Avis Aqua – Issue II
ISSUE II
DAVIS A&M / ARGONAUT NEWS
JUNE 2025
THAT'S A WRAP!
Class of 2025 seniors celebrate as they prepare for their futures beyond Davis A&M High School.
ENDING THE YEAR WITH A BANG!
Welcome to the second edition of Avis Aqua! The 2025 school year may be over, but we’re excited to share what Davis students, staff, and our Argonaut team have been doing. This year has been our most rewarding yet. As we look ahead, we are preparing for some upcoming changes. While Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School will switch to a traditional calendar, summer internships and opportunities will continue to give students the vital training and experience they need to succeed.
In this edition, we highlight this year’s accomplishments, share our students’ summer plans, provide programming updates, and showcase another incredible work by one of our amazing students.
ON THE HORIZON
GET EXCITED FOR SUNSET ON THE HARBOR
Join us for our annual fundraiser, Sunset on the Harbor, on September 5th, that benefits Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School and their programming!
UPCOMING FAB SATURDAY DATES
Visit the Davis A&M Fab Lab for community projects. 11am-2pm
Projects and Locations to be announces. Tentative Dates Below
- September 20, 2025
- October 25, 2025
- November 15, 2025
- December 13, 2025
- January 17, 2026
- February 21, 2026
- March 14, 2026
IN THIS EDITION
END-OF-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
Read about the end of the year events including prom, graduation, internships and so much more. See how Davis students and staff ended the year on a high note, while also getting some updates on summer plans! Check out all the action below.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS AND NEWS
The 2024-2025 school year may have been our most successful year yet. Students have opened up themselves through poetry, made new personal and professional relationships and have received certifications and licenses for the first time in the schools history! Find out more below.
THE STUDENT SECTION
From the classroom to the community – students making their mark.
NEVER FORGET BY: DAVID ISAIAH TRIPLETT
A powerful, introspective letter to self, ‘Never Forget’ explores the evolving understanding of black identity, the burden and beauty of cultural history, and the importance of embracing one’s heritage without being crushed by its weight.
Dear Younger Me,
I’m sure you don’t know the true meaning of what it means to be Black, African American, or of African descent. It’s a beautiful thing; not many people understand how spectacular it is to be black, but that’s something you’ll learn once you grow up. The depth of the skin we share is a physical representation of the struggle our people went through, but that’s something you’ll have to learn when you get older.
As you grow in age, you’ll find that people like to gauge their “blackness” off of how much Black history they know, and that’s not truly important. What matters most is what is important to you and what impacts your spirit.
Don’t focus on trying to learn everything about Black history, because that’s not all for you to know.
The depth of our history, like our skin, is dark and scarred, yet beautiful, complex, and deep. People will make fun of our history, like our skin, unaware of what we’ve been through, what we’ve experienced, the winding roots of history that are embellished upon a blank canvas of flesh. The burden of knowledge is too great for a young mind to bear. Instead, focus on losing the hatred you have as a result of ignorance of the past and the way the world works. Don’t let the world mold how you see it. That may not make a lot of sense now, but it will once you’re older.
A lot of people are gonna want to see you dead, a vast amount being people who look like us. I don’t know if they’re victims of their surroundings, or willful ignorance, but not every black man is your friend, the same as every white man isn’t your enemy. Choose your friends wisely; your friends can make or break your future. I know you made the right ones because you got this letter in the first place.
Good luck navigating the world. Your knowledge is not up to others to judge, and neither are your choices in friends. Always remember.
Dear Older Me,
I hope you take my advice. This letter is a little more difficult to write, as I don’t know what you’ll turn out like in, say, 7 years. I can only assume you know more about Black history than me. Although it isn’t necessary to know everything, it’s still important to know your history. Yes, if one person doesn’t know the history, it doesn’t all fade away. And it’s not important because if we ignore history, it’s bound to repeat. It’s important we represent the unsung heroes who weren’t praised for fighting and lost their lives to ensure that our rights were safe. While we celebrate Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, George Washington Carver, Ruby Bridges, Garrett Morgan, and Martin Luther King Jr., everyday individuals deserve representation. The point of doing a noble act isn’t so that you can be praised after you die, but rather so the work you’ve done is remembered. The people who’ve been killed and the ones who’ve been tortured to be made as a warning to keep us in our place are the ones who need to be remembered among the big names.
