2026 Outstanding High School Grads
Each year, it’s our honor at Cache Valley Family Magazine to spotlight one graduating senior from each high school in the Cache County and Logan City School Districts. These exceptional students are nominated by their school counselors and selected for their resilience, leadership, and determination to succeed — even in the face of challenges.
We're also proud to award the Paul Norton Memorial Scholarship for the f ifth year. This scholarship honors the legacy of Paul Norton, a mentor to Cache Valley Family Magazine publisher Emily Buckley. Paul often quoted a favorite Roman philosophy: “Luck exists where preparation and opportunity meet.” His advice to young people was simple and profound: “You never know when opportunity will come — so prepare yourself for the success you seek.”
The 2026 Paul Norton Memorial Scholarship is awarded to Sky View High School’s Easton Mills. Selected from the six featured students in this issue, Easton was chosen for his resilience, gratitude, and potential.
Congratulations to Easton and to all 2026 graduates! We celebrate your hard work and wish you success as you chart life's course.
2026 Graduation Dates
Cache High School - May 26
Mountain Crest High School - May 28
Sky View High School - May 28
Ridgeline High School - May 29
Green Canyon High School - May 29
Logan High School - May 29
Easton Mills, Sky View High School
At 6-foot-7, Easton Mills is hard to miss on a basketball court. He is physical, competitive, and determined, and the toughness that defined his game as a Sky View High School (SVHS) athlete also carried him through challenges most people never saw from the stands.
Easton delt with a lot of family struggles and by the time he was 13, he lived in several different places, including with his aunt, other family members, his best friend, and people who stepped up to help. That experience was not easy, but Easton says it taught him how to adapt, keep going, and recognize the people who truly show up.
“I think moving around over the past years has been really tough for me because I'm always on the edge about where I'm going to go and how I'm going to adapt,” he said. “But it’s taught me a lot about myself and a lot about change and learning how to adapt to my environment.”
Easton’s high school counselor says Easton has overcome adversity with a sense of humor and courtesy in every interaction.
Easton really shines on the basketball court. For Easton growing up, basketball became more than a sport. It was structure, connection, and an outlet when life felt uncertain.
“I started playing because I felt it was an escape from the things that I couldn't control in my life,” he said. “I always used basketball as an outlet for me, if I ever needed to get away from my problems, or if I needed an outlet or a way to let out my stress.”
That outlet turned into opportunity. Easton played for Sky View’s 2025-26 region championship team, earned all-region honors as a senior, and received multiple college basketball offers. He ultimately committed to Green River College, a junior college near Seattle, where he hopes to continue developing his game.
Easton is quick to credit the people at Sky View who helped him along the way. He names teachers, basketball coach Kirk Hillyard, counselors, kind office staff who shared Christmas gifts, and close friends as people who made school feel manageable and meaningful. He is especially grateful for his aunt, Emily Murdoch, a steady influence in his life.
“She saw enough in me to help me with my life path and help me get where I needed to go, and I'll always be so grateful for that,” he said. “I definitely wouldn't be the man I am today without her.”
At Green River, Easton plans to explore business or marketing and has an interest in sales because he likes talking with people and helping them. Off the court, he enjoys boxing, reading, and anime.
Easton’s advice for incoming freshmen: “Don’t worry about how people perceive you, just choose to associate with those that pour back into you the way you pour into them.”
Sydney Aird, Green Canyon High School
When Sydney Aird moved to Green Canyon High School halfway through her sophomore year, she felt lost. She was recovering from knee surgery and navigating a new school where friendships, teacher relationships, and activities already felt established. But Sydney stepped into the unknown and found a way forward.
Music ultimately helped her find her place. Sydney had always loved singing, even as a little girl who preferred making up songs to playing soccer. When she joined choir at Green Canyon, she found an immediate welcome.
“The day I walked in, all of them flooded the doorway and were like, we’re so excited to meet you!” Sydney said. “It definitely helped me get my footing on things.”
That welcome grew into a full high school experience. Sydney became involved in choir, theatre, musical theatre, pep band, and marching band, while also taking AP and concurrent enrollment classes. She has performed in Crescendo, the school’s advanced choir and this year was selected as Green Canyon’s Vocal Sterling Scholar. Sydney was also nominated for Utah Ambassadors of Music and worked as a lifeguard to pay for the trip, which included two weeks of singing in cathedrals and historic venues in Europe.
But one of Sydney’s boldest decisions came her junior year when she walked into band director Jacob Andersen’s office and said she wanted to learn the alto saxophone and join Green Canyon’s state championship marching band — with no prior instrument experience.
“He looked at me like I was kind of crazy,” Sydney said.
