Desert Hills' Extravaganza: Celebrating Colleges, Careers And Community

Desert Hills' annual Extravaganza, held Thursday, March 10, featured appearances by a wide variety of college recruiters and technical school officials, along with military representatives and community leaders.

The event was deemed a great success, according to Fawn Eaton, Academic and Career Center Director, and the organizer of the event, which drew more than 200 guests to the Gilbert campus, including Gilbert Arts Academy Principal Nan Allen and DHHS student Careasa Hayes, pictured above.

"We're extremely pleased that so many colleges and institutions sent representatives to the event," says Ms. Eaton. "Our goal is to give our students as much information as we can on post-high school opportunities, so that they can make informed decisions about their futures."

Guests at the event included representatives from Arizona State University, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, DeVry Institute, Grand Canyon University, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and Everest College.

Also on hand were officials from ITT Technical Institute, The Barbizon School, The American Institute of Dental Assisting, Pima Medical Institute, The Bryman School and Mesa Community College, among other institutions.

DHHS Plans Spring 'Extravaganza' And Career Fair This Thursday

Representatives from colleges and universities across Arizona will meet with high school students on Thursday, March 10, when Desert Hills High School in Gilbert hosts its annual career fair “Extravaganza.”

Military officials and representatives from vocational schools and out-of-state universities will also be appearing at the Extravaganza, which runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the school, located at 1515 S. Val Vista Drive. Students and parents are invited to attend the fair and explore a wide array of post-high school opportunities.

“This is an excellent chance for students to educate themselves about the possibilities awaiting them after graduation,” says Fawn Eaton, DHHS Academic and Career Center Director. “We’re very excited to help them prepare for this next important stage in their lives.”

An academic services session is scheduled for 6 p.m. detailing changes in graduation requirements for Arizona students. Food and prizes will be offered at the Extravaganza, along with examples of artwork from Desert Hills’ students.

Representatives from Arizona State University, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Central Arizona College and Mesa Community College will be appearing, along with officials from the Bryman School, Carrington College and DeVry Institute.
Other institutions slated to appear include Everest College, Grand Canyon University, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Pima Medical Institute, Rio Salado College, ITT Technical Institute, and the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

Also on the list are Arizona Christian University, the Barbizon School, Brookline College, the American Institute of Dental Assisting and the University of Advancing Technology, among other academies and institutions.

For more information on the Extravaganza, contact the Desert Hills school office at 480-813-1151.

Drug Abuse Prevention Organization Hosting Presentations For Parents And Students

The following presentations by the notMYkid organization, designed to provide parents and students with information on drug abuse issues and prevention strategies for teens, have been scheduled in February at Desert Hills High School:

* Parent Presentation - 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2011.

* Student Presentations - Speaking will be young recovering addicts (ages 18-25) who have been sober for at least one year. These speakers go through a 20 hour training with notMYkid to ensure that they are able to share their message with other students without glorifying past drug and alcohol abuse. They also will be accompanied by a representative from notMYkid. The speakers will discuss how their addictions began and consequences faced as a result of their decisions. Resources will be provided to students requesting them following each 1 hour presentation. The class presentation schedule is as follows:

* Wednesday, Feb. 23 - 1st period (Mrs. Lyro); 2nd period (Ms. Fieman); 3rd period (Mr. Haasch).
* Thursday, Feb. 24 - 1st period (Mr. Balagna); 2nd period (Ms. Quinn); 3rd period (Ms. Darley).

For more information, contact the Desert Hills office at 480-813-1151.

Cougars Storm The Fiesta Bowl On New Years Day

One hundred Desert Hills athletes, teachers and family members were in attendance when the University of Connecticut Huskies took on the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day in Glendale. The Sooners proved victorius in the contest, but the real winners were the fans in attendance at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Desert Hills Graduate, Wounded In Afghanistan, Returns To U.S. To Make A Difference

Much has changed for Travis Largent, a Northern Arizona University student and military veteran, since he graduated from Desert Hills High School in 2005.

After graduating, Largent followed his passion to serve his country with the U.S. Army, and was deployed halfway around the world in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, he found the adventure he was looking for, and also found himself in consistent danger. He ended his tour in a harrowing firefight that left him with three bullet wounds and a collapsed lung, bleeding and waiting for more than 30 hours for the medical transport that would ultimately take him to safety.

"We were in a five vehicle convoy, and we were ambushed,"Largent says of the attack, which occurred in January 2008 in Ibrahim, some 50 kilometers south of Kandahar, near the border with Pakistan. "We were under fire and being attacked on two sides. And because of the narrow terrain, we couldn't back up."

Largent was leaning out of an Army Humvee and firing, when he felt "heat" in his chest. "I had been shot three times in the side."

Eventually, the convoy moved to relative safety, but Largent's troubles were far from over.

"A medic was treating me, and we were waiting for a medivac to come in," he says. "The medic said he had 36 hours worth of blood for me - after that, there was nothing left. I ended up waiting 34 hours for the medivac to arrive."

Largent spent two months recuperating in Germany, and was sent at his request back to his unit. He ultimately was awarded the Bronze Star for valor.

Now, back in the U.S., married and studying at NAU, Largent, 22, says his experience in Afghanistan motivated him to become a classroom teacher.

After completing his coursework, he hopes to return to Desert Hills to undertake his student teaching.

"What I saw in Afghanistan were a lot of young men who were uneducated. And because they were uneducated, they were able to be manipulated," he says.

"I saw the importance of education," Largent says. "And I wanted to make a difference."

Cougar Announcements, December 2010

Desert Hills High School Announcements - Dec. 1, 2010:

* Tickets for the Winter Formal are going fast! The dance is scheduled from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010, at Skateland in Chandler. Tickets are $15 per person, and are available from a Student Council member. Skateland is located at 1101 W. Ray Road in Chandler. Come out and join the fun!

* Congratulations to National Honor Society, which recently raised $150 to benefit UNICEF.

* Desert Hills' Chess Club is up and running! The group, which will begin statewide competition in January, meets every Tuesday and Thursday with Mr. Boyle in Room 1. If you are interested in learning the game, playing against other students or competing, attend a club meeting or stop by the front office for details.

* Student Council will be hosting a Blood Drive on Tuesday, Dec. 7. If you are under 18 and would like to donate, pick up a permission slip in the front office.

* Congratulations to Jennifer Montanez Medina, who has been selected as the City of Gilbert's Student of the Month!

For more news and information about Desert Hills High School, check out The Cougar Press, our online newspaper, at http://www.cougarpress.com/.

Cougar Announcements For The Week Of Nov. 15, 2010

* Basketball season is coming! Varsity and JV Boys' and Girls' Basketball begin their seasons on November 29. Come out and cheer on the Cougars!

* The Desert Hills Student Council is leading a Food Drive through the month of November. The second period class which collects the most food wins the drive. Help support this important effort!

* Student Council will be hosting a Blood Drive on Tuesday, Dec. 7. If you are under 18 and would like to donate blood, you must return a signed permission slip to the front office.

* Be sure and check out the Cougar Press - Desert Hills' online newspaper. Go to http://www.cougarpress.com/ today to read articles on subjects such as the recent Desert Hills Homecoming bash, the school's effort to fund a soccer program for children in Afghanistan, and reviews of the hit TV show "Glee" and the new film "Easy A."

* If you are interested in working on the Yearbook project, come to a meeting at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 19. See Mr. Haasch in Room 4 or Mr. Boyle in Room 1 for more information.

* Desert Hills is starting a Chess Club and a competition Chess Team! If you are interested in learning the game, playing against other students or even competing against teams from across the state, join the club when it meets after school this Tuesday in Room 1.