Eight Patagonia Union High School students are heading to Washington D.C. in early June as participants in Civics Matters Arizona, a program for forthcoming 11th and 12th graders aimed at empowering participation in the democratic system.
Lenin Albarran, Adahir Ayon, Isela Cervantes, Noah Gallardo, Louis Reyes, Alex Ruskowitz, Skylar Sanchez and Jaxon Yslava will serve as ambassadors after completing essays on civic engagement. 275 students from across the state were chosen for the four-day, three-night experience running June 4-7. The all-expenses paid trip includes transportation on the Arizona Cardinals team plane, and once in D.C., academic and social activities geared around civic engagement. The students will also have the opportunity to explore D.C.’s monuments, memorials, museums and Capitol Hill.
“It’s quite an honor, and we at Patagonia Union High School are ecstatic that these students were selected,” said history teacher Nate Porter. “It is an amazing cultural and education opportunity, and we do not doubt they will represent PUHS well in D.C.”
Following the trip, the ambassadors will receive monthly toolkits and recommendations for organizing impactful civic activities.
Program sponsorship partners include the Arizona Cardinals, the Governor of Arizona, Greater Phoenix Leadership and the Close-Up Foundation.