She admits the beginning was intimidating. Younger students could already play better than she could, and she had to learn both an instrument and marching technique in just a few months. She practised for hours, took private lessons, and kept showing up. By the state championship, Sydney played the entire show perfectly and marched every step in time. She says she left it all on the field and the experience changed how she sees herself and what is possible.
“I learned that it's never too late to do something,” Sydney said. “You can do things that you never thought you could do.” Sydney’s determination is especially meaningful because she was recently diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. For years, she thought she simply could not keep up as easily as other students and added, “I have to work 10 times harder than the average student.”
Her family has been an important source of support. Her mom, Sarah, often reads aloud when the words on a page become overwhelming. Sydney says her parents, Jeff and Sarah Aird, both Aggies, have supported her journey, and she is excited to follow in their footsteps to Utah State University (USU).
At USU, Sydney plans to study music therapy and hopes to use music to help children with autism and students with learning disabilities to accomplish non-musical goals. She also plans to continue playing saxophone in the USU marching band.
Sydney’s advice for incoming freshmen: “You shouldn't let anything define what you can or can't do. Don't let anything stop you.”
Breanna Bassett, Mountain Crest High School
Breanna Bassett has always loved animals, agriculture, and the kind of work that must be done even when you’re tired, busy, or facing challenges. That steady work ethic has shaped her years at Mountain Crest High School, where she has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA while taking rigorous concurrent enrollment classes and serving in FFA leadership.
Breanna grew up around animals in Wellsville and says FFA felt like a natural fit. Her dad participated in FFA in high school, along with her older brother. Breanna had already spent years raising goats through 4-H to show and sell at the Cache County Fair and says, “she loved it so much.”
At Mountain Crest, Breanna found a place to grow as both a student and a leader. She has served as vice president of the FFA chapter for the past two years and credits her ag advisor, Tyrell Stephens, with helping her become more confident.
“Before I joined FFA, I was super quiet, didn't really like to talk to anybody, and was very shy. I didn't really have confidence in myself,” Breanna said. “But he was able to help push me out of my comfort zone and find the potential I didn't know I had in myself.”
Breanna’s love for agriculture extends far beyond the classroom. She works at Denali South Horse Ranch, where she serves as a barn manager and helps train horses. She also teaches riding lessons and has trained her own horse, Roo, whom she took to state 4-H last year. She is also the current Wellsville Rodeo Queen and plans to compete for Cache County Fair and Rodeo Queen.
Not only does Breanna love animals, but they have also taught her responsibility and hard work.
“You have to wake up every morning, and you have to go feed your animals and work them and train them — even if you're having a bad day because they depend on you,” she said. During her junior year, Breanna faced a frightening health challenge. After returning from FFA Nationals, her leg began to swell and became painful. Doctors eventually discovered an infection that had spread from her hip to her knee. She spent several days in the hospital, was on strong antibiotics, and missed three months of school while recovering.
The experience became even more serious when doctors warned that the infection was moving toward her knee joint and that she was becoming septic. Breanna says the experience changed how she sees life.
“The biggest takeaway from that experience was I learned to be grateful for the things you don't think about,” she said. “Being thankful to be able to stand up and get out of bed and go play fetch with my dog, or to go just brush my horse.”
Fortunately, Breanna’s health recovered and now she is ready for the future. She plans to attend Utah State University to study equine science and management. Her long-term goal is to attend veterinary school, become an equine veterinarian, and specialize in equine reproduction, including artificial insemination and embryo transfers.
Breanna’s advice for incoming freshmen: “Try to be involved in something. Whether that's FFA, theater, or a sport. Just try to be involved in and make the best out of high school.”
Alekzia Sweigart, Cache High School
Alekzia Sweigart has learned earlier than most that strength looks like showing up for school, work, family, and the future, even after life changes in unexpected ways.
Alekzia’s biggest challenge came at the end of her sophomore year, when her mom, Nancy Parkinson, passed away from a heart attack at age 41. In the months that followed, Alekzia transferred to Cache High for her junior year, where the smaller school environment gave her additional support. There, she found caring teachers and counselor Launi Evans, who she credits for connecting her with Bridgerland Technical College and her goals.
During her junior year, Alekzia completed CNA, medical terminology, and drug dosage and calculations courses at Bridgerland, while also finishing her core high school classes with straight-A grades. As a senior, she has spent the year fully focused on Bridgerland’s Medical Assisting program. She also works weekends at Blacksmith Fork Assisted Living.
Healthcare has always felt meaningful to Alekzia, in part because of her mom’s example.
“My mom worked in healthcare for a long time, and I always found it really inspiring to see her help people,” she said. “I find that level of knowledge and understanding of the human body really admirable, and it's always something that I've wanted to pursue.”
