Sahuaro High School

Even though Alexis joined the Sahuaro staff in 2017, she continues to be mistaken for a student. But the Student Council advisor still manages to get students' respect. 

Aside from nurturing student involvement, Alexis has taught everything from anatomy to biology, to chemistry to AP Environmental Science. Something she has aspired to do since she was a little girl.  

“When I was in first grade, I always thought how fun it would be to have my own classroom and design my own lessons,” Alexis said. “My dad inspired my love for the natural world when we would hike and camp. My favorite thing to teach is biomes. I love teaching about the earth and nature – it’s something kids can relate most to.” 

Diego is an aspiring architect and loves to draw, but he also embodies the Cougar Spirit every day. He is the president of the Class of ’25, and is involved in Latinos Unidos, National Honor Society, soccer club, swim club, varsity track and Link Crew, and is the vice president and co-founder of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Everyone on campus knows Diego, as his presence is ubiquitous. 

After graduation, Diego hopes to be able to help people translate their ideas into reality. 

“Architecture is a way to connect people,” Diego said. “A way to put together something that, in the long run, will help and benefit the community around it.”

Phil’s journey at Sahuaro started before he became a staff member at the east-side school – he is a Class of ’86 Sahuaro grad! After high school, Phil graduated from the University of Arizona (1991) and Illinois State University (1995). Later, he studied abroad in Tel Aviv and, when he returned to the U.S., he taught guitar at the college level. He taught at UofA, Pima Community College, Northern Arizona University, Notre Dame Preparatory, and Central Arizona College.  

While teaching, Phil realized a lot of textbooks were outdated. So, he wrote his own. Now, it’s used in nearly 2,000 schools across the nation.  

This year, Phil has taken on the task of re-energizing the National Honor Society program. According to Phil, he plans to “gain new members to do some more community service, unite the school, and, hopefully, get these kids some scholarship money!”

This petite powerhouse moved from a small village in Alaska to Tucson at the start of her freshman year. Here, Marley Gandee discovered her writer’s voice when she joined our school newspaper, The Paper Cut, earning the title of editor-in-chief by her junior year. Mar, as she likes to be called, loves writing and editing articles, interviewing students and staff, and photography. “My favorite memory from writing for The Paper Cut was when I reported on a University of Arizona football game from the press box. It was such an amazing experience to see the sports writing process as a reporter on the field, and I was even able to ask questions in the press conference.” This summer, she attended Arizona Girls State, where she made amazing connections and friendships, furthering her passion for politics.

Mar, who learned to be a free spirit from her parents, is now ready for her next hurdle as a committed cross country and track and field athlete to North Park University in Chicago. With a 4.2 GPA, Mar has made, mended, and shaped many people and programs. Her strong faith guided her to help charter Sahuaro’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle. Marley epitomizes the tenet of “Dream, Dare, Do” in her everyday life.