This year’s summer was filled with tons of excitement. We collected stories of how fellow Cougars celebrated their awesome vacations.

Maya Kwiedacz, 15, made a trip to Poland, France, and the UK. She had previously visited France when she was young, and wished to go again because she remembered thoroughly enjoying it; Kwiedacz was visiting family in Poland as well. Describing the vacation as “… one of the best summers I’ve had,” Maya stated that London was actually more enjoyable than France, and Paris was filled to the brim with people. Overall, she said it was a very fun experience.

Dorian Chase, 17, attended Phoenix Comic Con right after school concluded. He depicted the Phoenix Convention Center as being very large, with two buildings and multiple stories each. There were many celebrities, panels, actors, and comic artists that he had the ability to see and interact with. “It was a fantastic experience, and I got to meet one of the titans of the horror genre, Danny Trejo.”

Three students, Avery Miller, 15, Zach Sierra, 16, and Robert Sierra, 14, attended a Boy Scout summer camp on Fiesta Island in San Diego. They participated in numerous water sports, including small boat sailing, paddle board, and board sailing. Avery went night kayaking one of the days and was able to see bioluminescence, the emission of light from living creatures. She had a fun time, saying “I got to meet a lot of new people from all over the place.” Robert earned a theater merit badge, one of the many available, for creating and performing a campfire skit. When asked to summarize the experience in one word, Zach said, “Excelsior.”

Shelby Neelan, 17, visited several European countries with Ms. Lange, including London, France, and Amsterdam. She was excited to see the different cultures and interesting historical sites. Shelby particularly enjoyed the Normandy beaches and the museums. “It was very beautiful and a life-changing experience that changed my perspective.”

Jasmine Varelas, 17, had a less exciting summer, unfortunately. She went on a hike in March and unknowingly tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), located in the knee. She only found out near the end of June and was operated on near the end of July. “It ruined my summer,” she lamented. It requires a six-month recovery, so Jasmine will be unable to participate in any rigorous sports. In the meantime, she is on her way to a full recovery.

Sidney Moyers, 17, spent her break in New York City, and visited Scarsdale to see her aunt. It was a “very fun experience” for her, and she enjoyed spending time with her family. She described the city as dirty, but beautiful at night. The highlight of the city for her was when she spotted a friendly squirrel that allowed people to interact with it. Unfortunately, it fled as soon as she grabbed some food.

Sahuaro Cougars had some pretty eventful summers, with trips all around the country. Hopefully this excitement will continue on to the rest of their year.