Families
Alumni spotlights.
Where our graduates go and what they build next. Real stories from Highland Prep alumni, in their own words.
Our graduates go on to college, careers, and communities across the country, and many stay close to home. These are their stories, in their own words: where they went, what they are building, and how Highland Prep helped get them there.
Alumni Spotlight
Connor Owens
Arizona State University
Mechanical Engineering
Studying Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State and working in the Luminosity Lab, where the VEX Robotics habit he built at MHP carried him to a space robotics internship and flight hardware bound for Saturn's moon Titan.
- What have you been up to since graduating from Madison Highland Prep, and what does life look like for you now?
- I have been living in Tempe, AZ attending Arizona State University to pursue my Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. Last summer, I worked at Honeybee Robotics in Altadena, California. I live in an apartment near campus with my lovely girlfriend, my family moved to Indiana, I work at the Luminosity Lab at ASU, and I go dancing on Thursday nights.
- In what ways did your experience at MHP prepare you for college, your career, or life after high school?
- VEX robotics and dual enrollment classes gave me a competitive edge compared to other Freshmen when applying for scholarships and opportunities. Not only that, but VEX gave me hands-on experience in multiple disciplines and helped me to identify that I want to do interdisciplinary mechanical engineering. This last summer I did an internship at a space robotics company Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company, and I believe that VEX played a big part in my story in getting to that.
- What advice would you give to current students as they think about their future and the goals they want to achieve?
- Learn how to read textbooks. This is the biggest skill that I see lacking in individuals I encounter at university. There is a wealth of knowledge across all areas of life living in textbooks. If you know how to read a textbook it won't matter if you have a bad lecturing professor or a boss who expects you to just know things, if you know how to read textbooks you have the power within you to find the answers. Even if you aren't going into university, the ability to read textbooks will allow you to become good at anything you do and save you from reinventing the wheel every time you do something.
- Looking back on your time at MHP, what is something you appreciate now that you may not have fully recognized as a student?
- Looking back, I appreciate the friends that I made. Without them, I would have been stranded in a new world with an inadequate support network. The friends that I made at MHP are the friends that I talk to, play basketball with, and rely on for help.
- What is one accomplishment or milestone since graduating that you're especially proud of?
- I am especially proud of my most recent internship at Honeybee Robotics. It was an extremely selective group of individuals that were selected and due to my hard work and networking I was selected. It was proof that all of my hard work in classes and undergraduate research were worth it. The exact moment was when I got to control a drill actuator for flight hardware that was going to touch the surface of Saturn's moon Titan.
Alumni Spotlight
Leslie Garcia
Arizona State University
Family and Human Development
A Family and Human Development graduate of Arizona State, now a Library Assistant with the Phoenix Public Library and pursuing a Master's in Library and Information Science on her way to becoming a public librarian.
- What have you been up to since graduating from Madison Highland Prep, and what does life look like for you now?
- I earned a Bachelor's of Science in Family and Human Development at Arizona State University. I currently work as a Library Assistant with the Phoenix Public Library, and I am now pursuing a Master's in Library and Information Science with the goal of becoming a public librarian.
- In what ways did your experience at MHP prepare you for college, your career, or life after high school?
- The dual enrollment and AP classes at Madison Highland Prep were extremely helpful in preparing me for the intensive work I would encounter in college. The credits I earned also allowed me to graduate a semester early, and the academic rigor at MHP prepared me to tackle challenging workloads.
- Was there a teacher, class, program, or experience that had a lasting impact on you? Tell us a little about it.
- Mr. Casey and Mr. Schultz helped me overcome my struggles with math through their patience, flexibility, and understanding. My time in volleyball, basketball, and softball also had a lasting impact, and the memories I built through sports will stay with me forever.
- What advice would you give to current students as they think about their future and the goals they want to achieve?
- You're all still very young and have a lot of time to explore your interests, so it's okay if you're unsure about what you want to do in life. Take advantage of the help and support available to you, explore clubs and programs, and most importantly, learn as much as you can and have fun doing it!
- Looking back on your time at MHP, what is something you appreciate now that you may not have fully recognized as a student?
- I appreciate now how easy it was to build connections with classmates at MHP. Having classes with the same students every day helped create a strong sense of community and camaraderie, and I'm grateful for the smaller school environment.
- What is one accomplishment or milestone since graduating that you're especially proud of?
- I'd say I'm especially proud of my acceptance into grad school. This opportunity is so meaningful to me and will allow me to grow within my occupation. I am excited to see where it goes from here!
Alumni Spotlight
Cooper Osborn
University of Arizona
Nursing
In the University of Arizona's nursing program and working toward becoming a flight nurse, a goal the MHP aviation program helped spark.
- What are you doing now, and what has your journey looked like since graduating?
- Since graduating from Madison Highland Prep, I have been attending the University of Arizona's nursing program and working toward earning my degree. My goal is to become a flight nurse, and I am continuing to work towards that to pursue a career in healthcare.
- How did your experience at Madison Highland Prep help prepare you for college, your career, or life after graduation?
- MHP prepared me for college by challenging me academically and helping me develop the study habits I needed to succeed. The smaller class sizes gave me more opportunities to ask questions and get support from my teachers, something I have really appreciated now that I'm in larger college classes.
- Was there a teacher, class, or opportunity at Madison Highland Prep that had a lasting impact on you? If so, how?
- The aviation program was one of the opportunities that had the biggest impact on me. It helped me discover my interest in aviation and showed me that I could combine that passion with my goal of working in healthcare as a flight nurse.
- What advice would you give to current Madison Highland Prep students who are working toward their future goals?
- My advice is to put in the work now. Do your homework, prepare for your tests, and take every opportunity to build good habits because the effort you put in now will help you reach your future goals.
- Looking back, what is one thing you appreciated most about your time at MHP that you didn't fully realize as a student?
- I didn't fully realize it as a student, but the rigor of the classes helped me develop the skills and discipline I needed to handle the demands of a nursing program.
Are you a Highland Prep grad?
We would love to feature your story. Tell us where you landed and what you are up to, and you might be our next spotlight.