Maplewood Richmond Heights High School

On their very first day of summer break, MRH debaters who qualified for the National Championship Tournament were back at school for practice. For this session, Coach McCollum brought in special guests to provide feedback. MRH Alumni and KU Debater, Nate Boyle, was joined by Dr. Akin Owoso, Director of Psychiatric Medicine at Washington University Medical School. Dr. Owoso, a former debater, offered to help debaters Vanya Shchukin, Jane Bolen, Vallon Sutton, and Martin Colvin prepare for Nationals.

Lots of joy on a special night for the MRH Class of 2026.

We thought Graduation Day would be an ideal time to showcase the High School Internship Class and those community supporters who make it possible. Last week, our students met face-to-face with professionals from a wide array of fields in the culminating event of their high school careers. Contributors included: Bison Financial Services, Seafoam Media, Tony LaMartina Plumbing, St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis Cardinals, Moseley Graphics, BioFit STL, Clinical Psychologist Dr. Rod Hoevet, Boeing and Access Point. Getting kids ready for that next stage is what it's all about!

We're counting hours now, instead of days. Tonight's commencement ceremony for the MRH High School Class of 2026 may be viewed live at 7:00. (Photo courtesy: Principal Nicole Huffman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqAVrQjKM9c

Instead of a final exam, juniors in Rich McCollum's AP Language course discussed the realities of college-level academics from recent MRH graduates. Ana Munn Carstensen (MRH '23; Cornell College); Nate Boyle (MRH '24; Univ of Kansas), and Odessa Javier (MRH '25; George Washington Univ.) offered insight on college classes, academic life, and the college selection process. MRH students were able to ask questions to each of the alumni about the college search and the skills needed to be successful in college.

At the 5th Annual School District Awards presented by St. Louis Community College (STLCC), Maplewood Richmond Heights was nominated in two categories related to college credit coursework:

- Highest Enrollment Growth, Dual Credit Students
- Highest Average Savings Per Dual Enrollment Student

From the 2024-2025 school year to the current year, MRH saw a 250% growth in dual credit students (from 4 to 14). For an MRH student enrolled in STLCC dual enrollment coursework, the average college cost savings this year was $12,192.25. This number is calculated by comparing the average cost of tuition and fees per credit hour at a public, four-year Missouri institution in the 2025-2026 school year ($415.97/credit hour) with STLCC’s dual enrollment tuition and fees price ($72.50/credit hour). The average MRH dual enrollment student took 30 STLCC credit hours over the course of the 2025-2026 school year.

Let's hear it for these All-Conference Blue Devils!

1st Team:
Riley Sabath (scored 51 goals in her MRH career!)
Lucy Metcalf
Emily Dillon
Elliot Moseley

2nd Team:
Haley Ganey
Faye Pantazis

⚾️ HUGE CONGRATS! ⚾️

Two of our Blue Devil baseball players were officially selected to the Class 4 District 4 Tournament Team! Let’s hear it for these guys:

🔹 Preston Dalbey (Junior)
🔹 Ethan Condra (Sophomore)

Way to represent the Blue Devils on the diamond! We are so proud of your hard work. Drop a 👏 in the comments to congratulate them! 🧢🔥⚾️

Our amazing Women Who Look Ahead (WWLA) outgoing senior leaders passed the torch to our incoming WWLA leaders this afternoon. So grateful to Janea Jones, Mi'asia Griffin, and Jakia Wilson for their leadership. The room was filled with lots of love (and some tears)! It was a really meaningful moment for all.

Introducing our new WWLA leadership team:

President: Derriona Allen
Head of Sisterhood: Andrea Lopez
Head of Events/Planning: Jayda Johnson
Head of Communication: Haana Sakroujeh
Secretary/Social Media: Fallyn Payne
Treasurer: Olivia Pickens