This is the second in the PRT’s series of profiles of the PUHS senior class of 2024. Look for more profiles of these talented and interesting young people in upcoming issues of the PRT.
Kaylea Cottam
By Journee Hayes
Kaylea Cottam has enjoyed her time at Patagonia High School and claims her favorite subjects are history, English and physical education.
Her plans next year are to become certified as a diesel mechanic at Cochise College in Sierra Vista.
Kaylea’s favorite teachers are Mrs. Gortarez, Mrs. Aly, Mrs. Hayes, and Mr. Jose Santos.
One moment that Kaylea will remember forever about her time at Patagonia High School is sitting in the Learning Lab and watching all the senior boys throw tennis balls at each other.
Kaylea says the highlight of her high school years has been that although it seemed to take forever for her to get to 12th grade, here she is, an “almost” graduating senior!
In ten years Kaylea imagines herself living in San Antonio, Texas starting her very own diesel mechanic business and owning her own ranch.
If she was to give one piece of advice to underclassmen it would be this: “Don’t give up halfway through your high school years—the finish line is already coming up!”
Greyson Gehlert
By Garrett Matthews
Greyson Gehlert was born in Kazakhstan. His parents Tom Gehlert and Kathey Gehlert adopted him and brought him to America for two years, then they moved to Mexico for two more before finally moving back to Arizona for good.
In high school, Greyson played soccer, basketball, and baseball. Greyson likes volunteering at the Firehouse as an extracurricular activity. When Greyson graduates, he has plans to join the military or go to college.
Greyson’s favorite teachers are Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Cuevas, and Mr. Hayes. His favorite classes are math and welding.
The highlights of Greyson’s high school career were all the sports he was a part of and his favorite memories are from basketball and baseball freshman year. In ten years Greyson sees himself living with one of his closest friend Isaiah and their families.
His piece of advice for the underclassmen is this: “Don’t listen to what others say about you and don’t worry about the past. Worry about the future because you can change that.”
Brody Bowler
By Greyson Gehlert
Brody Bowler was born in Elgin, Arizona. He lived on the ranch as a kid, growing up watching brandings and managing the chute and loving the smells and the life on the ranch.
He went to Elgin Elementary School and after that he went to Benson to make the honor roll and the principal’s list in the same year. He then moved to Patagonia High School. After his four years of high school, Brody is going into the United States Army and will pursue a career in aviation.
Brody always has the ability to walk into a room and make someone laugh, from a joke he told to the way he went about things.
Outside of school hanging with friends and making new memories were his favorite things to do. He never had a dull moment. Brody has been inspired to get into weightlifting because of Leo and Isaiah, because he is a great loyal friend.
His favorite teachers were Mrs. Hayes and Mr. Porter, who taught him English and history, his two favorite subjects. His favorite memory of high school was everyone getting locked in the storage closet during a fire drill.
Tyler Young
By Journee Hayes
Tyler Young is excited to finally be a senior at Patagonia High School.
He has been a member of the baseball team for several years and says that being a member of this team was the highlight of his time in high school.
Tyler spends his time outside of school hunting, fishing and drilling. His plans for next year are to attend a trade school and continue welding, which isn’t surprising because Tyler says welding is his favorite subject and Mr. Mershon is his favorite teacher.
One memory that Tyler will remember forever about his time at Patagonia High School are all the AG classes he was able to take while the program was still at our school.
In 10 years Tyler hopes to be wealthy. If he was to give one piece of advice to underclassmen it would be this: “Don’t put your classes off as long as you can.”
Garrett Matthews
By Brody Bowler
Garrett was raised in Patagonia until age three or four, when his family moved back to Elgin, where his dad was raised. Garrett grew up experiencing a western lifestyle and would spend many weekends out hunting.
At age 14 Garrett won grand champion in archery and rifle. He would spend time riding horses around his house in Rain Valley.
Garrett has plans to serve his country in the United States Marine Corps. He plans to go through the ranks in the military and become a welder.
Garrett in the classroom is very fun. Garrett has exceptional grades. He has no problem saying what’s on his mind, especially during baseball season.
Garrett has played baseball since he was four years old, playing in the Sonoita Little League where, in the last three years of Little League, his team went undefeated. Then in his freshman year of high school he went to state with his baseball team.
Garrett has a deep love for ranching, bird dog training, and the bond he and his dad share.
William Botz
By Betty Regan
Throughout high school, William Botz has been a marvel at everything he has participated in. Whether it be student government, sports, or studying, he has excelled at it all. He is always looking for new knowledge and information to add to his already wide vocabulary and his array of interesting facts.
He grew up in Patagonia and this sparked his love for nature and everything having to do with exploration. He loves to ride his bike and be outside no matter the weather.
In the classroom, William takes pride in his work and everything he does. He consistently has something to say about every topic the senior class is exploring which adds so many more interesting points to the conversation.
