Desert Sunrise High School Senior Spotlights

By Elias Weiss
May 24, 2026

Name: Julian Alarcon
College attending: Arizona State University
Scholarships: New American University Scholarship
Major: Journalism
Five-year goal: To capture powerful moments with my photography internationally.
Extracurricular activities: National Honor Society president, cross country, track and field, communication intern at MUSD
Hometown: Maricopa
Neighborhood: Glennwilde
Years a Maricopan: 18
Favorite high school memory: Distributing Desert Sunrise’s inaugural yearbook.

Name: Kandyse Meighan
College attending: Arizona State University
Scholarships: Obama Scholarship, NAMU Provost Scholarship
Major: Business marketing
Five-year goal: After college, I plan to pursue a career at a marketing firm, hopefully opening a gateway for me to create my wedding planner business. I would love to work outside Arizona, preferably in Hawaii.
Extracurricular activities: Student government officer, cheer manager for three years
Hometown: Los Angeles
Neighborhood: Alterra
Years a Maricopan: 7
Favorite high school memory: Making the only volleyball team our school had to offer at the time during my freshman year. About 40 girls tried out for just 15 spots, and volleyball is where I met most of my lasting best friends.

Name: Alexa Gomez Fuller
College attending: University of Arizona
Scholarships: Wildcat Scholarship
Major: Nursing
Five-year goal: I’d like to be a certified RN and have graduated with my bachelor’s, with the intention to travel. Eventually, I would like to go back to school to earn my master’s or doctorate so I can become a psychiatric nurse practitioner and have my own practice.
Extracurricular activities: Club president and Arizona state officer for FCCLA
Hometown: Anaheim, Calif.
Neighborhood: Homestead
Years a Maricopan: 9
Favorite high school memory: Winning Prom Princess my junior year. It was such a surreal and unexpected moment, and I loved being surrounded by all my friends and people I’ve grown up with.

Name: Isabel Mosca
College attending: University of Richmond
Scholarships: Full-ride scholarship
Major: Political science and sociology, with leadership minor
Five-year goal: To get into law school and pursue politics.
Extracurricular activities: National Honor Society vice president, Rotary Interact president and founder, Rho Kappa Honor Society president, student government member
Hometown: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Neighborhood: Rancho El Dorado
Years a Maricopan: 11
Favorite high school memory: Meeting my best friend, Pearl, in my chemistry class.

Name: Jonathan Jorgensen
College attending: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Scholarships: Presidential Scholarship
Major: Space physics
Five-year goal: Designing and developing propulsion systems for NASA or SpaceX
Extracurricular activities: Math Olympiad, SkillsUSA, National Honor Society
Hometown: Thornton, Colo.
Neighborhood: Flatz 520
Years a Maricopan: 5
Favorite high school memory: Winning first place at the CAC Math Competition my junior year

Name: Andrew Wilson
College attending: Arizona State University
Scholarships: New American University Scholarship
Major: Finance
Five-year goal: Law school or investment banking.
Extracurricular activities: National Honor Society, Rotary Interact, soccer, school volleyball, club volleyball
Hometown: Maricopa
Neighborhood: Senita
Years a Maricopan: 17
Favorite high school memory: When two of my best friends gave their prom crowns to my girlfriend and me. Thanks, Alexa and Julian.

Elias Weiss

Elias Weiss earned his journalism degree from the University of Arkansas and began reporting for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He later led the Chatham Star-Tribune to a 2019 Best Weekly Newspaper award before working as an investigative reporter for Phoenix New Times and The Daily Beast. In 2023, he became managing editor at InMaricopa, winning top state awards for investigative and narrative reporting. In 2024, he took over as Editorial Director. Elias often discusses politics on KFNX. He currently works with Fox News