During the presentation, student speakers talked about how attending DHS has helped them grow as individuals and learn valuable life skills.
“My experience at the high school has gifted me with tremendous opportunities to grow and reach achievements, not only as an athlete, but also as a teammate, a student, and an individual,” said one student presenter, who spoke about her experience as a Durango Demon. “Swimming and track have taught me discipline, time management, and how to take stress and turn it into something healthy.”
After the presentation, eighth graders were invited to meet teachers in classrooms across the campus and to stop by the dining hall and commons, where dozens of student representatives answered questions about their respective clubs, activities, and athletics teams and encouraged interested eighth graders to join.
Long-time choir member Raeja Ybarra, senior, told visitors that DHS's choirs are great places to launch a high-school career. “To me, it’s like a really big family,” she said. “Choir is where I met all my first friends, so it’s a good way to get comfortable with yourself in high school.”
At another table, junior Kara O’Donnell shared that one of her favorite aspects of Speech and Debate is how many like-minded people you get to meet.
“You go to all these different competitions around Colorado and meet a bunch of fascinating people,” she said. “You listen to speeches that you’re interested in, give speeches you’re interested in, and debate other people with common interests. It’s really fun to go around and see everybody else speak so rationally about things they care about.”
As a representative of Durango Future Farmers of America, sophomore Kylee Cheese talked about how many career pathways an interest in agriculture can open to students.
“It gives you a lot of opportunities you might not think of, and plenty of colleges offer scholarships in agriculture,” said Cheese, who participates in DHS’s Agriculture Career and Technical Education pathway. “Right now, we’re growing plants, working with greenhouses, doing aquaponics, and even designing the green roof for the Impact Center.”
For those interested in leadership, service, and helping shape the DHS student experience, Student Council offers some intriguing opportunities. Members plan Homecoming, organize teacher-appreciation events, create themes for football games, develop fundraisers and service opportunities, and more.
“You’re really involved in every aspect of the school,” said senior Emily McVaugh, who has served on Student Council for two years and also plays soccer and participates in the DHS Marching Band. “It’s a really close knit group of people who spend a ton of time together, and it’s honestly really fun.”
She added that being on Student Council is a great way to gain leadership skills.
“We do leadership lessons every week. We look at the main ways you can become a leader and how becoming a leader is not the end – it’s a whole life journey.”
Reflecting on the event, DHS Assistant Principal Darren Tarshis emphasized that this year’s Eighth-Grade Parent Night was designed to let students tell their own stories, creating an engaging and immersive experience for prospective students and parents.
“We shifted the format this year to let students tell our story. I think that resulted in a very engaging evening that allowed prospective students and parents to visualize and hear testimonials about the DHS student experience and the way it varies for each person,” he said. "I saw eighth graders interacting with our robotics club, practicing CPR in our medical pathway, and even playing trivia with Knowledge Bowl. We felt like we gave them a good idea of what their high school experience could look and feel like at DHS, and that we offer such a variety of programs to get students involved and help them find their place.”
Learn more about Durango High School
- To learn more about DHS’s clubs and activities, click here.
- More information about DHS Athletics is available here.
- Explore DHS’s Career and Technical Education pathways here.
- To view DHS’s course catalog, click here.