He has been a part of student government where he was a class representative for two years and a part of National Honor Society. Outside of school he has participated in church activities, camping and hiking with family, and volunteering for various organizations. William was a member of the soccer team for one year and the tennis team for two years. The highlight of his tennis career was his team’s ten-match winning streak.
His plans for after graduation are attending Northern Arizona University to study ecology and evolutionary biology. In ten years he hopes to be living somewhere other than the United States, he says maybe Cuba studying crocodiles.
His favorite teachers at Patagonia High School have been Mrs. Hayes, because she is very nice and knows how to help her students, and Mr. Gudenkauf because of his funny personality and because the class itself was amazing. His favorite subjects have been art, economics, and history. He will never forget the friends he has made here. One piece of advice he wished he knew as a freshmen was that it’s fine to procrastinate one or two assignments but not multiple big projects because they pile up very quickly.
Janelle Valenzuela
By Isaiah Ruiz
Ever since she was a little girl Janelle Nicolette Valenzuela has lived in Patagonia. She has grown into a strong, determined, smart woman and is a great friend. She wants to be the best version of herself and a good role model for her younger sister. Janelle says she wants to be an inspiration for others and a person her friends know they can count on.
In school, Janelle is a dedicated hard worker and will do and finish anything she puts her mind to on and off the court. She was involved in volleyball for three years and basketball for four years. She was also in FFA for two years, National Honors Society for one year, and a Gear Up mentor for one year.
Janelle enjoyed her time on the basketball court the most. One important memory she has is her Freshman year during COVID when they had to play with masks on. “Not fun,” she said. The highlight of her high school years was seeing her class grow together and spending time with her friends and making memories with them.
She looked up to a couple of teachers, Mrs. Hayes and Mr. Gudenkauf. They have had the biggest impact on her educational career and given her some of the best life advice. They both will encourage you to be the best you can be in and out of school and to stay true to yourself. Her favorite subjects are poetry and history, specifically with Mr. Gudenkauf.
Janelle’s plans for next year are to attend Pima Community College to earn her associates degree and then proceed with her education in veterinary science. In ten years she imagines herself living in the country somewhere with horses and dogs, hopefully and a husband and three kids.
Janelle’s advice to underclassmen is “focus and do things for yourself, be careful who you trust and who you consider your friends.”
Wherever she goes and does, I’m sure she will do great things
Ayla Kennedy
By Allen Roberts
Born in the rough streets of south Tucson, Ayla Kennedy lived there for 11 years before moving to her current home in Elgin. From even her earliest years of schooling, she was always a straight-A student with a squeaky-clean record. Before coming to Patagonia to attend her high school she went to Elgin. She is the daughter of Amy and Michael Kennedy and one of three siblings. Her being the middle child in her family always meant she had the pressure to be the best for her parents, which gave her the motivation to be as smart as the energy she puts off today.
Ayla’s high school career was filled with achievements. With her current outstanding GPA of 4.3, she earned it by trying her best in every class she had. She always was the one to get the materials when it was taught and never asked questions when she needed assistance. She joined the National Honor Society her senior year where she completed many hours of community service for the town of Patagonia. She played basketball her senior year and managed for one year and also managed two years for volleyball.
Her favorite memory from high school is when “Mr. Hayes found our group chat and he became our Dad.” Her highlight was the senior class being closer as the years went on.
Ayla will be moving on to do better things. Her plans after graduating will be to attend the U of A to get a medical degree. She is trying to gain tons of scholarships to help aid her through college financially. Once she gets her degree she sees herself working in a hospital helping patients and making lives better for more years to come. Some advice she gives to the underclassmen going into high school is, “Don’t be scared to join in. Experience as much as you can before it’s too late.”
She’s a very kind and wonderful soul and that will go very far in life.
Arturo Magallanes
By Leo Nunez
Arturo Magallanes likes to spend time with his friends in his free time and do schoolwork. His plans for the future are to go to Pima Community College and study liberal arts. One of his main goals is to become a firefighter. For most of his life, he grew up in Nogales Arizona. His most memorable memory when he was younger was playing Little League for most of his youth.
He has been an active person for most of his high school career. He participated in baseball for three years. His most memorable time was his sophomore season. He also participated in soccer for two years. His most memorable moment was when he scored his first header. He also participated in basketball for three years. His favorite memory was when the basketball team went to Williams for the first time. His favorite part of the trip was staying up till 4am and making amazing memories with friends he will never forget.
For his future, he wants to have a loving and caring family and have his dream job of becoming a firefighter.
His advice for underclassmen is “to be kind to your teachers.” Arturo’s favorite subjects in high school are art and English. His favorite teachers are Mrs. Hayes, who teaches English, and Mr. Porter, who teaches History.