Alekzia hopes to work as a medical assistant after graduation, save money, and eventually return to school for another degree, possibly in nursing. She loves the way healthcare allows her to serve people when they need help most.
Alekzia says losing her mom forced her to grow up quickly, but it also helped her discover her own strength.
“Navigating life without your mom is just a really unique experience,” she said. “I think I learned a lot. And I've had to work through a lot and face up to a lot of things and I think I am a stronger person for it.”
Outside of school and work, Alekzia enjoys reading. Her favorite book is Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, especially because of its reflection on community, and community is important to Alekzia. She lives in Wellsville with her three sisters: Katie, 24; Madi, 20; and Alyza, 12, and near grandparents and family.
“I think it all really comes back to community for me,” she said. “One of the famous quotes in that book is, ‘Happiness is only real when shared.’”
Alekzia’s advice for incoming freshmen: “Have fun and enjoy it, but also stay focused because it goes by fast.”
Christopher Carter Olson, Logan High School
Christopher Carter Olson has never been one to seek the spotlight. Quiet, analytical, and focused, he has built an exceptional high school experience through steady discipline and resilience.
During his four years at Logan High School, Christopher has balanced responsibilities beyond the typical high school experience. Following significant changes in his family, including his mother’s medical disability, Christopher stepped into major responsibilities at home, helping care for his mother and disabled twin brother, Gabriel. He helps with transportation, appointments, household needs, and daily support, all while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA.
When asked how he has managed to keep straight As through high school, Christopher’s answer is simple: “It was my goal for high school, so I do whatever I can to get the A. That’s about it.”
His drive is evident across all his activities. Christopher has played cello in the Logan High School Orchestra, competed on the varsity swim team all four years, taken Spanish throughout high school, enjoyed AP Government and AP U.S. History, and pursued digital media design through Bridgerland Technical College. He is close to completing an associate-level credential through Bridgerland and has shifted his focus toward audio and video editing to support his long-term goals in film.
Christopher also saved money with his brother to participate in Close Up, a week-long civics experience in Washington, D.C., where students visited historic sites, participated in a mock Congress, and met with elected leaders.
These interests connect directly to Christopher’s future plans. This fall, he plans to attend Westminster University, where he hopes to build an interdisciplinary path that includes film, theater, and political science. His dream of becoming a filmmaker started simply.
“One day I came out of a movie just thinking, I want to be a director,” he said. “And so, I've kept that thought in my mind for a very long time.”
Christopher is also interested in using his Spanish to serve others, possibly through the Peace Corps someday. He sees Spanish as more than a class; he sees it as a necessary skill for connecting with and helping people.
Teachers and counselors describe Christopher as quietly courageous, responsible, intellectually curious, and consistently high-achieving. He appreciates his teachers who have supported him along the way, and even the challenges he’s encountered that have helped him grow.
Christopher’s advice to incoming freshmen is practical and direct: “Do the work, get it in on time, and you'll be just fine.”
Mason Olsen, Ridgeline High School
Mason Olsen has become a familiar face at Ridgeline High School who brings people together. Whether he is running track, cheering in the student section, serving in student government, or showing up at musicals and school events, Mason has made it a point to be involved and to help others feel they belong.
But Mason’s upbeat presence has been hard-earned. During his sophomore year, he was diagnosed with serious depression and anxiety and went through a very difficult period. What helped him most, he says, was realizing he was not alone and finding support from counselors, friends, and family.
It’s a lesson that now motivates him to help others find hope. Rather than hiding from mental health struggles, Mason speaks about them with openness because he hopes his story can help others.
“It's not something I'm ashamed of — it definitely shaped me and helped me with my life,” he said. “I overcame a pretty heavy thing and now I'm living my best life.”
Mason has enjoyed participating in cross country and track all four years of high school and wrestled as a freshman and sophomore. He runs the 400 and 4x400 relay and serves as a track team captain. He also loves to play club soccer and spend time outdoors. A highlight of his senior year was teaching Hawk Academy for incoming freshmen, an experience that allowed him to encourage younger students as they began high school.
Academically, he challenged himself this year by taking seven college classes, all while continuing to serve, compete, and support his school. But of all his activities, serving as a senior class officer has been especially meaningful to Mason. While it required hard work, he says it also taught him patience, time management, goal setting, and the importance of building relationships.
“I feel like that this year I’ve experienced a big change,” he said. “I feel like I'm talking to everyone in the halls, and I like being positive.”
After graduation, Mason plans to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wichita, Kansas. When he returns, he hopes to attend Utah State University and study psychology, with the goal of helping others the way others have helped him.
“I just want to hopefully help change lives like how people helped change mine,” he said.
Mason’s advice for incoming freshmen: “Get involved in something. Whether it's sports, band, music, anything — there is something in high school for everyone.”