Maricopa Virtual Academy Senior Spotlights

By Elias Weiss
May 24, 2026

Senior spotlight

Name: Akira Cuberly
College attending: Central Arizona College
Scholarships: Pinal Promise
Major: Cybersecurity
Five-year goal: To graduate from CAC with an AAS in cybersecurity and find a job in IT.
Hometown: Maricopa
Neighborhood: Homestead
Years a Maricopan: 18
Favorite high school memory: The moment I found out I graduated a quarter early.

Name: Siena Garlick
College attending: Northern Arizona University
Scholarships: Lumberjack Scholarship
Major: Psychology
Five-year goal: To earn my bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in business.
Extracurricular activities: Choir, pottery, poetry
Hometown: Casa Grande
Years a Maricopan: 10
Favorite high school memory: My first final exam day at MVA and the relief and excitement I felt when I found out I got all A’s in my classes.

Name: Damien Dunn
College attending: Central Arizona College
Scholarships: Pinal Promise
Major: Radiologic technology
Five-year goal: I plan to work while attending college and then pursue a career in the medical field. I also hope to create a short film and continue my activism and community involvement.
Extracurricular activities: One n Ten, Safe House
Hometown: Southern Virginia
Years a Maricopan: 12
Favorite high school memory: Deep conversations with my teachers and their support.

Name: Briana Flores
College attending: Central Arizona College
Major: Nursing
Five-year goal: To graduate from nursing school.
Years a Maricopan: 12
Favorite high school memory: Making new friends and having the opportunity to attend Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology during high school.

Name: Malayzah Kennedy
College attending: Avalon Cosmetology School, Central Arizona College
Scholarships: Pinal Promise
Major: Esthetician certification
Five-year goal: To have a steady, well-paying job, buy my own car with money I earned myself, get my esthetician license and move out on my own.
Extracurricular activities: CAVIT nail technology, cheerleading coach
Hometown: Gallup, N.M.
Neighborhood: Williams Acres
Years a Maricopan: 8
Favorite high school memory: Meeting my best friend in art class. I did not expect our friendship, but I’m so glad it happened because now I have the best and funniest best friend ever.

Name: Izabella Chavez
College attending: Grand Canyon University
Scholarships: Pinal Promise
Major: Education
Five-year goal: To begin my teaching career.
Extracurricular activities: Band for seven years, playing trumpet, mellophone and euphonium
Neighborhood: Hidden Valley
Years a Maricopan: 13
Favorite high school memory: Spending downtime with my bandmates before practice every day, with lots of laughs and goofing around.

Name: Parker Enriquez
College attending: Northern Arizona University
Scholarships: Pinal Promise
Major: Hotel and restaurant management
Five-year goal: To land my first job, complete my bachelor’s degree and decide whether I want to pursue a master’s degree.
Extracurricular activities: FBLA, Math Olympiad; plans to join FBWA and NAU’s math club
Years a Maricopan: 15
Favorite high school memory: Going to a state math competition and all the time I got to spend with friends.

Name: Valeria Gonzalez Ramirez
College attending: Central Arizona College
Scholarships: Pinal Promise
Major: Nursing
Five-year goal: I hope to have completed my nursing program and be working as a nurse, helping others and continuing to grow in my career.
Extracurricular activities: Arizona Biliteracy Seal; valedictorian, Class of 2026 at MVA
Hometown: Zapotlanejo, Jalisco, Mexico
Neighborhood: Homestead
Years a Maricopan: 3
Favorite high school memory: The experiences, friendships and lessons that have contributed to who I am today.

Name: Egan Waller
College attending: Central Arizona College, hopes to transfer to Northern Arizona University
Major: Biology, with interests in genetics, cellular research and developmental biology
Five-year goal: To build my résumé and create stability for myself.
Hometown: Gadsden, Ala.
Neighborhood: Bellevue, Ariz.
Years a Maricopan: 4
Favorite high school memory: I did not make many standout memories after transitioning to MVA, but I remember my freshman year at MHS fondly, especially Coach K’s biology class. I nearly flunked that year, but he made me realize how much I love the subject, and it became a driving factor in my future studies at MVA.

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