Ellison Namba is a recent graduate of Ralston Valley High School (‘24). She will be attending Colorado College in the fall to study Psychology and Spanish. She hopes to continue pursuing her passion for mental health awareness as a mental health counselor in the future.
Carson Pramov is a recent honor graduate from Ralston Valley High School (‘24). He joined the Peer Counseling Program and YPAR project through his passion for mental health and helping others. This passion, combined with his love for science, will take him to the University of Colorado Boulder’s Neuroscience program in which he plans to impact the mental health of others from many different perspectives.
Simone Roepnack is a recent graduate of Ralston Valley High School (‘24). She intends to begin her study of History at CU Boulder in the fall. She has always been fascinated by human behavior and this interest has been reflected in her work as a Peer Counselor at Ralston Valley.
Ainsley Miller is a recent graduate of Ralston Valley High School (‘24). She is attending San Diego State, double majoring in Dance and Business. Ainsley hopes to become a professional dancer then own her own studio in the future and be able to give young adolescents an outlet to be able to express themselves.
Brandon Nies is a clinical psychology and CSHD (child studies and human development) undergraduate at Tufts University. He graduated from Ralston Valley High School in May 2023. Brandon has previously conducted research at University of California, Santa Cruz on YPAR, Positionality, and Photovoice. In his free time, Brandon teaches pottery, runs a mixed media art studio, and provides crisis counseling to his peers.
Scott Merkel is a high school counselor, currently serving Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, CO. Mr. Merkel founded Peer Counseling at Ralston Valley in early 2020. Beyond supporting interested students in developing their skills as peer advocates, the program became a natural jumping off point to conduct action research to address community-based challenges, with Peer Counseling students taking the lead. Mr. Merkel believes deeply in the power and importance of student voice and plans to continue to pursue opportunities to build capacity with student leaders in the future, leading to trickle down impacts to overall school community and culture.
