By the numbers, Basalt High School grads have big plans for the future
Class of 2022 headed to at least three continents, more than a dozen states after graduation
The Basalt High School’s Class of 2022 seniors have big plans that span at least three continents, more than a dozen states and a full spectrum of post-graduation pursuits, according to data provided by Yerania Moreno, a bilingual communications specialist from the Roaring Fork School District.
Nearly two thirds of the graduating students will attend either a two-year or four-year institution after graduation, with a couple planning to attend a trade school or vocational program, according to statistics and a spreadsheet of post-grad plans that Moreno provided via email.
About three dozen among that cohort are staying close to home and heading to institutions like Colorado Mountain College, Western Colorado Community College, Metropolitan State University, Colorado State University and the University of Colorado, Boulder, according to the data.
(Olympic freestyle skier Hanna Faulhaber, a 2022 Basalt High School grad, will continue to chase top-tier athletic pursuits while attending Colorado Mountain College, according to one of Moreno’s emails.)
Others are heading to schools in neighboring states at such schools as University of Wyoming and the University of Arizona, and to coastal destinations like Santa Barbara City College in California, Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and Loyola University in New Orleans.
A few are even off to international destinations with plans to attend school in Mexico, New Zealand or Portugal.
Nearly a quarter of Basalt’s graduates plan to take a gap year, and a dozen students plan to enter the workforce, according to the statistics Moreno provided. Basalt High School’s counseling team wasn’t available for comment before graduation. All told, there are almost 100 graduates this year.
Top honors
This year’s valedictorian is Emma Borchers and the salutatorian is Francesca Williams Savi, according to an email from Basalt High School registrar Ann Burns.
At an academic awards night this spring, the school recognized seven seniors with a lifetime achievement award and departmental cord, according to a May 13 school newsletter. This year’s honorees are Haylie Bledsaw (math), Monet Manning (English), Emma Borchers (science and band), Marlo Bowman (social studies), Zulma Garcia (world languages), Kenia Lipe Zuniga (English language development) and Casey Hocknell (art).
Borchers and fellow senior Madeline Mercatoris also were the first non-native Spanish speakers to take the Advanced Placement Spanish Language class at Basalt High School and will be the first non-native Spanish speakers to earn the seal of biliteracy at the school, according to an earlier email from Moreno.
Basalt High School’s long legacy of graduates earning the Chick Evans Scholarship for golf caddies also continues this year, according to Moreno’s email. Seniors Kyle Murray and Samuel Sherry earned the scholarship this year, which includes full tuition and housing at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Congrats, grads
The May school newsletter thanked 2022 graduates for their perseverance and grit. This year’s seniors, like the classes of 2021 and 2020 before them, had to navigate a host of pandemic and personal challenges in addition to the usual high school hurdles.
“You have persevered through AP tests, graduation assessments, capstone projects, the loss of classmates, and a pandemic,” the newsletter states. “We could not be more proud of all that you have accomplished. Thank you for your hard work, your positive attitudes, your leadership, and your smiles. We will miss you and remember, you will always be Longhorns!”
Basalt High School’s graduation ceremony is slated to take place at 10 a.m. Saturday inside the school in the main gym, according to a Facebook post that Roaring Fork School District shared around noon on Friday. (The ceremony usually happens on the football field outside, but Saturday’s forecast indicates potentially inclement weather.)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Hanna Faulhaber’s name.
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