Those who disregard their interests to stand up against those who want to keep us down deserve to be remembered. Events like the bus boycott need to be remembered, but the average person doesn’t know about the sit-ins. Moments where the violence spoke louder than our peace, and yet we still pushed on. The freedom riders are those remembered for being harassed simply riding the bus to the South to fight the lack of enforcement of anti-segregation laws.
I can only assume you know more than I do. Don’t forget: the world doesn’t depend on your knowledge of Black history. It doesn’t gauge your amount of “blackness” to not know the smaller stories. Don’t have the mindset that if you don’t know it, it’s lost knowledge. The world is not your judge, so don’t let them bully you into trying to hold the entirety of our history in your head. Although important, some people carry those legacies and carry them well. 400+ years is a lot of history to understand. Always remember what you know doesn’t make you who you are, but what you choose to do with knowledge because that speaks volumes to your character.
Always remember.
CLASS OF 2025
Graduates not pictured – Chris Lewis, Robert Bradford
WRAPPING UP THE YEAR!
See how our students wrapped up the year with many fun events!
OUR SENIORS SHOWED UP STYLISH AND DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY AT PROM.
THE ARGONAUT CLASSIC
A friendly rivalry between Tim Hatfield and Devon Sheehy led to a game of baseball. Both coaches picked their rosters, held practice and had a hard fought game. When it was all said and done Team Hatfield won in a rout 14-4. We are hoping to continue this event annually.
STUDENTS AND STAFF ENJOYED ANOTHER FIELD DAY
3RD ANNUAL BENJAMIN O' DAVIS SENIOR AWARD BANQUET
This is a night where we celebrate our graduating scholars who have earned an award based on their merits, talent, and extracurricular activities. Every student who attended was nominated for at least one award by their teachers, mentors, and peers. There were also staff awards that were handed out.
AWARD WINNERS
DEDICATED PRESENCE AWARD
- DE’EARIS GREEN
Finished strong award
- Antoine Blair
100 hours of service
- Marc johnson
- yariselle andujar
- jovanni bearden
- daniela moreno-machuca
- arianna robinson
- elmer de leon gonzalez
student council
- Marc johnson
- yariselle andujar
- Kylie turney
- arianna robinson
- Kayla peterson
“W” Staff Award
- Tyler Stillings
- Zach tolles
Trail Blazer Award
Christian price
exemplar: fab lab
- Robert bradford
exemplar: Drone
- kameron noel
- Luis correa
exemplar: robotics
- yariselle andujar
- Jovanni bearded
drone dept. award
- Canon Drake
exemplar: fab lab
- Randy Negron
exemplar: fab lab
- Aliyah Brown
exemplar: fab lab
- Maxwell Campbell
exemplar: fab lab
- Yoselin Ruiz Ventura
exemplar: fab lab
- Elmer de Leon Gonzalez
POAG – Positive contributor
Quinn schumann
POAG – critical thinker
MESSIAH BROOKS
POAG – COURAGEOUS
- yariselle andujar
POAG – CLEAR COMMUNICATOR
- MARC JOHNSON
POAG – SELF ADVOCATE
- ELMER DE LEON GONZALEZ
ARGONAUTS OF THE YEAR
- yariselle andujar
- Jovanni bearded
PINK AWARD
- ELMER DE LEON GONZALEZ
BENJAMIN O’ DAVIS AWARD
- YARISELLE ANDUJAR
PROGRAMMING UPDATES
As the year comes to an end, we have a lot to celebrate! This year was focused on growth, achieving new heights, motivating Davis students to try new things, and to reach as many students as we can.
- For SY 24/25, we had a goal to enroll 52 Davis students into our afterschool program. We far exceeded the goal by enrolling 82 students.
- For SY 24/25, we had a goal that at least 25% of students enrolled in our programming would display improvement in their literacy performance as measured by NWEA/MAP, OST, and grade card data. As of April, we have reached the goal with 30% of enrolled students demonstrating improvement. We do expect this number to increase as final grades start to roll in from the end of the school year.
