Queen Creek Unified salutes class of 2024

The members of the class of 2024 are officially alumni.

More than 900 seniors in Queen Creek Unified School District’s two high schools graduated from Queen Creek High School and Eastmark High School this week.

“It’s a cumulative celebration of all they have accomplished and all the diligent work it took to get to this point,” a press release from QCUSD stated.

Valedictorians Ava Reece of Queen Creek High and Hazel Tobler of Eastmark High shared some of their thoughts leading up to graduation.

Reece credited her mother with being her biggest motivator.

“(S)he emphasized the importance of school and extracurricular activities from a young age,” Reece stated in the release.

Tobler “was most motivated by the variety of experiences to look forward to,” she stated in the release.

Tobler added that she had set up goals for herself from a young age and she found “the strength to push through when I think of the rewards of tomorrow.”

Both young women advise fellow seniors not to take on more than they can handle and to make time to care for themselves.

“My one piece of advice would be to not stretch yourself too thin,” Reece stated.

And Tobler suggested students take part in non-school activities.

“I recommend some kind of outdoor physical activity, an outlet for creativity and some form of public service outside of academics each year to keep you busy and fulfilled,” Tobler stated in the release. “Feel free to explore, too. You never know what you'll enjoy until you try it. Knocking on random club doors led me to some of my most transformative experiences.”

The district stated that this year Queen Creek High and Eastmark saw:

• 672 students committed to a university with a total of $45.38 million in scholarships
• 103 graduating students in the district graduated with a GPA of 4.0 or higher
• 24 students enlisted in the military upon graduation
• 44 student-athletes signed on to play for colleges and universities

Eastmark High is located in Mesa. The district’s third high school, Crismon, which opened in 2022, will graduate its first class in spring 2025.