by Kaitley Petersen and Bailey Matteson
Class of 2026, the countdown to graduation is on. With graduation comes a blend of emotions from excitement for the future to bittersweet memories of the high school journey. Every student’s high school experience is worth celebrating. As the senior class’ time together dwindles down, EFHS Alumni bring an inspiring gift forward. EFHS Alumni, now teachers, Miss Ratkus, Mrs.Anderson, and Mrs. McCubbins embrace holding onto their memories, share wisdom, and invite this year’s seniors to take action to achieve their goals. It's time to embrace the end of one chapter and encourage the beginning of a new one. If there's anyone that knows that first hand it's the alumni who have returned to be the very people who inspired them for a new generation.
What better way to embrace your memories than reminiscing on the clubs, sports and activities that you were a part of. Cherish what you helped build. Every club, each sport. Every single activity. In everything you engaged in at EFHS throughout your four year journey you're leaving a mark and helping something grow, building it more and more as new classes start flooding in. It's a very special part of your high school experience. It's something our alumni encourage. Keep joining, learning and discovering. In doing so, you start building, improving and growing.
Our first alumni is Mrs. Anderson. She's well known and a favorite of many students. Her journey draws in curiosity and in order to understand her journey, it's best to go back to the beginning. “I loved this school as a student,” she said. “So, once I had the opportunity to apply for a job here, I was excited to have a chance to ‘give back’ to the place that inspired me to be a teacher.” Mrs. Anderson shares inspiration to become a teacher. She was on varsity softball, participated in Interact club and was a member of National Honor Society. She partook in classes like English, arts, and weights, which were her favorites. Her graduating class was around 230 seniors. Mrs. Anderson’s favorite teacher was Mrs. Lees, who helped shape her teaching style. Mrs. Lees was her English teacher during high school and is currently one of our counselors. Mrs. Anderson also was inspired by Mrs. Fox, who still teaches our seniors. Mrs. Anderson even still has her senior scrapbook from Mrs. Fox’s class to this day! All of these teachers helped shape the teacher Mrs. Anderson is today. She's a person that deserves to get recognized. Thank you Mrs. Anderson for carrying on a legacy that kids will remember and take with them no matter where they go.
Or perhaps, your story has been filled with involvement, school spirit, and optimism for the future. When Miss Ratkus was an EFHS student, she kept herself involved on campus by participating in several organizations that are still on campus today. She was involved in National Honor Society, Interact Club, Culinary, FCCLA, SkillsUSA, and FBLA. In addition to extracurriculars, Miss Ratkus also reflects on her academic journey as well. Her favorite core classes were English with Mrs. Lees and AP Literature. No surprise there considering now she teaches that class! Not having laptops until her junior year meant that most of her classes were filled with project-based learning. Miss Ratkus enjoyed being able to work alongside her friends and complete projects together. After graduating from Northern Arizona University, she decided to come back to EFHS to give back to the school community that had raised her. When asked what teachers influenced her teaching style, Miss Ratkus responded “Mrs. Lees did for sure. She was so helpful and made each student feel like they were welcome, and I try to do the same with each of my students.” Thank you Miss Ratkus for leaving your mark on EFHS and coming back to serve the school community.
EFHS has a special place in Mrs. McCubbins’ heart. After all, it brought her to her high school sweetheart who she is married to today. Her high school journey was filled with accomplishments, memories, and leaving her mark. Mrs. McCubbins was quite the athlete, as she participated in basketball, softball, track, and swim. She even helped her basketball team earn a banner in the main gym, and earned the title of state champions with her softball team. In terms of academics, Mrs. McCubbins’ favorite classes were English with Mrs. Lees and Honors World History. Gaining inspiration from Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Kohli’s teaching strategies and organization, she has given back to EFHS by teaching a variety of history classes. One of her favorite school traditions was designing handprints and bricks. With her graduating class of 290 students, seniors got to leave handprints or paint bricks in art, dance, and P.E. classroom walls to display their accomplishments in fine arts and athletics. She has left her mark on EFHS by teaching the Student Leadership class to inspire leaders to serve the campus just as she has. Mrs. McCubbins’ advice for the class of 2026 is to “Enjoy being a kid. We are in such a hurry to grow up that when we become those grownups, all we can do is reminisce on the younger years. Enjoy the moment. The future will be there tomorrow. Be present for today.”
Just as our alumni have given back to EFHS, this year’s seniors have, too. Whether they’ve been involved in the fine arts department, academics, athletics, clubs, or CTSO organizations, every member of the class of 2026 has left their mark. Take the alumni’s advice in serving others, being a leader, and holding tight to the memories that have been made. Class of 2026, celebrate all of the friends you’ve gained, accomplishments you’ve made, and impacts that you’ve left behind. There’s a quote that seems fitting for this class of seniors. “Be the change you wish to see in the world”- Gandhi. Seniors, as you go out into the world, you have the power to make a difference. The chance to make an impact doesn’t go away after you finish high school. There will be many more chances, opportunities and doors to be opened as you head into your future. Don’t forget the friends you’ve made, the memories you’ve created and the journeys you’ve embarked on. Be the change. It starts with you. Thank you class of 2026 and the alumni that helped seniors get to the end of this journey.