- We had a goal of enrolling three students into the Private Pilot Training program and completing the program with a Private Pilot License. We have reached that goal as Three seniors, now graduates, successfully obtained their FAA Part-61 Private Pilot License.
- This year, we had three seniors enroll in the FAA Part-107 Drone License and successfully complete the training.
As we head into the summer, Davis students are putting their skills in action. From building and launching boats, to performing oil changes on aircrafts, Davis students are putting their hands-on learning to the test. Want to see what else they’re up to? Keep reading to find out what’s next!
Maritime students have set sail toward new adventures
One of our students stepped foot onto the KAY E. BARKER 7 for a 2-month-long sea internship. This unique opportunity, in partnership with Interlake Steamship Company, provides valuable work experience.
- With the help of Ms Binsack, freshmen studying maritime science are designing and building cardboard boats. The students released their boats into Lake Erie, where they studied and observed how hull design and construction impact a vessel’s operation. The experience allowed students to reconnect with the water and try their hand at boatbuilding while having fun.
- Davis A&M is summer-ready. Our students reconnected with water just in time for summer during Davis beachdays. Students practiced and refined the skills they learned during their first year while kayaking and paddleboarding.
Summer Work on PHASTAR 2543 and Flotsom and Jetsom is underway. Keep your eyes open for our incredible students making waves and be sure to wave if you see one of our boats on the water!
Maritime students have had a productive and successful school year. Our students accomplished a lot as they steered towards new horizons and embarked on exciting adventures. Some of our exciting updates include:
Davis students fly high in 2025; three newly certified FAA pilots and more.
The Davis Drone Club is buzzing with accomplishments. We are excited to share an overview of drone activitiesstudents have been working on this year:
- Three students became sUAS Part 107 holders this year. Canon Drake, Luis Correa and Kameron Noel.
- Students wrapped up their work, completing the Raccoon Creek Wetland Restoration Project in Sandusky
- Students are looking forward to the start of Drone Soccer in the Fall
Fab lab (club/school) Updates
The Fab Lab was a busy place during the final quarter of the year. Students flooded the lab during and after school leading projects around the city of Cleveland, created business using different machines in the lab and are now hosting interns!
Fab lab (club/school) Updates
The Fab lab was on the move as we attended two amazing events in Cleveland, The first event was Score with STEM presented by NEOSTEM and the Cleveland Cavaliers. We were able to showcase our many avenues of STEM curriculum headlined by our Fab Lab. Students participated in ice bath challenges and used aviation simulators to explore STEM fields. The second event was STEM day at Progressive Field with NEOSTEM and the Cleveland Guardians. At the event students of all ages were challenged to make a tower using popsicle sticks to get the ingenuity flowing! We would like to thank NEOSTEM, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Cleveland Guardians for hosting us at these two amazing events.
Davis students fly high in 2025; three newly certified FAA pilots and more.
Davis aviation students reached new heights this year, and we couldn’t be prouder. Some of their finest momentsinclude:
- Davis A&M alumni Gabe Lenoard flew with current student pilots before their check ride
- Genesis Cruz expressed interest in becoming an aviation technician and performed an oil change on the Argonaut Piper Cherokee.
- On May 15, 2025 Montie Henderson, Evan Mullin-Vaneste and Randy Negron earned their FAA Private Pilot’s License. The first Davis cohort to graduate with their Pilots licenses.
- Noah Reed will be an Argonaut intern this summer working with Ioannis in maintaining the Argonaut Cherokee and learning about aviation maintenance.
Davis A&M Robotics team
The 2025 FIRST FRC Season was a great success for Team 8222, The Argonauts! As you may recall from the last edition of this article, the theme for this year’s challenge was called ReefScape. The game challenged teams all over the globe to build a machine that was able to deploy coral (PVC pipe) onto an almost 6’ tall reef, remove oversized algae dodge ballsand score them into processors, and also climb a cage that was stationed 3 inches from the ground.
Our robot was able to complete most of the game’s challenges. It had speed, reached almost 7’ tall, fully extended, and moved with ease around the field. The robot had a stunning design with this year’s team theme including lightning bolts, which inspired the name of our 112 lbs robot to be, Bolt. The team put in well over 200 hours into building the robot. Each member learned how to use lathe machines, industrial milling machines, a CAMaster CNC Router, and variousother hand and power tools.
