From the Desk of Dr. Davis

Dear GWHS Community,

What an amazing year! Though spring - and the end of school - always seems such a blur of activity, it is well worth setting aside a few minutes to reflect on all that has been accomplished since August 2025. From state-level wins (our girls and boys basketball teams into the CHSAA Sweet Sixteen tournaments, our Speech and Debate team claiming the CHSAA state championship yet again) to student-level successes (so many seniors receiving the DPS Seal of Biliteracy), each and every Patriot has a chance to shine.

On a special note, it is with both immense pride and a tinge of sadness that we bid farewell to the Class of 2026. These special seniors have contributed to our school community in ways that will be felt even after they are off to to their next steps in college, career and the military. Though it is always hard to say goodbye, we do so knowing they are well-prepared for their post-high school journeys.

For those in the Classes of 2027, 2028 and 2029, get ready to help us welcome our incoming Class of 2030 students in August! 

We wish you and your family a relaxing summer, and we can't wait to welcome you home to GWHS for the 2026-2027 school year.

With Patriot Pride,

Dr. Dackri Davis

Principal | George Washington High School

IB Learner Profile Trait

With each issue of the Patriot Post, we highlight an attribute from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile. The Learner Profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. Each characteristic implies a commitment to help all members of the GWHS community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.

To be a knowledgeable learner, we develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Class of 2026 Seniors in the Spotlight

We are very proud that the Class of 2026 has been offered over $20 million in merit scholarships. Some notable outside major scholarships secured by Class of 2026 graduates include:

**Amazon Future Engineers Scholarship Recipient: Joshua Tewolde

**DPS Retired Employees' Association Foundation Scholarship Recipients: Cade Ramirez and Lulu Schlosser

**Sachs Foundation Scholarship Recipients: Yusuf Farah and London Canady

**Daniels Foundation Scholarship Recipients: Yusuf Farah

Additionally, the Class of 2026 is off to some incredible colleges and universities! In-state colleges include University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, University of Colorado Denver, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines, Community College of Aurora, Metropolitan State University Denver, Colorado Mesa University, Pickens Technical College, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Regis University, Emily Griffith Technical College, Western Colorado University, Red Rocks Community College and Community College of Denver.

Beyond Colorado, students will attend University of Virginia, Stanford University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, University of Southern California, Wellesley College, University of California Los Angeles, University of California San Diego, University of California Riverside, Tufts University, Fordham University, New York University, Case Western Reserve University, Whitman College, Northeastern University, California Polytechnic State University, Purdue University, Montana State University, University of Michigan, University of North Dakota, South Carolina State University, Occidental College, Sarah Lawrence College, University of Kansas, San Diego State University, University of Vermont, Arizona State University, University of Florida, Middlebury College, University of Washington, Indiana University, University of Utah, Clemson University, University of New Mexico, United States Military Academy (West Point), Loyola Marymount University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Campus, Lewis & Clark College, Marquette University, University of Portland, Seattle University, University of Wisconsin, University of Oklahoma, Roosevelt University, Syracuse University, University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Pace University, Texas State University, Oregon State University...the list goes on!

We even have students attending universities abroad, including McGill University (Canada), University College Dublin (Ireland), University of St. Andrews (Scotland), University of Tromso (Norway) and Tsukuba University (Japan).

We send them off with warmest wishes for their success, and an open invitation to return to GWHS for a visit!

Spring Sports Recap

As the 2025–2026 school year comes to a close, we are proud to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our GWHS spring athletic programs. From league championships and state qualifiers to personal bests and program milestones, our student-athletes represented GWHS with determination, resilience, sportsmanship, and Patriot pride.

This spring season showcased the hard work, commitment, and growth of our athletes and coaches across all programs. Below is a recap of an exciting and successful spring season for Patriot Athletics.

Unified Track & Field

GWHS proudly celebrated our Unified athletes at the CHSAA State Unified Track & Field Events at JeffCo Stadium.

This season, twelve Patriot student-athletes participated in the Special Olympics Track & Field Meet, competing against North, Montbello, West, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College, Lincoln, and South High Schools.

Season Highlights:

Jordan Reaves placed 1st in the Long Jump

Ruben Nicolas-Ortiz, Jordan Reaves and Kevin Alvarez-Osario each earned 2nd place in the 200m

The GWHS relay team of Yasir Falah, Jose Gonzalez-Palomares, Kevin Alvarez-Osario and Jordan Reaves earned 2nd place

We are incredibly proud of our Unified athletes for their dedication, teamwork, and outstanding representation of Patriot pride.

Boys Swim & Dive

The Patriots wrapped up an exceptional season highlighted by league dominance, historic finishes at invitationals, and strong performances at the CHSAA 4A State Championships.

