Aaliyah Sativah Ruth Amaya-Beard

Aaliyah Sativah Ruth Amaya-Beard has attended Gilpin since the sixth grade. One of her fondest memories was going to the YMCA in Estes Park in middle school. Despite the cold and snow, she says it was so much fun and Mrs. Donaldson made the trip even better by starting a huge snowball fight.

Aaliyah played volleyball throughout high school, joined the cheer team in the eleventh grade, and became the high school boys’ basketball team manager in the twelfth grade.

Aaliyah says being part of a smaller school gave her better opportunities to get to know her classmates, teachers, and other staff in the school and build relationships. She’s confident it’s what also made her a bigger part of the sports teams she played in.

She will miss “the random conversations in Mr. Wuchter’s classes about everything from ‘Star Wars’ to how Kaylee is going to eat Darwin.” She says she will also miss “the bus rides to and from games and concerts the team would put on for the coaches and bus drivers when any of our favorite songs came on.”

When asked what her favorite classes were, Aaliyah replied, “Really, what kid is going to say they ‘loved’ any class in school? However, I had the most fun in Mr. Rouse’s classes. His lectures were probably some of the most entertaining, story times I ever heard. If you are lucky, some come with voice and costume changes.”

Aaliyah’s mom worked at the school and thinks most students might not like that idea, but Aaliyah liked knowing her mom could be there at a moment’s notice, whether to help her or get busted for not doing her homework.

“Though my mom working at the school made every day better, not just for me, but if my friends needed someone to talk to, she was there. My mom made school better for me. Well that, and because it is the best school ever!”

Another student who made life in school better for Aaliyah was her brother Lucion who graduated in 2023. She says, “Lucion was hands down one of my biggest supporters. He always encouraged and supported me in everything I did.

Aaliyah says another person who always supported and believed in her was Lane, stating, “Both Lane and Lucion can push me to do better when I need it, make me laugh when I didn’t think I could, which is one of their favorite pastimes when they are together.”

She says without Lane and Lucion, she doesn’t know how she would have made it through high school. “They have truly been my lifeline at times.”

Aaliyah is passionate about her culture. She is Cherokee and Mexican American. She loves all the different cultural practices of her heritage. She is also passionate about music, dance, and art.

Aaliyah will be attending the Metropolitan University of Denver after graduation. She will earn a Bachelor’s in Linguistics and a minor in body movement and dance.

She advises future Gilpin students to “put in the work and ask for help. If you work and try, teachers are more than willing to help you however they can. They want you to succeed, but it has to be your work and your effort that gets you there.”

Aaliyah would like to thank her teachers for helping her through this last year. Senioritis is real! “Thank you to all my friends who helped me keep my head above water, especially my little love Jadie. I also want to thank my cousin JJ for always being there for me and letting me blabber when I just couldn’t shut up. Thank you, Dad, for being there and choosing to be when you didn’t have to. I also want to thank my mommy for always being there for me from the beginning and for always.”

Thank you and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!

A message from Aaliyah’s mom:

“P.S. This is a note from me, her mom.

“Aaliyah aka Lily, I am so incredibly proud of the young lady you have grown to be. Words can’t express the absolute joy it has brought me to see you blossom along the way. You are incredible and I am completely in awe of you. Just remember you are stronger than you think, braver than you know, smarter than you give yourself credit for, and no matter what you will always be my baby girl. I love you always and am so excited for your next chapter. Who knows, it still may be hippie overlord.”

Dakota Sylan Lee Cowles

Dakota Sylan Lee Cowles has been attending Gilpin County School since preschool. He says he has endless fond memories of his time at Gilpin. He has loved attending Gilpin School because of his friends and the amazing teachers.

Dakota says he will miss the people. He advises students going to Gilpin in the future to enjoy their time in school. After graduation, he plans on joining the workforce.

Thank you, Dakota, and congratulations on your graduation!

Jordanna Gagnon

Jordanna Gagnon started attending Gilpin School in preschool. She says one of her fondest memories from elementary and middle school is being in Mrs. Suzanne’s class and going to 100 Elk as a class trip. She also enjoyed class trips to Rockies games and the YMCA.

Jordanna played volleyball in her four-year high school career and participated in Club Volleyball and student council. She played soccer in eleventh and twelfth grades and was a member of the National Honor Society in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades.

Her other activities included the Interact Club in eleventh and twelfth grades and basketball manager in twelfth grade. Jordanna has loved playing sports in high school. Specifically, volleyball and “getting to play with an amazing team.”