All the hard work earned us a spot on the Number 1 alliance at the Buckeye Regional where we placed in second. This is a huge victory for our team and only sets the bar higher for next season. Our second place win was recognized by many including the City of Cleveland Council.
SUMMER 25' INTERN SPOTLIGHT
Meet our 2025 summer interns. Learn where they are going, what they will be doing and their future plans and goals beyond Davis A&M
Congratulations to our students who were accepted into MAGNET’s Early College Career Program. The program provides workforce development training with a focus on STEM education, and students are paired with partner organizations to complete an internship. Our scholars include:
- Caleb Shorts: Olympus Aerospace
- Edwin Romero: Olympus Aerospace
- Genesis Gruz: Olympus Aerospace
- God Brooks: Euclid Heating
- Noa Bazile: Talan Products
- Camille Brooks: Talan Products
- Meairra Jackson: Talan Products
- Tristan Johnson: Talan Products
INTERN SPOTLIGHT
Davis students have a fun and busy summer ahead! We’re thrilled to share Davis Summer interns and the partner organizations they’ll be working with.
Goodtime III
- Kameron Noel / Kameron is a recent graduate of the class of 2025. Kameron will start his third year as anArgonaut intern. After working in the Fabrication Lab, he discovered his passion for being around water. Kameron previously participated in the Cleveland Metroparks sailing program. He is excited to be working with the Goodtime III over the summer!
Flotsam and Jetsam:
- Miguel Garcia / Miguel is a rising Junior. He is thrilled to start his second year as a member of the Argonaut Fleet! His passion for the maritime industry shows up every day at work. In the future, Miguel aspires to become a Cruise Ship Captain.
- Joshua Dannison / Josh is a rising Junior. Josh will begin his first year working with Argonaut. Josh has been a member of the Argonaut Maritime Club for 2 years. He ranks at the top of his class with a high GPA and has chosen to pursue a path in the maritime industry.
- John Vera / John is a rising Sophomore. John is heavily involved with the first responder programming withinhis community. This summer, John will be working aboard Flotsam and Jetsam, building the skills and experience needed to work above Argonaunt’s PHASTAR 2543 Marine Lifeguard Boat.
PHASTAR 2543 Marine Lifeguard Boat:
- Phoenix Guerrero / Phoenix is a rising Junior. This will be his 2nd year as an Argonaut Intern. He is very passionate about the maritime industry. Phoenix is looking forward to gaining as much experience as he can before the end of his High School career and joining the United States Coast Guard.
- Eamon Robertson / Eamon is a rising Sophomore. He is part of our robotics team as well as our Maritime Club at Davis. He was very interested in joining the PHASTAR 2543 internship because he also wanted to join the United States Coast Guard.
- Harrison DiLiberto / Harrison is a recent graduate of the class of 2025. He is a transfer student from Seattle. Once he saw that Davis had opportunities involving working with first responders, he couldn’t have been more excited. His goal is to acquire more experience and knowledge so that he can have a better chance of being hired as an EMS/EMT or Firefighter in the future.
- Kurtis Harper / Kurtis is a rising Junior. This will be his 2nd year working on 2453.
Fabrication Lab:
- Arthur Higuera / Arthur is a rising Senior. He is involved in our Boat Building Class at Davis and has been working within the Fabrication Lab for the past year. Arthur wants to continue improving his skills on machines such as laser cutters, 3D printers, and Shopbots so that he can help teach his underclassmen!
- Calvin Jackson / Calvin is a rising Sophomore. He chose to take on this internship to acquire skills that would benefit him in the future. He is not sure which path he wants to take yet at Davis, but choosing to start in the Fabrication Lab is always a step in the right direction!
- Elise Galloway / Elise is a rising Sophomore. She recently completed the first College Credit Class at Davis in soldering! She plans to apply those skills to her internship this summer by creating useful items or tools that hercolleagues can utilize in the future.
- Kaysha Jones / Kaysha is a rising Senior. She is interested in working with her hands this summer. She was a part of the Boat Building Course at Davis along with Arthur. With Davis being an easy place for her to begin her work experience, she will be happy to learn from Mr. Frank in the Fabrication Lab.
