We dedicate this section to students who have spent the last 4 years immersed in the Fine Arts program of Perry High School.

Arts/Sculpture
Everyone has seen the beautiful art and sculpture displays as they enter the D building. Sculpture is a medium for visual expression. Arts department chair and sculpture teacher Sharon Biemond commented that sculpture helps students be “more creative, explore new materials to work with, and stretch themselves beyond what they think they can do.”

For senior Nicole Paniagua-Suarez, art and sculpture “[makes] you look into yourself and it makes you be able to express how you think and how you feel, and make you grow as a person.”

Paniagua-Suarez has proven her love and devotion for this art since her freshman year, has even been awarded for her talents. Biemond commented that “in the last two years, Nicole has won first place in the Sculpture category at the district art show.”

It is the students who pour all their creativity and energy into their art who make the Perry art and sculpture programs vibrant and full of life.

Seniors:

Solomon Conway-Janes

Chloe LaFleur

Nicole Paniagua-Suarez

Band
The band program is a major part the Perry Puma spirit. They play at every home football game, and every pep assembly. They are often some of the first, and last students and teachers on campus.

But band is not just the working machine that it appears to be. Senior Marisa McAllister commented, “I have stayed in band [all four years] because it has given me a really big group of friends. I love being able to perform and have the atmosphere of the band with me at all times. It has really helped me grow in my love of music.”

With all the hard work and effort that goes into the band program, band director Brandon Kiesgan believes that the students that stay in band all four years “are growing over four years. It’s not like you just do it for a year and then leave. By staying in it over time, that’s how the group gets better.”

Seniors:

Cari Earnhardt

Ryan Embree

Hannah Estes

CJ Floyd

Claire Frye

Victoria Gilbert

Megan Griffin

Travis Hicks

Kaitlyn Hines

Riley Holbrook

Kiera Jennings

Sara Jones

Andrew Kim

Zach Lovvorn

Andrew Luong

Nick Maddox

Connor Maxwell

Marisa McAllister

Jaycie Ortner

Ryan Pratt

Taylor Rhine

Kaytelyn Ritchie

Miranda Ryan

Sienna Samour

Olivia Thompson

Jacob Weiss

Nicholas Wright

Choir
To an outsider, choir may seem like an easy class. Afterall, it is just singing, right? Wrong. Choir teacher Jameson Staley believes that “choir is its own reward. There are many talented vocalists and singers at Perry, but singing in choir gives them a chance to create harmony together and learn how to sing in a beautiful way together.”

Choir has helped many students improve musically, but for senior Brett Mullenaux, choir means something more.

“After I got with so many friends and started to like music more, I really learned to open up. I was super shy, so I was able to now become the person I am today and be able to get out there and not be afraid of anything.”

Seniors:

Bailey Edwards

Rosie Fox

Callie Hoffman

Courtney Janda

Ke’arah Masten

Marissa McAllister

Brett Mullenaux

Ryleigh Sullivan

Dance
Just as band and orchestra deliver melodies through a chorus of instruments, the Perry dance program moves to the music in various performances throughout the year, including pep assemblies and concerts.

Dance teacher Tammy Soelberg commented that dance “offers [students] the ability to showcase their talents in an audience of their peers.” Once such student is senior Taylor McQuillan, who has participated in the Perry dance program for the past four years.

Yet despite her love for dance and her participation in Moveo Dance Company, McQuillan is not one who always seeks the spotlight.

“I have learned that I don’t really like attention, but when I’m performing on stage, it doesn’t really matter who’s watching me.”

Students like McQuillan have helped build up the dance program to where it is today. Soelberg commented that “the seniors are your harder workers just because they have been there. They are the heart of it, the motivation to be there. They are the ones to motivate everyone else to be better.”

Seniors:

Kerstin Agnew

Ashlyn Davis

Vanessa Duran Luna

Taylor Ebert

Marlee Fields

Erandy Gastelum

Maegan Jordan

Brianna Kemp

Mckenzie Lorenzo

Alex Meraz

Taylor McQuillan

Brooke Miller

Camryn Pickles

Keegan Rose

Noelle Soucek

Jadyn Walker

Orchestra
When most people hear the word “orchestra,” they think of long segments of “boring” music that old people listen to. But for senior Caden Webb, orchestra is a part of his everyday life.

“I have developed a love for music [because of orchestra.] At the beginning of orchestra, I really was indifferent to playing violin and I was kind of in it for the friends. But because of [orchestra], I have been able to gain an appreciation for classical music and it has helped me in a lot of the things in my life.”

Orchestra teacher Dr. Alex Zheng commented that “four years is a long time. Four years, and they come in every single day. In math, you don’t have the same math teacher all four years. But [you do] in the performing arts. I have seen them growing musically, academically, physically, everything. I will miss them a lot. Every year, as a senior, it is a great moment for the them, a very emotional moment. It is hard to see them go.”

Seniors:

Milan Bhattacharya

Spencer Bills

Victoria Bull

Sarah De La Mater

Anna Diaz

Alicia Duford

Ben Ladick

Frank Servin

Jeffrey Sneed

Jessica Sofka

Ben Thornburg

Cassidy Warner

Caden Webb

Haley Wilson

Theater
The Perry High School theatre program is known throughout the state of Arizona for the fantastic productions, actors, costuming, and so on. But there is one aspect of Perry Theater that can only be understood by those directly involved: there is a sense of family and acceptance here.

Theatre teacher Shawna Marquis commented that “I think [the theatre program] offers [the students] a home. It’s a home away from home. It’s a place where they are welcome, where they can be themselves, and it is ok to be silly and crazy.”

The theatre program is one of thriving talent, commitment, and stability that offers the student involved a group of people with passion and a common goal.

Senior Noelle Soucek has been involved in numerous production, starring in various leading roles. But as she looks back, it is not the characters she has played, but the people she has been surrounded by, that have made all the difference.

Soucek commented, “I fell in love with the people. The teachers turned into my parents and this literally is a family. That’s probably why I stayed. I love the thrill of performing, but it is really like the team and the work as a whole that really is like that addictive adrenaline.”

Seniors:

Hannah Brown

Kelly Crawley

Payton Flake

Julia Gilmer

Noelle Soucek