She has also enjoyed A.P. Calculus with one of her favorite teachers, Mrs. VanHoose and A.P. Literature with Mr. Schuessler. One of her other favorite classes was trigonometry with Ms. Blake. One of her favorite staff members was Principal Alexis Donaldson.

Jordanna says, “Mrs. VanHoose has always made the class fun and productive and always cares about what’s going on in my life, and Mrs. Donaldson has always been welcoming and a friend to talk to and hang out with.”

Other students who made life better in school for Jordanna are Sterling O’Sullivan, Alexa Brandon, and Jiselle Osteboe, stating, “Sterling and Alexa are great friends and great people to work with, and I’ve had a great time with them in sports and when wasting time in the senior lounge between classes. Jiselle always brightens my day and has always been there when I need her.”

Jordanna will miss playing volleyball and soccer. She will also miss the bus rides to the games. “I’ll miss seeing my friends every day and having fun teachers. I’ll miss homecoming weeks and spirit days when everyone has fun with each other,” shares Jordanna.

She also shares, “I’ve stayed at this school for the good sports teams and the teachers, and because all my friends go here.” Jordanna is passionate about volleyball, reading, and eating with her friends.

Jordanna advises future Gilpin students “to join sports or clubs and just have fun with your time. School may not be where you want to be, but if you look at the bright side, you will have a much better time and enjoy the day.”

While in school, Jordanna worked at the Horseshoe Casino Starbucks. She has received the CSU Green and Gold and The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Scholarships.

She will be entering the Exploratory Studies Program at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, with an interest in Criminology and Medical Studies.

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Jordanna, and making Valedictorian in 2024!

Dusty LeBeau

Dusty LeBeau has been attending Gilpin School since pre-school. One of his fondest memories is playing football on the blacktop at recess. Other memories include taking care of the class turtle, Grave Digger.

Dusty played baseball in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades and football in the tenth grade. What he has loved about high school is “finally being treated like an adult.” He will miss seeing his friends and favorite teachers every day.

His favorite classes were science with Mr. Wuchter and math with Mrs. Blake. One of his other favorite teachers was Mr. Newberg. Another student who made life better for Dusty in school was Russell Wood “because he could answer any question I had.”

Dusty is passionate about skiing and competing in the freeride world tour qualifiers. After graduation, Dusty will be majoring in Integrative Physiology at CU-Boulder. “Don’t think that doing bad things makes you cool,” is the advice he leaves future Gilpin School students.

Thank you, Dusty, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!

Chrislyn Martinez

Chrislyn Martinez started attending Gilpin in preschool. Her fondest memories in elementary school were going on field trips to the museum or animal sanctuary. Her best memories in middle school were hanging out with friends, playing baseball, and exploring her favorite subjects.

Learning new things and expanding her knowledge is what Chrislyn has loved most about high school. She says she will miss “being a kid and not worrying about paying bills or saving up for a place to live or a car.”

Aside from adult responsibilities, Chrislyn says she will miss going to school, interacting with classmates, seeing her teachers, and only worrying about getting to class on time and who’ll have the good snacks during lunch.”

What has kept Chrislyn attending school is that Gilpin School has always felt like a second home. “I’ve left Gilpin and came back so many times. I technically grew up in this school, and the teachers (all of them) are just amazing and make me want to learn and encourage me to be the best version of myself.”

Chrislyn’s favorite classes were science and history. She loved science since elementary school, sharing, “Science can help so many world problems and it can also help us find discoveries no one has.”

Chrislyn started to love history when she was in about tenth grade, with the help of her aunt who encouraged her to learn about history.

Chrislyn has many favorite teachers, including Ms. Gillette, Mrs. Blake, Mrs. Newberg, Mr. Newberg, Mr. Rouse, and Mr. Wuchter. She says they all made school more interesting and fun, although she might’ve given them some hard times!

Other students who made life better in school for Chrislyn were Jozie, Lindsy, and Andal. “They were like my sisters, life at school was 1000 times better when it was with them.” Chrislyn is passionate about making a change in the world and helping people.

This is Chrislyn’s advice to future Gilpin students:

“Get to know your teachers, talk to them, your teachers want to see you succeed and make a change in the world so don’t ever be afraid to talk to them. Also if you ever have bullying problems don’t be afraid to talk to a teacher, they will do everything in their power to help you, also you are never alone! School may seem difficult, but remember that you’re not there to make others happy, maybe a tad bit but overall you are there to be a kid, get an education, and try to make a difference in the world or make your dreams come true. And if you are falling behind just know that it’s never too late to get back up and do it all again. No matter what you do, you got this!”

