From left, four of Carson High School’s top graduates Sawyer Macy, Eleanor Romeo, Ana Marroquin and Neva Mellow excelled academically and socially during their high school career.
Photo by Jessica Garcia.
Four of Carson High School’s top graduates in the Class of 2025 run the gamut in their interests in the sciences, public health, engineering and military service.
They prepare to graduate from CHS on Saturday heading in different directions and feeling their time in school was a bit surreal.
SAWYER MACY: ENGINEERED FOR SUCCESS
Sawyer Macy likes how math comes together to help solve problems in any field. He is considering a major in engineering when he attends Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. He looks forward to the academic rigor those analytical skills will present him.
“I’ve had ideas of (studying) environmental engineering or civil engineering, and that sort of thing, but I’m not sure as of yet exactly what,” Macy said. “I just know that I want to do something math related and I want to do something that benefits society.”
Macy, the son of two English teachers, gravitates toward math but maintains an appreciation for the liberal arts. He credits his parents and other teachers at CHS who shaped his academic pursuits.
“They were both great teachers for me because they not only taught me math and taught it well … but actually (to understand) why it works and how things connect,” he said. “And that sort of sparked my interest because I want to know how all of math connects and I want to use that to better society, and that really helped me decide what I wanted to do.”
Macy said it’s important for students to find a healthy balance in their growth. He will graduate with his Advanced Placement Capstone diploma while earning multiple school records in cross country.
Making time for activities while focusing on academics enriches students’ experience, he said. His extracurricular involvement has been with the Carson City School District’s Family Life Advisory Committee and the Brewery Arts Youth Association.
“I think now is a time where you’re being around a bunch of other kids your age that are all wanting to do things, they’re all wanting to hang out and I think you need to chase that, right?” he said. “You can’t just go to school, go home, watch videos on your phone all day, go to bed, right?
“I think that balance between those three things is how you’ll find the most success … and I think (colleges) are looking for somebody that is a real human being, that’s not just a machine, right?”
ANA MARROQUIN: OPPORTUNITIES OPEN DOORS
Ana Marroquin is a first-generation, college-bound student in her family with a full ride to the University of Southern California totaling $400,000 for four years. Neither of her parents attended college and she is the first among her cousins to have her tuition fully paid for, but she keeps her circumstances in perspective.
“It’s been a very difficult year with a lot of events, a lot of classes, the coursework, trying to balance everything,” she said. “It has made the year feel very, very long.”
Marroquin qualified this year for the Questbridge college application process, a national program available to high-achieving students seeking to attend top universities.
She plans to major in biological science and enter the medical field. She immersed herself in forensic science and pathology through HOSA, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America. She earned a 4.9 GPA.
“The ability to be able to take a class like (forensics) and figure out what you want and what your skills are or maybe improve on what you already have, that has been something that has definitely improved me in writing, in math and every single subject because the teachers that teach CTE (career and technical education) are very passionate and they love to teach you everything that they know,” Marroquin said.
She added it’s important for students to take chances, explore and make friends.
“Those opportunities open doors when we’re doing internationals for HOSA, so it gives you that option to travel to meet with new colleges,” she said.
NEVA MELLOW: READY TO SERVE
Neva Mellow considers herself an introvert, but her academic and extracurricular record as a battalion commander for the school’s Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps speaks to an inclination toward service.
Mellow has received a full ride to Salem College in Winston, N.C., seeking a major in public health and minor in criminal justice and biochemistry. Salem is considered the nation’s premier liberal arts institution focused on serving women in health care and health leadership roles. Mellow’s involvement in Carson High’s HOSA program sets her up well to enter the medical field, her interest after college.
She’s also performed well in 10 AP classes and earned Northwest Area 13 Leadership Academy Graduate, Non-Commissioned Officers Association, Cadet of the Year, First Place Naval Surface Warfare National Essay Contest Winner and additional awards.
“I know JROTC helps form disciplinary skills and social skills as well,” Mellow said. “I traveled a lot and I hadn’t had the experience prior to high school, and then I also got public speaking skills. So when I go to someplace new, I always think I’m very introverted, but I’m able to go and make connections with professors and peers.”
Besides NJROTC, Mellow has been the vice president of CHS’ Interact club and president of Skills USA.
“I think I put myself out there a lot to make the school a better place and that definitely has helped me,” Mellow said.
Mellow said she looked forward to applying this positive attitude and effort to Salem’s environment.
“I’m excited to be surrounded by like-minded ladies as well and to get to spend my time around people that are super dedicated to making the world a better place,” she said.
She noted for those students who are still in school or are entering high school, it’s important to discover who they are.
“My advice would be to use this time to make mistakes,” she said. “I think when I was 5, I thought I’m going to be an astronaut. When I was 10, I wanted to be a writer.
“And now that I’m 18, I want to be an (emergency room) doctor. And I think it’s definitely changed along the way, but this school definitely gives you the opportunities to experiment with everything and be like, ‘Oh, maybe that’s not for me.’ ”
ELEANOR ROMEO: FINDING, BEING A POSITIVE CHANGE
Eleanor Romeo’s aunts and uncles have retired from their service in the U.S. Air Force or Navy, but she often had a chance to visit them frequently on their base. She looked up to their example and abilities to travel, speak multiple languages and serve their nation around the world.
“I’d kind of snoop around their house and they’d have their awards up … and I just loved it so much, probably just the pride for my country that I already had growing up,” she said. “I love America.”
She could have enjoyed the benefits of an NJROTC scholarship at the University of Washington, where she’d been accepted. But Romeo decided her path would be to join the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy without tuition.
“I was drawn to more of a not regular college life, like, I kind of dreaded just the social aspect,” she said. “So, it wasn’t a hard choice to make but I definitely had lots of options that I had to choose from.”
Romeo’s application process was meticulous, including capturing nominations from Congressman Mark Amodei or Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and being interviewed. Receiving her acceptance letter was a proud moment and it almost seemed unreal.
“The pen bled through it,” she said. “That was like, they actually signed my paper. That was kind of like my physical recognition of my year’s work of putting in a lot of effort.”
Despite Romeo’s reservations about a social life, she was involved in multiple activities through CHS that set her apart for the academy. She earned a 5.1 GPA this semester and will graduate with an AP Capstone diploma. She was captain of her cross country and swim teams. She’s also been the National Honor Society historian, student body secretary and a member of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America organization. Romeo also has served seniors through her church.
Applying her student government service and other activities said it’s helped to grow the chances of other peers wanting to be at school as well.
“I would probably say that this school has taught me how much you can change,” Romeo said. “When I finally made the choice to actually go to those things and like be a part of the clubs (my sister) was, it just increased my love of the school.”