Mountainside Middle College High School

Noah is the kind of senior who makes the future feel calm instead of loud. This spring, he graduates from Mountainside Middle College High School in Diamond Springs with a brain wired for math and science, hands that love building Legos, and a creative streak that shows up in art and colored pencils. We met in Placerville and headed toward one of my favorite hillside spots above downtown, the light shifting as the sun slipped in and out of the clouds—fitting for someone who’s comfortable moving between logic and imagination. When he’s not biking or problem-solving, he’s looking ahead: Italy…

When everything feels heavy, some stories still shine. This dynamic high school senior came into our lives during the Caldor Fire, when her family generously opened their home to us while we were evacuated. In the middle of a different kind of heaviness, their home became a refuge — something my family will never forget. Rebecca attends Mountainside Middle College High School and somehow balances it all: piano, vocal and dance lessons, working outside of school, paying attention to the bigger picture, and dreaming big — whether that’s becoming a K-pop idol or teaching English in Korea someday. Photographing her…