After months of early morning practices, weight room sessions, and dryland training, the boys swim team enjoyed one of the strongest seasons in program history. GWHS won every dual meet, secured three out of four league meet victories, and earned some of the best invitational finishes the program has seen.

Season Highlights:

2nd place among 4A schools at the Coaches Invitational

5th overall finish at the Smoky Hill Invitational against top 5A competition

League Champions:

The Boys Swim & Dive team captured the 2026 League Championship, edging out 5A programs East and Northfield by 38 points. This marks the program’s first league title since 2022.

League Event Champions:

200 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke: Keegan Merson

200 Individual Medley: Luke Fountain

400 Free Relay: Keegan Merson, Isaac Miller, Michael Phillips, and Alek Walczak

State Competition:

The Patriots finished 13th overall out of 32 teams at the CHSAA 4A State Championships.

Top 20 State Finishes:

500 Freestyle: Keegan Merson, 10th

500 Freestyle: Luke Fountain, 19th

50 Freestyle: Alek Walczak, 14th

100 Freestyle: Alek Walczak, 15th

Diving: Ben Parsons, 16th

200 Medley Relay: Michael Phillips, Luke Fountain, Kam Cyphers-Bell, Alek Walczak, 14th

200 Free Relay: Isaac Miller, Jack Santucci, Keegan Merson, Gabe Lindsay, 14th

400 Free Relay: Isaac Miller, Keegan Merson, Gabe Lindsay, Alek Walczak, 10th

Congratulations to all state qualifiers, athletes, and managers for an outstanding season.

Girls Golf

Girls Golf continued to build momentum this spring, highlighted by state qualifiers and the addition of a full JV squad.

Led by senior captains Claire Van Remortel and Kat Walsh, the Patriots demonstrated growth and depth throughout the season. Junior Tali Moulayianis earned her first varsity season appearance and qualified for the state tournament, while freshman Amelia Breault also punched her ticket to state competition.

Seven golfers competed at the varsity level this season, showcasing the program’s promising future with a young and developing roster.

League Highlights:

Finished 2nd among 4A teams

Finished 6th overall in league competition

State Competition:

GWHS proudly sent two golfers to the CHSAA State Tournament in Montrose, marking another important milestone for the program.

Girls Tennis

The Patriots competed hard throughout league play and celebrated a state qualifier in singles competition.

Season Highlights:

The Kenda sisters, Hannah and Grace Kenda, led the team at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, consistently contributing points and helping keep the Patriots competitive in every match. The remainder of the team demonstrated significant growth over the season, leading to several dual-match victories.

Despite challenges with IB testing conflicts affecting regional participation, the team finished strong and won key matches late in the season.

Regional Results:

No. 1 Singles: Hannah Kenda, 3rd

No. 2 Singles: Grace Kenda, 2nd (State Qualifier)

No. 3 Singles: Penny Stewart, 3rd

State Competition:

Grace Kenda represented GWHS at the state tournament, battling through a competitive first-round match that went three sets.

Baseball

The GWHS baseball team battled through adversity to put together one of the program’s most successful seasons in recent years.

The Patriots finished the year with a 13–10 overall record, ranking 36th among Colorado 4A teams. This marks only the second winning season for GWHS Baseball in the last 15 years, reflecting the hard work, dedication, and commitment shown by players both in-season and during the offseason.

League Highlights:

The Patriots finished 4–5 in league play, earning impressive wins over Rangeview, Thomas Jefferson, and Montbello while competing strongly against several talented 5A programs including East, South, and North.

Despite injuries and a young roster, the team continued to compete at a high level and demonstrated resilience throughout the season.

All-League Honors:

1st Team: Jonah Rascoff

2nd Team: Alex Sieren

Honorable Mention: Ben Zemel, Nick Wieder

Track & Field

The 2026 track and field season was defined by growth, hard work, and program success for both the boys and girls teams.

For the first time in several years, both programs scored as teams at the league championship meet, a major milestone for GWHS Track & Field.

Team League Finish:

Girls Team — 4th Place

Boys Team — 5th Place

These accomplishments reflect the culture, consistency, and commitment built by our athletes and coaching staff throughout the season.

Girls Highlights:

Senior standout Madisyn Honeycutt continued to cement her legacy as one of the top sprinters in GWHS history. Madisyn qualified for the state championships all four years of high school, both individually and as a relay member, consistently ranking among the top nine athletes in Colorado 4A competition.

League Champions:

1st Team All-League: Evelyn Merson,1600 Meter Run

Girls 4x100 Relay: Jordan, Maddie, Kai, and Jada

Special Recognition:

Marcia Mouncey Outstanding Senior Award (3A/4A): Madisyn Honeycutt

State Competition:

State Finalist, Girls 100m Dash: Madisyn Honeycutt (Top 9 Finish)

State Qualifier, 200m Dash: Madisyn Honeycutt 

Girls 4x100 Relay State Qualifiers: Kai, Madisyn, Elisabeth, and Jada

Boys Highlights:

The boys team demonstrated tremendous growth and competitiveness throughout the season.

