This year, Mr. Alan’s history class took on a unique and meaningful project to honor teachers here at Sahuaro who have served in the military. The students, guided by department heads Nell Kpakpo, MacKenzie Comfort, Braeden Christopherson, and Maki Stephens, went on a journey to research, interview, and create a tribute for these veterans. Their goal is to honor Sahuaro veterans’ pasts and remind the school community of the service and sacrifices these teachers have made.
According to Braeden, the executive head of the project, “It’s about remembering our teachers who served for us. It shows what they were like back when they were serving or in the military.” The four honored veterans included teachers Mr. Mark Chandler, Ms. Nikki Kyles, Mr. Alan Smith, and Mr. Gilbert Ochoa, who offered insight into their lives before becoming educators.
To make the project successful, the class was organized into four departments, each responsible for a different aspect of the project. Nell served as the Department Head of Research, where her team’s role was to delve deep into military history and prepare relevant background material. This research included exploring different wars, identifying the distinct characteristics of each military branch, and incorporating this knowledge into the display.
“We took the interviews that MacKenzie’s team collected and researched different types of wars and branches of the military. Then, we put this information into articles and sent it to Maki’s aesthetics team to make the board,” explained Nell.
MacKenzie, the Department Head of Street, coordinated the interview process. Her team identified teachers to interview and assigned small groups to gather information. MacKenzie said, “We split two to three people per teacher and asked them five simple questions that we developed through research. We also got a picture of each teacher, which we sent off to the research team.”
Braeden, as the Executive Head, ensured everything ran smoothly. He took on responsibilities like printing materials, monitoring progress, and helping out wherever needed. “I made sure everyone was on task and that nobody was left without something to do,” he shared.
Maki, the Department Head of Aesthetics, managed the visual side of the project. “We were in charge of the actual design itself,” she said. “Our work depended on the research and interview teams because we couldn’t put anything up unless we had information.” Maki and her team used the research to create a visually engaging display that highlighted each veteran’s service.
The project did more than bring together historical research and personal stories—it fostered a deeper understanding and respect among students for their teachers’ pasts. Mr. Alan reflected on the project’s meaning, saying, “The students should understand that we teachers were once young too, and once had our adventures and made our mark on the world.”
