Andy Tadlock - Class of 2014
Andy Tadlock (‘14) is flying high in his life after AOT! After earning a BS in Criminology and Criminal Justice in 2018 from Arizona State University, he went on to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. He is currently going through Navy flight school in Texas.
Andy tells us that his time at AOT laid a foundation for who he is today. He enjoyed the smaller class sizes at AOT and took honors physics and calculus classes, which he says come in handy in his current profession. Activities helped too, as “student council was also an environment that allowed the development of leadership traits that I use every single day as a naval officer.“ Andy says, “the faculty at the Academy of Tucson never gave up on me once. This laid the framework that allowed me to take what I learned in high school and use it to go on to achieve the accomplishments I have done so far.”
Jacob Walters - Class of 2015
Jacob Walters is a Performer, with a capital P. Jacob graduated from AOT in 2015 and earned his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance in May 2019. Now, Jacob performs with local theaters and choirs, as well as in his own solo and band projects. He teaches voice lessons and serves as Music Director for both local children's theatre programs and for the musical at Walden Grove High School.
During his time at Academy of Tucson, Jacob was very involved in the music program, as well as with Creative Writing Club, Free Thinkers Club, and National Honors Society.?He credits the small community feel, and the top-notch academic instruction as his favorite things about his time with us.
And for any potential Academy of Tucson students or families, Jacobs advises, ”It is very small, and is a great community to be a part of. The academics are top of the line, and it serves as a safe and easy place to grow into yourself.”
Madison Goforth - Class of 2018
Madison Goforth, class of 2018 is on a mission to make a difference in this world, working on an education that will help her fight future pandemics. Madison is a 4.0 student at University of Arizona majoring in Microbiology and Nutrition and Food Systems with a Minor in Biochemistry. She also works in two campus labs, gaining valuable work experience to help with her future career!
During her years at AOT, Madison especially valued the experiences the school gave her outside the classroom on sports teams, field trips and leadership opportunities. As for advice for future AOT Students, Madison suggests experiencing all the clubs, extracurriculars, and taking a bunch of college classes (either through the Academy or alongside the classes through Pima). “Go to all the events and understand that these teachers care about the student entirely. It is a beautiful community that is very cool and fun, where all the students get along and know each other.”