Sandy High School Class of 2026 Find Their Future Endeavors

By Abby Haney, The Sandy Standard

As the school year approaches to its end, seniors at Sandy High School prepare for their next chapter in life. June 8 is seniors' last day, followed by the new addition of graduation walk, through students past middle and elementary schools. June 12 is graduation at Rolling Hills Community Church where seniors will walk the stage and end their chapter at Sandy High. Many are prepared for their future and the halls of the high school are filled with the numerous pathways seniors have decided upon. 

Senior Autumn Collman will be attending school in Oregon at Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). OIT has her intended major, diagnostic medical sonography, which is a specialty for OIT. 

“Basically, no other school in Oregon even has those degrees. It’s one degree that for other out-of-states, you’re excluded from the WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange),” Collman said. WUE is a program that over 170 colleges partner with to allow students to pay less tuition if attending college out-of-state. 

Along with majoring in diagnostic medical sonography, Collman will be continuing her soccer career at OIT. Collman was a four year player for Sandy High girls’ varsity soccer team and recently played at United PDX. 

“I love it [soccer],” Collman said. “I knew I still wanted to play if I went to a university. I was either gonna play on their club team or then I was talking to Oregon Tech and that’s how I committed.”

Senior Liliana Hamilton is also staying in state for college and will be attending Central Oregon Community College. She will also be actively beginning firefighting training. She will be attending college to obtain a fire science degree but also working shifts. 

“They train you to be a firefighter and you pull shifts while you’re going to school for fire science,” Hamilton said. The program, known as Joint Recruitment, complements her school by paying for the program. Hamilton will be partnering with Black Butte.

“I’ve wanted to be a firefighter for a long time just because it seems exciting, so this is a good pathway to get into it,” Hamilton said. 

Some seniors like Angie Rodriguez-Diaz are going out-of-state to pursue higher education. Rodriguez-Diaz will be attending University of Maine to major in marine science and minoring in dance. The university provides a wide variety of resources and opportunities in her major. 

“I wanted to have a new experience in a place that I wasn’t familiar with, and create new memories despite the challenges I may face due to going so far away,” Rodriguez-Diaz said. The new environment will be fun but will also teach valuable lessons. “Me going out of state will teach me a lot about myself and how to be independent,” Rodriguez-Diaz said.

Sandy High offers marine classes, specifically Oceanic Science, taught by Andrew Wex. This class influenced Rodriguez-Diaz’s choice of major. 

“The class truly opened my eyes to the world of the ocean and all that lives inside of it,” Rodriguez-Diaz said.

While many seniors are going to college, some are taking other pathways. Senior Dylan Logan will be joining the Air Force and pursuing college through the Air Force. 

“I wanted to get into the military for the GI bill and all the other benefits that it provides,” Logan said. Logan has many passions including robotics and engineering. The Air Force aligns with this passion.

 “I chose the Air Force specifically because it more aligns with a lot of stuff I enjoy doing and want to keep doing,” Logan said. Logan's long term goal is to start his own manufacturing business; the Air Force creates the foundation towards accomplishing his goal. 

“It will help me get more experience in the field and provide a lot of great opportunities for me,” Logan said. 

Senior Maki Hibbs is doing an internship after high school to further her goal of becoming a missionary. Through the church Good Shepard Community Church, Hibbs will be working alongside the Church’s mission pastor and team to learn about the mission field. 

“I want to do it because it’s an opportunity the Lord has opened up to me,” Hibbs said. “He knows my heart and what desires my heart has. He has made such a clear path into this position.” Hibbs plans to further her own experience with Jesus, but to also spread the word of Jesus Christ to unreached people, locally or overseas. 

“Being a missionary is everyday, wherever you are. This doesn’t mean you need to be across the world or in a foreign country; where the Lord has you is where your mission field is,” Hibbs said. Hibbs, has already has found a mission at Sandy, which she is thankful for. 

“Sandy has given me the opportunity to put my full dependence and trust into the Lord,” Hibbs said. “It hasn’t always been the easiest walk but every challenge I’ve faced I’ve gotten to see the Lord’s strength more and more.”

Sandy High has a high graduation percentage rate and is filled with various post-graduation plans. Whether it's college or doing missionary work, Sandy High’s class of 2026 has visions for their future and are stepping onward to their next step in life.