PHOENIX — In a quiet corner of Maryvale, just off 75th Avenue and Osborn Road, something remarkable is happening inside the walls of Starlight Park College Preparatory and Community School. At the heart of it is Principal Susana Huntley, who leads with a clear and determined vision.
“Starlight Park is a B school reaching for an A, which I know we're going to be very soon,” Huntley says proudly.
Home to 700 students in grades K-6, Starlight Park is known for its strong dual-language instruction and deep community roots.
“We have so many teachers who are alumni. We have parents who now work here to be closer to their children,” she adds. “It’s a very united, very family-driven place.”
Now, students are getting a new kind of opportunity — one that brings science, communication, and confidence to the forefront.
Through ABC15’s KidCasters program, a select group of students got the chance to deliver their own weather forecasts on TV.
“I just knew our kids would shine when they did it,” says Huntley. “It heightened their awareness of what a meteorologist is. Their teacher has really leaned into it. Now they’re talking about temperatures and math in new ways.”
It’s a full-circle moment for Huntley, who is preparing to retire after this school year.
“We have a saying here: ‘Los que hablan dos idiomas valen por dos’ — those who speak two languages are worth twice as much. Our children truly feel that, and so do our families.”
More than 20 miles away, another group of students is finding inspiration of their own at Palomino Intermediate School, near 30th Street and Greenway Road.
Fourth-grade teacher Haley Kolseth has been weaving weather education into her classroom for years, introducing careers that once felt out of reach.
“I love showing them careers like yours. It opens their eyes to what’s possible,” Kolseth says.
When her fourth graders were invited to participate in KidCasters, the excitement was immediate, and so were the nerves.
“They wanted their scripts a month in advance!” Kolseth laughs. “They’ve been practicing, and they’re excited because they see people doing this on YouTube or TikTok. It makes them think, ‘I can do that too.’”
As the cameras rolled and the scripts came to life, the energy in the room was contagious, and the impact lasting.
“Opportunities like this can be life-changing. Maybe one of these 60 kids will become a meteorologist, or maybe they’ll just realize there’s a world of possibilities outside of what their parents do,” Kolseth added.
From Maryvale to north Phoenix, in classrooms filled with curiosity and courage, the future is looking as sunny and bright as ever.
