Brophy Students Learn and Work With Native Communities
PHOENIX–Over the recent four-day weekend, Brophy students fanned out over the state to learn from and support many of Arizona's Native American Communities.
To the east, Cooper Davis '10, a faculty member in the Fine Arts Department, led a contingent of students from Brophy, along with our guests from Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the protection of Oak Flat, a sacred site to the Apache tribe. This was the third year, students — most of them members of the Brophy Native American Club — made the grueling run, starting on the San Carlos Reservation and ending at Oak Flat. Learn more about Brophy's Oak Flat advocacy here.
To the north, Chris Ramsey, a faculty member in the World Languages Department, led the Hopi/Navajo immersion trip where they learned from and served those Native American communities.
To the south and west, Drew Rau '02, assistant principal for ministry and director of the Office of Faith and Justice, led the Borderlands immersion trip which included students from Brophy's Romero Program and others. To the south, they visited the sacred site of Quitobaquito Springs next to the U.S.-Mexico border, and moving west they worked with the Cocopah tribe in restoring a section of the Colorado Riverbank to native vegetation.
Brophy is committed to hearing and listening to the voices of our Native American students and neighbors, and to learning about their cultures and advocating for their sustainability and protection of sacred sites.
Brophy College Preparatory celebrated its 76th commencement on Saturday, May 18, at 9 a.m. in Robson Gymnasium. This graduation was significant for the Class of 2024, who began their high school journey remotely due to the pandemic.
The Class of 2024 demonstrated resilience and connection despite the challenges of starting their education online. Their unity and adaptability were evident throughout their time at Brophy, embodying their class theme: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Valedictorian Doer Leo He delivered a memorable speech, drawing parallels to the movie "Finding Nemo" and encouraging his classmates to persevere with the phrase, "Just keep swimming." President Bob Ryan and Principal Jim Bopp also spoke, highlighting the graduates' resilience and urging them to be agents of positive change.
The ceremony concluded with a strong sense of pride and accomplishment, celebrating the Class of 2024's journey from remote learning to a united and triumphant graduation.