She wants anyone who reads this to know they can do anything they want as long as they work hard and never give up. They can achieve anything in this world, making reality what it is. She also wishes everyone to love each other more, believing the world needs more love and compassion.

Chrislyn has been working at a restaurant as a server. After graduation, she’s considering taking some time off to save money. Then, she plans to attend college to study astrophysics and quantum physics. “I also want to learn more about art and music - preferably the piano.”

Congratulations on your graduation, Chrislyn!

Sterling O’Sullivan

Sterling O’Sullivan has been attending Gilpin School since preschool. She says in elementary school, she loved field days and going to splash after the events, sharing, “I remember playing in the ball pit and doing arts and crafts. These were my favorite things to do.”

She played volleyball and was a member of the student council throughout her high school career. Sterling was also part of Club Volleyball and Interact in eleventh and twelfth grades.

She played basketball in the ninth, tenth, and twelfth grades and soccer in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. Sterling is passionate about sports and athletics, saying, “I love to be outside running or doing some activity in a gym. I also enjoy reading in my free time.”

When asked what she loved about high school, she replied, “High school has been a great experience. The opportunities I have been given and the people I’ve connected with mean a lot to me.”

Sterling also shares that her sports teams have become family and those memories mean the world to her. “Being successful during our basketball seasons, having strong volleyball teams, and building a soccer program from scratch has brought everyone together,” says Sterling.

Sterling says homecoming week was the most fun for her because the entire class came together to pull off a giant poster and an amazing float to show off during the parade. She will miss having friends by her side everyday. “My friends are a big part of my life, and I am happiest with them.”

What has motivated Sterling to continue school are the teachers and classes, stating, “Having a small community gives you the ability to connect with teachers and have more one-on-one time if you need extra help with assignments. The teachers here are very understanding and easy to connect with.”

Sterling loved taking Ms. Blake’s math classes, geometry and pre-calculus. She also enjoyed Mr. Schuessler’s expository writing, speech, and 12th-grade English class. And Mr. Wuchter’s science classes.

Her favorite teacher is Ms. Blake. “Ms. Blake has always supported me for as long as I have had her as a teacher. I was never confident in my math skills, especially in middle school, but having her as a teacher has taught me that I can learn hard material.”

Sterling continued, “Ms. Blake also went out of her way to help during her off periods when I missed class or struggled with a topic. Whenever a student needs help, she is there to support them.”

Sterling feels Ms. Blake was extremely supportive and she could not have asked for a better teacher. She says there have been many people who made life better in school for Sterling, including Alexa Brandon, Jordanna Gagnon, Kailee Starkey, Kenzie Marr, Joei Sutton, and Jiselle Osteboe, to name a few.

She shares, “These people are important because they have taught me to be a better person every day and they support me no matter what happens.” Sterling has been working at the Starbucks inside the Horseshoe Casino.

After graduation, Sterling plans to attend Colorado State University. She advises new Gilpin students to “stay active in your community. Working hard in school will allow you to make good connections and have amazing experiences with others. Experiences may be temporary, but memories last forever. Make them so they last a lifetime.”

Thank you, Sterling, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!

Abigail Rose Parton

Other memories include her teachers and family supporting her even when she felt it was impossible to get to where she needed to be. She’ll always remember watching the school change year by year.

Abigail participated in choir all through high school. She was also part of the cheerleading team in the eleventh grade and in theater in the tenth grade.

Abigail shares that she earns money while in school via a successful livestream she’s been running for about a year. She is passionate about taking care of others, animals, and gaming.

What she has loved about high school is making friends and seeing everyone around her change through the years. Abigail will miss laughing with friends over things they thought were entertaining.

Abigail credits her mom and friends with helping her stay in school. Her favorite classes were history and philosophy, “because Mr. Rouse made learning those classes so much fun! I wouldn’t have discovered my love of history without him,” Abigail shares.

When asked about her favorite teachers, Abigail responded, “My favorite teacher is Ann Meyers. She treated me like I was her kid. She supported me through everything and taught me how to persevere through things I didn’t think I’d be successful doing.”

Another student who made life better for Abigail was Cheyenne Fejarang. Abigail says Cheyenne “has always been there for me even when I felt like I had no one else.”

Abigail would like future Gilpin students to “enjoy the little things in school. Appreciate every teacher because once you are ready to step across that stage, you’ll miss each one.”

After graduation, Abigail plans on traveling to Washington State to visit family. She will work to save money to travel the world.

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Abigail!

Brianna Rice-Dietz

Brianna “Bree” Rice-Dietz transferred from Clear Creek to Gilpin in the fifth grade. Her fondest memory was learning to make friends “even when it was hard.”