- Mikeah Velasquez / Mikeah is a rising Junior. She is taking on this internship to start her work experience. Mikeah would like to use this opportunity to learn more about Entrepreneurship and what it means to make aBrand using the tools down in the lab!
Argonaut Aviation:
- Noah Reed / Noah is a rising Junior. Over the past year, he has been heavily involved in our Argonaut Aviation program. He has been helping our Aviation instructor with regular maintenance. He is determined not to let his hearing disability hold him back from getting the experience he needs to be successful in the future. He will be working one-on-one with our instructor as they do daily maintenance on our aircraft over at Burke Lakefront Airport.
United Airlines:
- Kyra McIntosh / Kyra is a rising Junior. She has been involved with our Argonaut Aviation Club and the Civil Air Patrol in Cleveland. She has taken on the United Internship to progress her knowledge and experience in the aviation industry!
- Rafael Trinidad / Rafael is a rising Senior. He has been in the Aviation Club all three years! He is highly interested in working as either an aviation mechanic or an aviation engineer.
- Braden Luksco / Braden or Brady, is a rising Sophomore. He found Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School due to its robust Aviation program. His goal is to get accepted in the pilot program when he is a junior. Completing this internship will be one step closer to that goal! He travels all the way from Elyria to Cleveland to attend Davis!
- Willy Rodriguez Peralta / Willy is a rising Sophomore. He is very active in the Argonaut Aviation Club. He is also a member of the Civil Air Patrol in Cleveland. He is also highly interested in working for a commercial airline as a Pilot in the future, preferably United Airlines, and completing this internship would bring him closer to that opportunity.
THE DEEPER DIVE
Building upon the incredible excitement and energy of Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School’s 5th Graduation Ceremony, Argonaut has already begun 2025-2026 programming and planning with renewed excitement. We look forward to sharing the latest improvements in our next newsletter!!!
On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, the Cleveland School Board voted unanimously to move twenty-one schools to the district’s traditional calendar and eliminate the 30 extra minutes of daily classroom time that twenty-four schools receive (Ideastream article April 29, 2025). The social activism response launched by students and their families was awesome. Their appeal to the Board, demonstration in front of the BoE building, and dialogues with the media, including National Public Radio, were informed, well-orchestrated, respectful, and modeled their First Amendment Rights. Our seniors were committed to guaranteeing undergraduates and future students have the same experiences and opportunities they have been blessed with.
Despite strong opposition, Davis will see both changes beginning the next school year. While this outcome has been met with frustration and disappointment, I am overwhelmed by an incredible sense of pride as I’ve witnessed the passionate commitment of our Davis students, teachers, staff, and families. The experience has been educational and empowering for everyone.
The cuts to year-round and extended-day schools were not in response to Davis A&M’s performance but focused on the collective metrics of all CMSD schools. Davis A&M has outperformed nearly all CMSD high schools, and our Career Technical Education and Work-Based learning model is a state exemplar. We have upheld our mission and continue year after year to raise our standards and set higher goals. Our students are inspired and aspirational, and their accomplishments defy their realities.
Programming and engagement are not defined by what resources are readily available. We identify the need by engaging students, families, staff, community partners, and industries. We design solutions utilizing the collective knowledge and expertise of this Argonaut and Davis network. We secure key resources from our community, state, federal, and industry partners for the specific support and funding required for the defined success.
When Argonaut was founded in 2010 (PHASTAR), it was with full knowledge that the long-term success of our Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School required committed lifelong partners, staunch allies, and champions. We were purposefully conceived and launched to counter political changes, economic shifts, and strategic adjustments by the Cleveland Metropolitan School District that will continuously test the resilience and challenge the very existence of the Davis A&M community. This is now Argonaut’s time to shine. We ask all of you who have engaged in this journey over the past 15 years, from our original task force to our newest volunteers and community partners, to recommit to Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School. We need your support!
Davis WILL continue to be a year-round school providing support beyond the traditional school calendar and four years of high school. Like the Tuskegee Airmen Legacy on which we are founded, we will continue to fight for change through action and perseverance in the face of adversity. We know our mission, and we will prevail. We are Davis A&M.
Thank you for your support and encouragement. I look forward to hearing from you.
-Drew
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