1st Team All-League

Boys 4x200 Relay: Kingston, Yuki, Noah, and Carl

Special Recognition:

Kirk Hinderlider Outstanding Senior Award (3A/4A): Kingston Findlater

Girls Soccer

Competing in the highly competitive 5A/4A DPS League, the GWHS girls soccer team continued to grow and develop as a program. With a strong returning core and new additions to the roster, the Patriots focused on player development, team chemistry, and building toward sustained success.

One of the season’s biggest highlights came against powerhouse Northfield, where GWHS battled to a 0–0 tie for 60 minutes of an 80-minute match, showcasing the team’s resilience and competitiveness.

Although the program graduates a talented senior class, the returning players provide a strong foundation for continued growth.

League Highlights:

5th overall in the 5A/4A League

Best record among 4A teams

Brooke Hunter finished as the second-leading scorer in league play with 13 goals

All-League Honors:

1st Team: Brooke Hunter

2nd Team: Lucy Olsen

Honorable Mention: Rhian Shulda, Lulu Schlosser, Lola Van Remortel

As we close out another incredible year of Patriot Athletics, we want to thank our student-athletes, coaches, families, staff, and community for their unwavering support. The success of our programs is a reflection of the dedication, perseverance, and pride shown every day by our Patriots.

GWHS Seniors Receive Seal of Biliteracy

The DPS Seal of Biliteracy recognizes students who have achieved college-level biliteracy in two or more languages, signaling this skill to colleges and employers. It is included on transcripts, enhancing resumes and interviews, and can lead to higher earning potential, more job opportunities, and stronger community connections. DPS hosts an annual Seal of Biliteracy event celebrating students’ achievements and highlighting the importance of multilingual proficiency. 

GWHS has 66 graduating seniors receiving the DPS Seal of Biliteracy upon graduation in Spanish, Mandarin, French, Portuguese, Somali, Arabic, Japanese and Maay (a Cushitic language spoken primarily in southern Somalia, with significant communities in Ethiopia and Kenya, and distinct from Standard Somali).

Additionally, GWHS has students graduating with multiple Seals of Biliteracy:

Mandarin and Spanish: Juliet Salazar and Mateo Pacheco

French and Spanish: Kat Walsh

Seal of Climate Literacy Awarded to Ten GWHS Students

Congratulations to our students who received the Seal of Climate Literacy for 2026! Students had to complete at least twenty credits of approved courses that include climate literacy principles, and complete an experiential learning project that addressed climate change in Colorado in a real-world, action-oriented, solution-driven manner.

GWHS Sustainability Recycling Project Team

Landon Albert 
Miha Castanuela
Lyell (LK) Freeman
Allyzon Garcia 
Axel Guillen-Garcia 
Finn Graham
Charlotte Hunter
Morgan Mawson
Juan Mercado-Ayala

CEC Engineering Sustainability Project Team

Mariam Sarr

GWHS Esports are Back-to-Back State Champions

The GWHS Esports team has once again proven itself among the best in the state, earning back-to-back state championships and continuing to build one of Colorado’s premier scholastic Esports programs. After an outstanding season of competition, the team will now advance to nationals, where they hope to build on last year’s impressive run and this time bring home a national championship victory in the finals. Through teamwork, dedication, and countless hours of practice, GWHS Esports continues to represent the school community at the highest level.

An Update from GWHS Robotics

The GWHS robotics team had a wonderfully successful season! This year, they competed at two levels: FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). FTC took place September to February, and FRC took place January to April.

With a team of 60% new members, they decided to create a second FTC team. Both teams had a great time competing at the Southwest Metro Qualifier and Broomfield Qualifier. Team 17153 Squid Squad won the Reach Award, symbolizing the team's ongoing goal to spread STEM and engineering across the state. This allowed 17153 to qualify for FTC State Championships, where they had a great time competing!

With the game kickoff in January, FRC Team 1410 The Kraken got ready to compete. They attended the Arizona North Regional where they got second place! They also won the Gracious Professional Award at the Denver Regional, signifying the team's kind spirit and dedication to bettering the FIRST Robotics community. Also, for the second year in a row, the Kraken were able to host Team 9587 RoBUL from the Czech Republic in the Kraken's own build shop.

Beyond competition, the team focuses on expanding STEM access. Their business sub-team raises over $60K annually and secured a $5K grant from the Denver Broncos Foundation. This funding supported bilingual STEM outreach across Colorado, including events at the Girl Scouts DreamLab, Central Library, Aurora Public Schools, and Children’s Hospital Colorado.