While in school, Bree worked at Red Dolly Casino for almost three years and the Hearts and Legends retail store since they opened.

Bree’s school schedule was full of sports and activities. She played volleyball in ninth and tenth grades and soccer in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. She participated in theater in ninth and twelfth grades and cheer in eleventh and twelfth grades.

One of Bree’s biggest passions in school was cheer. “It has become such a big part of me and I have no idea where I would be without it. I am also a crafty person and can often be found doing some sort of craft in my free time.”

That wasn’t enough for Bree. She was a member of the National Honor Society in the eleventh and twelfth grades. Throughout her high school career, she also participated in StuCo.

What Bree will miss most about high school is being around people who have helped her “realize that enjoying life is just as important as working hard,” also sharing, “It has been a hard balance but I’m going to miss my friends and all of the fun we created throughout the years.”

All the people Bree made friends with are some things Bree loved about high school. She says being put out of her comfort zone via sports made a big difference. She loved that.

When asked what motivated her to continue attending this school, Bree responded, “I enjoy all of the teachers and learning styles. It has made even the most challenging classes fun to be a part of.”

Some of Bree’s favorite classes throughout high school were history classes taught by Mr. Rouse; he made them fun and easy to learn from. She also loved math. Bree had a difficult time choosing a favorite teacher.

She shared, “This is hard. I can’t choose just one, so my top two -- in no particular order -- are Mr. Rouse and Mrs. Newman. These teachers have always made school fun but helped me learn and grow up.”

Another student who made school life better for Bree is “Chey Chey” Cheyenne. “She has been one of my best friends and biggest fan. I have no idea what I would do without her,” admits Bree.

“Lynda has become one of the people I am closest to and my rock when I really need one.” She also appreciates everyone who is a part of the group she’s proud to call friends.

After graduation, Bree will ship out in June to join the U.S. Navy. She is a part of the Nuclear Engineer path, hoping to make Mechanics Mate within this path and earn a place on a submarine.

Bree leaves future Gilpin County School students with this message, “Don’t put every ounce of energy into school, save some for enjoying the activities and community you are surrounded by. Don’t just keep to yourself, make friends and enjoy this time of your life.

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation and being selected as the Gilpin 2024 Salutatorian!

Lloyd N Rousseau

Lloyd N Rousseau began attending Gilpin Schools in the fourth grade. His fondest memories are of recess and all the friends he has made. “Some are still here and some have left but I am still friends with some of those who have left,” shares Lloyd.

What he has loved most about high school is meeting his best friend and many other people working and attending Gilpin, which have all been part of the reason Lloyd continued attending Gilpin.

“I have been working on a special project designing a video game for years with my friends Joey and Link and we hope to have it published and released someday,” confesses Lloyd, which is no surprise–one of his favorite classes was the graphic design and gaming classes at Warren Tech.

But he equally enjoyed history class with Mr. Rouse. Mr. Rouse, Mr. Wuchter, Mrs. Blake, and Mr. Newburg are the teachers Lloyd credits for making his high school experience awesome. Another student who made life better for Lloyd is Joey Morgan.

Lloyd says, “While he left during the eighth grade, we are still friends and in touch.”

Lloyd also shares he will miss going to Gilpin School every day. “I am just so used to going here for so many years and it will feel different not coming to the school anymore.”

Lloyd has been working at TEENS, Inc. for the last two summers and will continue working there during the summer after graduation before starting college. He plans to attend Red Rocks College before transferring to Fort Lewis College in Durango.

Lloyd leaves future Gilpin students with this advice, “Just keep at it. It will end before you know it and you can move on to your next chapter in life as an adult.”

Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Lloyd!

Lane Willis

Lane Willis attended school in the mountains in Nederland from the second through sixth grades. He transferred to Gilpin County School for seventh grade and stayed through his senior year. While in school, Lane worked at Dostal Alley and Base Camp.

During his four years in high school, Lane played basketball. He played football in ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades and participated in track in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. Playing sports is what Lane has loved most about high school.

What Lane will miss the most is spending time with his friends. Lane credits everyone he was surrounded by for inspiring him to attend school. History and math were his favorite classes.

When asked who his favorite staff at Gilpin School was, Lane replied, “My mom was the head coach of the basketball team. She made a big difference in my life.”

Lane says he was very passionate about sports and the teams he was part of. Lane leaves future Gilpin students with this advice: “The classes are hard, but if you stay on top of the work, you won’t fall behind.

Lane plans to attend college after graduation. Congratulations, Lane!