Senior Spotlight: Trevor Barrenchea
As graduation approaches, senior Trevor Barrenchea reflected on his journey through the Oasis Academy community. He began at Oasis in first grade and now has clear goals for life after high school.
“My plans after graduation are to attend college to get my bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and work for fish and game, helping with big game wildlife,” he said.
One of his favorite memories was the Leadership Disneyland trip with student council during his freshman and senior years.
Barrenchea said Oasis taught him important values and skills. “Oasis has helped me learn a lot of great values and skills, especially with math and English. I have met a lot of new friends during my time, some of whom I will never forget.”
He credited two mentors for their influence. “There are a lot of people to thank, but specifically I would like to thank Ms. Jackie Bogandowicz for always making class a fun time, and Mr. Andy Lenon for helping me with college and life in general.”
FFA, taught by Ms. B, stood out as his favorite class. “The workload was different in that class, and we got to have a ton of different guest speakers and fun games to play,” he said.
Outside the classroom, Barrenchea played basketball from seventh grade through senior year, including four years on the varsity team, and also played four years of varsity baseball. He participated in student council, National Honor Society and FFA.
His achievements include competing at Nationals for FFA in 2024, earning NIAA 2A Northern League honorable mention in baseball that year, and consistently being named to the Western Nevada College Dean’s List.
He advised future Bighorns to push themselves. “Always complete your work on time and work hard no matter what, because hard work can help you get so far, no matter how difficult the challenge is.”
In addition to his high school diploma, Barrenchea will graduate in May with an Associate of Science degree from Western Nevada College.
Archaeologist Inspires Middle School Robotics Team
Oasis Academy Middle School’s LEGO Robotics team welcomed guest speaker Al Garner last week, a senior archaeologist with Far Western Anthropological Research Group.
Garner shared his professional journey, connecting his work in archaeology with the problem-solving, creativity and teamwork skills students use in robotics competitions. He emphasized that curiosity and perseverance, whether digging into the past or building a robot, are key to discovery.
Garner, who earned a degree in anthropology from Utah State University, has spent nearly two decades working in the Great Basin and California. His projects include cultural resource management, excavation, data recovery and authoring technical reports. His research interests range from early North American occupation to lithic technology and cultural transmission.
In addition to his career, Garner has strong ties to youth sports. He previously coached the Galena High School boys lacrosse team and serves as president of the High Sierra Lacrosse Foundation.
“The students took the information they learned from Al and turned it into engineering ideas, which generated even more questions,” said John Keitz, LEGO Robotics coach. “Al patiently answered all of their questions and encouraged them to keep working on the problem.”
Garner highlighted how professionals often grapple with simple but stubborn challenges. “One of the important aspects he brought to the discussion was a focus on what problems needed solving. All too often, kids look for the big, fantastic problem to solve, when it is the simple problem that most vexes the pros,” Keitz said.
Garner’s example—whether moving dirt on a dig or solving an engineering puzzle—encouraged students to stay curious, keep asking questions and keep building.
Save the Date: 6th Annual Oasis Academy Golf Tournament
Golfers should mark their calendars for the 6th Annual Oasis Academy Golf Tournament on Wednesday, Oct. 18. The event raises funds for Oasis athletics and co-curricular programs.
The tournament includes a round of golf, lunch, contests and raffle prizes, including Disneyland tickets.
To register a team or donate, contact Angela Viera at 775-666-0912.
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