As the season ends, the team says goodbye to seniors Marin LeMire (Business/Outreach Lead and Program Director), John Moore (FRC Driver and FTC Mechanical Lead), Elizabeth Brainard (Build Team), Lia Ande (Business Team) and Sarah Abdel-Hafiz (Business and Programming Team).

They look forward to welcoming new members in the fall. Interested students are encouraged to attend summer outreach events. For more information on events, email frc1410.kraken@gmail.com.

GWHS Students Learn in Construction

The 2025–2026 school year was an exciting and productive year for the Construction program at GWHS. Students began the year by learning the fundamentals of scaling through the construction of a model shed made from balsa wood. This project introduced important skills such as scaling, framing, and basic carpentry techniques.

As the year progressed, students took on a variety of hands-on projects, including building a frame for the golf team’s simulator, constructing a barrier wall for the robotics department, and completing several smaller projects throughout the school.

If you are interested in learning how to build and develop construction skills, stop by Room 24 in the basement and see Mr. Madrid.

The Patriot Players Perform and Party for their 2026 Curtain Call

The Patriot Players closed out the year with several festive and fun theatrical experiences. Two
groups of students attended theatre at the Denver Center of Performing Arts. A mixed group of
thespians saw a school day student matinee of the modern musical "Next to Normal." Directors Nacho
Nason and Greg Cooke accompanied seniors to an evening performance of the incredible
musical "Hadestown," to celebrate the end of their time at GWHS and all of their accomplishments
in the theatre program.

On Friday, April 24, a team of twelve Patriot Players took to the stage at the DPS Shakespeare
Festival. After joining thousands of other DPS students in a celebratory parade downtown to the
DCPA, they performed a series of scenes from the comedic "The Taming of the Shrew" onstage in an
outdoor tent. Official and unofficial reviews were unanimous: these actors are incredible and
hilarious! It was a fun day downtown soaking in some Shakespeare in the sun.

Nacho’s Theatre 1 students premiered the play "We Dream American" on Thursday, May 14. The play was
based on the students’ own writing and experiences, devised with the support of theatre artist Jason
Lemire. The play explored the fears, dreams and challenges faced by our diverse student body. For
many, this was their onstage debut for an official audience. What an achievement!

Finally, Patriot Players marked the end of the year with their annual Thespian Banquet. They distributed trophies
and certificates for the winners of various awards, honored seniors, and announced the
new student leadership for next year under the co-presidency of Riyan Smith and Jude Howard.
They also inducted twelve new members officially into Troupe 1621. The night was filled with tons of
laughter and applause, and some muffled tears. Bravo, brava, bravi! All of our Patriot Players
deserve a standing ovation! Congratulations again to all of theatre's special seniors, and best of luck in all
future adventures.

GWHS DECA Takes on Atlanta at the International Career DECA Conference

GWHS brought a record nine qualifiers to the International Career DECA Conference competition!

Principles of Finance: Yoale Hilna Amanuel 
Principles of Finance: Nico Franco
Principles of Marketing: Nadav Yakobi 
Financial Team Decision Making: Aiden Gillard and Blu Novak 
Marketing Management Team Decision Making: Sophia Stambuk and Diego Holguin
Marketing Management Team Decision Making: Claire VanRemortel and Crosbie LaCasse

These students worked extremely hard over the course of the school year to prepare and compete at the highest level. Their hard work paid off, and GWHS DECA had one individual, Yoale Amanuel, and one team, Sophia Stambuk and Diego Holguin, make finals. They all placed in the top fifteen IN THE WORLD in their respective events!

If you are interested in joining DECA, please make sure you are signed up for CTE Business Courses or IB Business Management. 

GWHS Speech and Debate Gears Up for National Tournament

After an exciting season, nineteen of GWHS's Speech and Debate competitors are getting ready for the National Tournament. This year the tournament is being held June 13 through 20 in Richmond, Virginia. Close to 7,000 students from approximately 1,500 schools will be competing. The GWHS competitor lineup includes Ava Stout and Penelope Stewart in Public Forum Debate, Alison Pellet and Abigail Guhman in Duo Interpretation, Mateo Pacheco and Adin Kobrin-Brody in Duo Interpretation, Annalisa Sexton in US Extemporaneous Speaking, Riyan Smith in Original Oratory, Sophia Stambuk in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Gabriela Fox in Humorous Interpretation, Yoale Amanuel and Cade Ramirez in Policy Debate, Ingrid Zuniga-Boyle and Kamila Jenkins in Policy Debate, Charlotte Hunter in Congressional Debate, Hudson Weyls in Congressional Debate, Diego Holguin, Isaac Forstot and Nadav Yakaobi in World Schools Debate. School may be ending for most on May 22, but these nineteen competitors have three weeks of intense practice ahead of them! We wish them the best of luck!

Please watch for "Patriot Post - Fall Edition," coming in Fall 2026!