WISH Alumni
Alumni Updates!
Soaring to New Heights: WISH Academy Engineering Alumni Receive Congressional Recognition
From 2021–2022, a talented team of WISH Academy sophomores designed and built a mechanism to study wave propagation in water in microgravity. On August 23, 2025, their innovative device flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard Mission NS-35, operating in microgravity for three minutes during the sub-orbital flight.
As a part of a TechRise competition, sponsored by Future Engineers and anchored to NASA, the team earned a $1,500 grant to support their work, and were recently honored with Certificates of Congressional Recognition for their achievement.
Their success highlights the creativity, curiosity, and determination that define WISH Academy students, and it is an inspiration to our entire school community.
Petal to the Metal: WISH Alumni Blossom at the 2026 Rose Parade
Two talented WISH Academy alumni played a key role on the Cal Poly Universities team that designed and built the “Jungle Jumpstart” float, which captured top honors at the 2026 Rose Parade.
Devan Makwana, a current third-year Computer Engineering major at Cal Poly Pomona and Alumni of the Class of 2023, reflected on both the skills he developed and the hands-on responsibilities he held as a member of the Rose Float team:
“I can tell you that I have learned so much during my tenure at Cal Poly Rose Float, including skills like welding and using heavy machinery. My role was to support my lead and guide participants. We helped with the implementation and redesigns, if needed, for our 2 mechanisms, the Jaguar tail and the Lemur arms…The part I enjoyed the most was, without a doubt, when I got to work, build, and decorate on the higher parts of the float, requiring me to climb atop scaffolding that was as high as 25'+ feet.”
Celebrating Our Winter Alumni Gathering: Insights from Alumni Association President Stephan Baum Harvey
The Winter Alumni Event was an amazing opportunity for current alumni to reconnect, spend time together, and share stories from their time at WISH, their college experiences, and their paths beyond graduation. It was also great to have teachers join the event and reconnect with alumni in a social and fun setting that encouraged conversation and networking. From bowling and eating together to reconnecting with friends, the event created a welcoming space for meaningful connections. This event marked our highest turnout yet, which speaks to the strength of our alumni community. We’re excited to continue building on this momentum and look forward to hosting more events that expand opportunities for connection, mentorship, and engagement.
—Stephan Baum Harvey, Class of 2021
Stephan completed his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley in 2023 and earned his MBA from Loyola Marymount University in December of 2025. He works in emergency management and preparedness for a local city, focusing on public safety communications and using technology to improve real-world operations.
One of the biggest lessons Stephan has learned since graduating is the importance of “...staying focused on your goals and not giving up, even when the path forward is unclear…Keep pushing and don’t be afraid to adjust your route as you go.”
Send Us Your Updates!
At WISH, we love staying connected with our alumni and know many of you want to keep in touch with former classmates too. We would love to hear what you have been up to, whether it is a recent achievement, career milestone, creative project, or personal adventure. Big or small, your story helps keep our community strong and inspired.
Please use this link to share your updates, photos, and contact information for a chance to be featured and to stay connected with WISH.
Just because you have graduated does not mean you are gone. We are always excited to welcome alumni back at events like games, graduation, Evening of the Arts, and other community gatherings. Be sure to check the WISH Events calendar for upcoming opportunities to reconnect.