Senior Spotlight: An Nguyen
For graduating senior An Nguyen, high school has been all about the experiences and friendships that made the last four years unforgettable.
Nguyen, who started at Oasis Academy as a freshman, says his favorite memory comes from Ms. Jackie Bogdanowicz’s class. “It was just such a fun and comfortable environment. We loved joking with (and annoying) her every day,” he said. “One day, I came into her office to drop off a student’s Chromebook I repaired, and we talked for over an hour. I lost track of time and forgot I had left my friend waiting in my car. When he called asking where I was, she and I laughed so hard together.”
The friendships he made at Oasis also shaped his experience. “I’d like to thank Josh Gusewelle, Troy Underwood, Zach Budner, Josh Helm and Clint Vaughn for making school a pleasure to come to,” he said. “Especially Josh G and Troy for not telling me to go kick dirt when I first arrived at Oasis. I literally just followed them to lunch one day and never stopped.”
Nguyen also expressed gratitude for his teachers. “I’d like to thank Mr. Evan Brandt and Mr. Eric Grimes for being the best teachers I’ve ever had,” he said. “Mr. Brandt made math super easy to learn and his classes fun. Mr. Grimes sparked a love of government in me and made me study like I never have before. I even considered pursuing a career in law for a short while because of him.”
His time in We the People provided one of his proudest moments. “The team (Halle Feest, Michele Grossi, Anna Springfield) and I won the Unit 5 Award at Invitationals. It’s a shame we couldn’t go to Regionals, but I was incredibly proud of us,” he said.
Nguyen will graduate in May with a high school diploma and an associate of arts degree from Western Nevada College. He plans to attend the University of Nevada, Reno, to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design with a journalism minor focusing on film and media production.
“My dream job is to either work on professional films or on a content creation team like Mr. Beast as a video editor or sound designer,” he said.
Nguyen encourages students to enjoy their time in high school. “Don’t rush to graduate. Four years will pass ten times faster than you think, so cherish every moment with your friends. You’ll never forget those moments and you’ll never get to relive them, so make it special.”
Sophomore Physics Class Builds Mouse Trap Race Cars – By Taylor Sowersby
Students in Ms. Jackie Bogdanowicz’s physics class applied their classroom knowledge to build and race mousetrap-powered cars.
Using concepts of energy and motion, students designed their own cars, ensuring the snapping of the mousetrap served as the energy source to propel the vehicle.
Each car had to travel a minimum of seven meters in the race. The winners of each heat advanced to the next round, with the team of Riley Jacob and Leo Arcoraci ultimately claiming victory.
“The project was a fun yet educational way for us to put our knowledge to work. It was also a good way to lead up to finals,” sophomore Kaylee Craig said.
For many students, it was their favorite lab so far.
“This lab was definitely my favorite of the semester. I had a lot of fun creating the cars,” Craig said. “At the same time, I found this project very interesting because we were able to have a car travel using a mousetrap as the source of power.” Photo: Students racing mouse trap race cars.
Open Enrollment Through Feb. 27 - By Taylor Sowersby
Oasis Academy is accepting open enrollment applications for the 2025-26 school year through Feb. 27. Enrollment is open for students entering kindergarten through high school. The lottery will be held on March 3, 2025.
Applications are available online at oanv.org. For more information, contact Oasis Academy at 775-423-5437.
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