This month the PRT begins a series of autobiographical profiles of the PUHS senior class of 2019.

Audriana Paz

My name is Audriana Paz and I am a senior at Patagonia Union High School. I have attended Patagonia schools since the 4th grade. During my high school years, I have played volleyball all four years and served on student council. These activities have helped me outgrow my shyness and to be a more confident person. I have so many good memories from these activities that I will take with me when I leave high school.

My favorite subject is English because Mrs. Hayes is so helpful with everything you need and she teaches us real life lessons that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. My most challenging subject is math and I have to admit that I have never gotten the hang of it. My favorite teacher is Ms. Gomez. She is always there for me and is like my second mother.

After high school I plan to attend college for the next four years and start out by taking the prerequisite courses that are required. I am leaning towards a career that involves animals. One thing that surprised me the most about high school is how fast it really goes by and that you need to enjoy every moment of it. Outside of school I love to just hang out with my best friends and family and especially spend time with all my dogs. My friends would maybe describe me as bubbly, outgoing, funny, spunky, friendly, loyal and a huge dog lover!

The best thing that ever happened to me is the people that are in my life. I’m so grateful for all of them. If I could change one thing in the world I would want world peace. The biggest influences in my life are my mom and sister. I am with them 24/7 and they inspire me because they are very hard working and they never give up no matter what they are going through. As I look back on high school, the hardest lesson I learned is who your true friends are and who you can really trust.

John Hubbell

In my four years at Patagonia Union I have been involved in many extracurricular activities. They include participating in football, basketball, drama, student council, 4-H, and FFA. My favorite subject at Patagonia has been agriculture education. I like the hands-on aspects of it and getting to travel the state and country on various FFA competitions and trips. Outside of school I enjoy being involved in 4-H, team roping, and working for a local ranch. Upon graduation I plan to pursue a degree in hydrology at the University of Arizona. The most surprising thing about high school for me has been discovering how different people can be. The most challenging part has been managing my time wisely so I can keep up with school and all my other activities.

The best thing that has happened to me in my time at school has been all the fun times had with my friends and teachers. The worst thing that has happened to me is having to grow up and soon go into the real world. If I could change one thing about the world it would be to make people more honest and neighborly. I believe this would lead to many good things. The biggest influences in my life have been my parents and other prominent adults in my life as they model for me how to be honest and work hard. Looking back on high school, the hardest lesson I have learned is that people can have some pretty dumb ideas. Often you are better off trying to rope the wind than trying to get them to realize their way of thinking may not be right. My friends often describe me as an old man. I am sure this is because they consider me wise and experienced.

Jesus Ralph Quiroz

In my four years in Patagonia Union High School, I have been involved in many extracurricular activities, including being part of the high school basketball team for four years, an FFA officer for four years, 4-H member for four years, being part of student council for one year, and being a National Honors Society member for two years. My favorite teacher is Ms. Zamudio, the teacher for all our agriculture related classes and advisor for our FFA chapter.

Outside of school, I really enjoy spending time with my friends, helping out at our ranch, and watching and playing basketball. After high school, I want to pursue a career in sports medicine at New Mexico State or sports management at the University of Arizona. I like that both careers focus around impacting others for the greater good.

Coming into high school, I expected everything to be ten times harder than middle school. However I learned that if you stay on top of all the academic demands, high school is not as hard as many expect. The best thing that has happened in my high school career is the relationships that I have made with all my friends and teachers. I do not even want to imagine what high school would be like without my closest friends. My grandma’s passing was something that hit me hard this past quarter of my senior year. The experience of seeing her suffer has impacted me more than anybody will know.

If I could change one thing in this world it would be to end all violence and secure peace in this world. Violence impacts too many people in this world. My biggest influence in my life is my family, specifically my parents who show what a true work ethic is every day. They have done nothing but support me through these past four years and I do not know where I would be without them.

Looking back, a piece of advice that I would tell my younger self is to manage time wisely and to always take the opportunities when they are available. One quality that best describes me is that I am a hardworking person. Others describe me as a kind and caring person, always trying to put others before me.

Gianna Martin

My name is Gianna Martin, known as Gigi, and Patagonia has been my home for the past 18 years of my life. I have been privileged to be raised in such a tightknit, loving and beautiful community. There is a saying that goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I have found this notably true for me, as I have so much gratitude for the people that have helped me grow into the person I am today, especially my grandparents, Dave and Donnie Martin, who have showed me how to live a life of meaning, endless love, and that hard work gets the job done.

Patagonia Public Schools have been my second home and have kept me out of trouble. In high school I participated in Student Council, Varsity Volleyball and Basketball. I am a member of the National Honor Society, I served as a Sports Manager, I worked as a Lifeguard and I was the President of our FFA Chapter. I have enjoyed countless jokes with Mr. Melanson, life lessons from Mrs. Hayes, a road trip to Indiana with Amanda and Mr. Young, Gwen Stefani music videos with Mr. Hayes, and guidance to be a boss lady from Mrs.Hochheim. The hardest yet easiest lesson I have learned in high school is that life is too short to be something you’re not, so just be your weird, spunky, outgoing and wholesome self, and whatever happens is meant to happen.

When I am not in school, I work part time at the Gathering Grounds Cafe, the perfect place to jam out to some classic rock and grab a good cup of joe. I also love to be in nature, watch cheesy chick flicks and hang out with my people.

If I could change one thing in this world it would be to ban single use plastic products that will be the apocalypse of our planet and replace them with plant-based plastic. After High School I plan on attending the University of Hawaii at Hilo to study marine biology and environmental conservation management and of course, to be a beach bum, surfer, scuba diver hippie. Above all, to be a better person than I was yesterday—every day.