Vegas this past October. I was given the chance to share my story as an undocumented immigrant before the audience and it was an exciting moment for me to have such a big platform to share my story. It taught me that our stories matter; I started sharing my story with just my best friend so to go from that to being in front of hundreds of people at a presidential debate was a bit surreal. After my speech I was taken to sit in the front row next to my Congresswoman Dina Titus and Senator Harry Reid as the candidates debated. It was all an exciting experience I won't forget.

How did attending a Magnet School help prepare you for college and/or your current profession?

 

It's because of the Magnet program at Canyon Springs that I have the job I have and why I was able to get involved in the world of community organizing. It all started with a required internship. But more than just connecting me to the right people, the Magnet program taught me the value of hard work and professionalism. To work hard every day and give it my all.

In regards to school, I actually find a lot of my classes to be easier than those I took in High School. I feel that way because the workload isn't as intense as that of all the A.P. classes and magnet classes I had to take.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how could you use it?

Teleportation. I love traveling and I want to see as much of the world as possible. It would be cool to just be able to pop in and out of places without having to go through the TSA line at the airport. 

What teacher inspired you most? How? 

Ms. Kelly Loignon, my theatre director. I came to her as a shy freshman who didn't know anything about acting, spoke too fast, and didn't enunciate well. She put me in shows and helped me find my voice, for which I'm eternally grateful to her. To this day, before I have to speak at a big event I hear her saying "Breath in through the nose, out through the mouth and serenity." It's what she used to tell us on stage, and it's become my motto to calm my nerves.

What advice do you have for students today?

Find something you love to do, and stick to it. If you ever need help, ask a teacher. They'll be happy to help and genuinely want you to succeed! Appreciate all the opportunities you'll be given and say yes to as many as you can! Work hard, it'll all be worth it in the end. Also, the classic one: don't procrastinate! You'll only be hurting yourself in the end.

MAGNET GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
Kelly (Connolly) Burrows
Las Vegas Academy '96

What is your name?

Kelly Burrows

What CCSD Magnet School(s) did you attend and what year did you graduate?

Las Vegas Academy - 1996 (Theatre/Musical Theatre Major)

 

What college/university did/do you attend?

UNLV: Secondary Education/Theatre and Univ of Northern Colorado: Master's in Theatre Education

What is your current occupation?

Theatre Teacher at Coronado HS (11 years)

What was your favorite thing about attending a Magnet School?

Everyone was just as serious and focused on your major as you were.  We all had the same interests and aspirations. There wasn't anyone telling you that pursuing the arts was not a good idea.  The faculty and staff were your biggest cheerleaders.

What’s your proudest achievement since graduating from High School?

Being named Theatre Teacher of the year twice in the state of Nevada, finishing my master's in Theatre Ed, having my students go to top Performing Arts colleges and finding success as working artists.

How did attending a Magnet School help prepare you for college and/or your current profession?

I think I was more focused on a specific goal.  We spent more time in class and out of school on our course of study and our school curriculum incorporated it so it was 24/7.  Your classmates were focused the same way so there weren't any distractions or people telling you to do something else with your life.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how could you use it?

Time Travel - I'd like to be able to fix past mistakes and prevent future ones for  myself and my students.

What teacher inspired you most? How?

Phil Randall.  He came into my life at a time that I needed a strong mentor.  He believed in me when I didn't think anyone else did. He taught me to believe in myself and to be proud of who I was. He saved my life. He is the reason I became a theatre educator and still influences me and mentors me to this day. Everything I am as a teacher is in large part because of the lessons he taught me. I try to pay that forward every day.

What advice do you have for students today?

Follow your heart. Be true to who you are and if you want something GO GET IT no matter what is in your way. Nobody is going to live your life for you so make sure you are living the life you want.

MAGNET GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT
James Foreman
Clark High School '04



What is your name?  
 

James Foreman 

What CCSD Magnet School(s) did you attend and what year did you graduate? 

Clark High School AMSAT 2004

What college/university did/do you attend? 

Colorado State University 2008, University of Texas at Austin 2010

What is your current occupation?

 

Structural Engineer

What was your favorite thing about attending a Magnet School? 

 

Making friends with other students who were interested in math and science and took school seriously.

What’s your proudest achievement since graduating from High School? 

Marrying my wife, Amy!

How did attending a Magnet School help prepare you for college and/or your current profession? 

Taking AP math classes (and passing the AP exam) got me a head start on my college courses, which gave me the opportunity to take some extra engineering courses I was interested in.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how could you use it?  

Teleportation.  No more traffic, no more security checks. 

What teacher inspired you most? How? 

Roger West. I think when a teacher really cares about their students, the students can tell and the relationship goes beyond just learning some subject (political science?).  I think of Mr. West more as a mentor I can turn to for the rest of my life, than as a high school teacher.

What advice do you have for students today?  

Keep an open mind about school, and use each class as an opportunity to figure out where your passions lie.  I think the more you understand what interests and excites you, the more you can get out of of high school and college.  And probably the more rewarding your career will end up being.