The Student Spotlight segment of each Board meeting celebrates a student or a group of students who are living out the Portrait of an LPS Graduate, which highlights the life skills each LPS graduate should have. Tomorrow’s workers will succeed by constantly adapting to the changing world around them, and today’s students must begin by learning and developing life skills - where every student should be well-adjusted, thriving, and balanced.
Additionally, students will develop skills in:
Communication
Global and Cultural Awareness
Character and Critical Thinking
Problem Solving and Adaptability
Creativity and Risk Taking
Resiliency and Collaboration
Self Advocacy
All surrounding Rigorous and Relevant Academic Skills
In LPS, we strive to implement opportunities to grow these skills at every level of education, and we recognize students of all ages.
On April 8, the Board of Education recognized students from Little Raven Elementary School and EPIC Campus.
Little Raven Elementary School
Little Raven’s peer mentor program brings students together to build meaningful connections through play, reading, and supportive interactions both in and out of the classroom. Mentors partner with younger students to model problem-solving, encourage positive social skills, and create an inclusive environment on the playground and beyond. Through these experiences, student leaders actively embody Littleton’s Portrait of a Graduate by strengthening their COMMUNICATION, CHARACTER, CULTURAL AWARENESS, COLLABORATION, and SELF-ADVOCACY skills. We are so proud of these Thunderbolts!
Yacine Ouarab
Gadiel Natera
Eliott Baca
Sunny Alvarado
Natalia Jersey
Alyson Pena Bonilla
Louie Kasischke
Louie Payne
Elias Mestnik
EPIC Campus
Delilah Behan exemplifies the LPS Portrait of a Graduate through RESILIENCY. As a student leader in the Aerospace program, she has become the go-to student to share the program with visitors, speak about her work, and represent what hands-on, real-world learning can look like. She leads by example, whether guiding her team through challenges on a complex robotics project or stepping up to bring clarity and direction when it’s needed most. Delilah combines strong CRITICAL THINKING and PROBLEM-SOLVING skills with genuine curiosity and CREATIVITY. Delilah demonstrates persistence, as she does not back down when things get difficult. She is the kind of student who not only rises to every challenge but leaves a lasting impact on every team, classroom, and community she is a part of. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is lucky to have her next year.
Nikita Oleynikov perfectly exemplifies the RISK-TAKER quality of an LPS Graduate through his proactive and RESILIENT approach to business development. While completing Entrepreneurship I and II at the EPIC Campus, he founded multiple startups, consistently demonstrating the maturity to pivot strategically rather than conceding to market challenges. His entrepreneurial drive continues today through the management of four active ventures, including a remarkably successful social media project that scaled to 210,000 Facebook followers in just one month. Nikita authored a sophisticated 1,000-word essay synthesizing how his experience in the Stock Market Game would inform his future investment strategies. His work was recognized for its clarity and insight, earning first place in the state and ranking fifth nationally out of more than 2,200 entries. This achievement underscores Nikita's ability to translate complex financial concepts into a high-level strategic vision. Congratulations, Nikita!
Alan Gonzalez Devora demonstrates ADAPTABILITY and RESILIENCY in the Construction Trades Pathway. He was determined to earn a Work-Based Learning internship, and after a tough interview process, he was successful. Since his internship began, he has learned a lot, consistently asking great questions on the job and excitedly sharing his experiences with his classmates and EPIC staff. Alan has excelled in his internship and just signed an offer for a full-time apprenticeship position upon graduation this year. Alan will begin working for Long Technologies on June 1st and will also attend trade school at Leonardi HVAC Training Center. Congratulations, Alan!
Maggie Benedict truly exemplifies the LPS Portrait of a Graduate through her work as a Future Educator Teacher Cadet at EPIC. As a RISK-TAKER, Maggie stepped outside of her comfort zone by choosing to join the Teacher Cadet program. This is an experience that has allowed her to grow EPICally. In her classroom placement, Maggie has made a lasting impact. She is described as a “magic person” in supporting reluctant learners and helping students engage and find success. Maggie’s commitment to growth and curiosity, her care for others, and her willingness to step into new opportunities make her an outstanding representative of LPS.
Emma Tice, a Future Educator in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at EPIC, truly brings our district’s Portrait of a Graduate to life. One of the things that stands out most about Emma is how she has mastered COLLABORATION. She has an incredible gift for working with others, regardless of their knowledge, ability, or personality. Emma is the kind of leader who makes sure everyone feels included and heard. She gently pushes her peers to reach higher and be their best selves. Emma is a shining example of what it means to be a "Future Educator" and most importantly, a good person. We are so proud of the impact she’s made at EPIC, and we can’t wait to see the difference she’ll make in her future classrooms and schools, hopefully one day within LPS!
Jackson Gordon exemplifies the Portrait of a Graduate by being WELL-ADJUSTED, THRIVING, AND BALANCED. He is active in two Health Science Pathways -Sports Medicine and Certified Nurse Assistant. He demonstrates workforce readiness standards, comes to class ready to learn, and applies great CRITICAL THINKING in the classroom environment. When in the community at clinicals or at other CTE events, he respectfully engages with our industry partners and exemplifies characteristics that EPIC champions. Additionally, he was a part of the winning HOSA bowl team at the HOSA State Leadership Conference, where he also took 2nd place in Biochemistry. HOSA is a global student-led organization recognized by the US Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services that promotes career opportunities in the health industry. Congratulations on these achievements, Jackson!
Michael Stickley demonstrates several attributes from Portrait of a Graduate. He has shown his CHARACTER and SELF-ADVOCACY by pursuing his passion: fly fishing. This is not the expected extra-curricular for a high school student. He is the state fly fishing champion and currently he is on the national fly fishing team competing at the world junior championships in Ireland this summer. Michael’s accomplishments in fly fishing pair perfectly with the Natural Resources Pathway where he has excelled in classes such as Conservation Ecology, Water Fundamentals, Plant Science, and Horticulture. This fall, he will be off to Oregon to study environmental science with a focus on fisheries management.
Morgan Babinger embodies the Portrait of a Graduate traits of CHARACTER and PROBLEM-SOLVING. She transformed her internship at Navigating Disability Colorado into a masterclass in community advocacy, moving beyond simply observing a workplace to becoming a vital engine for social change. By seamlessly integrating CRITICAL THINKING and creative problem-solving, she works to expand service access for families while maintaining a hallmark of kindness and consideration. Her journey from learner to leader is fueled by a COLLABORATIVE spirit and a passion for self-advocacy, as she shares: "I love that I can combine something I am interested in with helping people. I love the fact that I am able to help people within my community while also learning." Morgan is a leader in the Business and Work-Based Learning Pathways at EPIC Campus.
Eric Yang has grown to be one of EPIC’s most skilled students over his past three years in the Computer Science Pathway; he is a genuine CRITICAL THINKER. Eric consistently performs in class and pushes himself to solve issues beyond what most students attempt. He is enrolled in two different pathways (Aerospace and Computer Science) and is a leader in both. In Aerospace, Eric is building a rover to traverse the sand dunes in Colorado. Meanwhile in Computer Science, he is building an enterprise-grade network complete with a firewall, switch, servers, and wireless access points. Last year, in a Capture the Flag competition hosted by Carnegie Mellon, Eric scored in the top 5 percent in the country and top 7 percent in the world. The creativity behind his work is ever-present. Any industry he decides to pursue will be lucky to have his talent. Thank you Eric for your professionalism, work ethic, and creativity in your daily work!