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Mason Takeuchi will be graduating as part of BASIS Flagstaff's Class of 2025 this evening, having explored a range of interests both in and out of the classroom. 

Takeuchi has been a student at BASIS Flagstaff since fourth grade and said he enjoyed both the school’s academic rigor and the support from teachers and other students.

“The class sizes are so small you can basically talk to [your classmates] about anything,� he said. “Especially because a lot of you had the same class ... it’s pretty easy to find someone to go to for help.�

Takeuchi, who is this year's class valedictorian, said the school’s curriculum taught him organization and prioritization. Over time, he said, he realized “it’s more effective� to finish studying and homework assignments before taking a break.

Completing research for his senior project in the last third of this school year has also taught him about the process of researching and the skills and effort needed to succeed in an internship.

Takeuchi did his senior project with Lowell Observatory, analyzing data on the light emitted by meteors. He’d gone to summer camps at the observatory as an elementary school student, and in high school, he has been volunteering with the camps as a counselor in training.

His senior project is titled “Stacking Shooting Stars: An Analysis of Meteor Light Curve Patterns through Multiple Cameras.�

Lowell assistant astronomer Nick Moskovitz was Takeuchi’s advisor for the project, giving him a data set to analyze for correlations between the different properties of a meteor and its brightness. Takeuchi said this found that velocity “does seem to have an impact� on the light a meteor produces.

The project also introduced complexity as a measurement for meteors� light -- which can mean additional math is needed to measure the light curve accurately. Takeuchi found that meteors that aren’t part of a meteor shower were more likely to have higher complexity.

He said his favorite teacher at BASIS has been Andrew Robarge, who taught his history classes both this year and in middle school.

“He definitely made history something that was super, super exciting and really easy to process and understand how cause and effect really drives all of history,� Takeuchi said. � ... He was really enthusiastic, always eager to help, and he’s an amazing teacher.�

Robarge was also Takeuchi’s advisor for the Congressional Award. Takeuchi was in the 2024 Gold Medalist Class for the award, which is given based on  volunteer work, personal development and an expedition. Takeuchi learned how to code for this and throughout his time in high school would frequently spend time on the weekends volunteering with his family and local organizations at the Flagstaff Family Food Center.

His expedition was a trip with his Scouting America troop. 

Takeuchi, an Eagle Scout, helped start Venture Crew 1876 in Flagstaff, a type of Scout group for ages 14-20 focusing on leadership and activities. In 2023, he was one of four Scouts recognized in the Grand Canyon Council's inaugural Scouts of the Year awards, representing Troop 7031.

Though he's aged out of the main Scout programs, Takeuchi is still part of the Venture Crew, which is now 3 years old and last summer completed a rim-to-rim trip across the Grand Canyon. 

Takeuchi has also spent three years on the school's cross country team and has skied in his own time for about 10 years. 

After graduation, he plans to study physics at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. 

“I’m excited,� he said of moving across the country. “Definitely it’s going to be different. In some ways, it’s going to be the same.�

He said he was looking forward to participating in outdoor activities around the campus and that he eventually wants to earn a master’s degree and Ph.D.

“Right now, I’m planning on getting more into astrophysics specifically because I’m interested in learning about the movement of celestial bodies and space and how that works,� he said. � ... I feel like there’s so much unknown about how space works and it’s really important that we learn more, because we might be sending probes or even human missions deeper into space than we ever have before.