28 JULY 2026 America, Asia or Europe. It’s impossible not to be amazed by the sheer scope of the collection and the stories behind every instrument. What stood out most during our visit was how deeply the museum is woven into the community. Every year, more than 50,000 students visit MIM through educational programs and field trips. For many, it’s their first opportunity to experience cultures from around the world in an immersive way. Mike Silvers, MIM’s Curator of Education, has seen firsthand how those experiences can spark curiosity and create meaningful connections. “A trip to MIM is exciting because they get to travel the world when they’re here,” Silvers said. He shared stories of students proudly showing classmates exhibits connected to their family’s heritage and cultures. In one memorable moment, a student from Ethiopia eagerly explained his family’s background to his peers while standing in front of an exhibit from his homeland. Those moments are exactly what make MIM so special. It isn’t just about instruments, it’s about identity, discovery and understanding. One exhibit that particularly resonated with Silvers is the Recycled Orchestra display from Paraguay. The exhibit S ome places lose a little of their magic the second time around. The Musical Instrument Museum isn’t one of them. The Arizona Highways Television crew recently returned to the MIM for the second time, and if anything, the experience was even more impressive than we remembered. In a state known for its stunning landscapes, rich Native American history and world-class attractions, the MIM remains one of Arizona’s most unique treasures, a place that surprises, inspires and connects people through the universal language of music. Walking through the museum feels less like visiting an exhibit and more like embarking on a journey around the world. One moment you’re listening to instruments from West Africa, the next you’re exploring traditions from South tells the story of children who lived near a landfill and, with the help of a teacher, built instruments from discarded materials. Visitors can see a cello made from an oil can and guitars crafted from everyday refuse. “It’s such an exciting expression of human creativity,” Silvers said. That spirit of creativity can be felt throughout the museum. Whether students are learning the science of sound through STEM programs, adults are attending workshops and lectures, or families are exploring galleries, education remains at the heart. Beyond the exhibits, the museum regularly hosts cultural celebrations, live performances and community events that bring people together through music. The MIM’s concert hall welcomes artists from around the world, giving Arizona audiences the chance to experience global music traditions without ever leaving the Valley. Despite its international focus, the museum feels distinctly Arizona. It represents the state’s growing cultural diversity, curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning. In a city filled with incredible attractions, the Musical Instrument Museum continues to stand apart. It’s educational without feeling academic, global while remaining local, and inspiring for visitors of every age. A return visit to one of Phoenix’s greatest treasures Robin is the host and executive producer of the Arizona Highways Television , Saturdays and Sundays on CBS. BY ROBIN SEWELL By Madalyn Paltzik As co-president of Kidz4Causes, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand how much a group of dedicated students can accomplish when they come together for a cause larger than themselves. Kidz4Causes is a student-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds and awareness for the Translational Genomics Research Institute’s (TGen) Center for Rare Childhood Disorders. Since its founding in 2015, the organization has raised more than $200,000 to support research and families affected by rare childhood diseases. This year, I am honored to serve as co-president alongside Camila Saenz. Together, we lead a team of passionate student volunteers who work throughout the year to organize fundraisers, coordinate events, recruit volunteers, and spread awareness about the importance of rare disease research. For my family, this mission is personal. My younger brother, Benjamin, was diagnosed with Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO), a rare inflammatory bone disease, when he was in fourth grade. Watching him navigate doctor appointments, treatments, and the uncertainty that often comes with a rare disease gave our family a firsthand understanding of the challenges many families face. His experience inspired both of my older sisters, McKinley and Michaela Paltzik, to become involved with Kidz4Causes, each serving as president before me. Their leadership helped the organization grow over the years, and I am proud to continue that legacy while supporting a cause that has impacted my own family. Our leadership team this year includes Event Coordinator Olivia Wiley, Event Logistics Coordinator Claire Kahn, Fundraising Directors Ula Stratz and Isabel Hargreaves, Volunteer Coordinator Julian Avila, Secretary Alaina Kieran, and other dedicated students who help make every event possible. Over the past year, Kidz4Causes has partnered with Raising Cane’s, Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt, Chipotle, and, most recently, Flower Child to host fundraising events. These partnerships allow families, students, and residents to support an important cause while gathering together. While raising funds remains a central part of our mission, Kidz4Causes is also about empowering young people to make a difference. Through planning events and working directly with partners, students gain leadership experience while learning the value of service and philanthropy. The cause itself is one that deserves attention. Rare childhood diseases affect countless families, many of whom spend years searching for diagnoses and treatment options. Through our support of TGen’s Center for Rare Childhood Disorders, we hope to contribute to research that can provide answers, treatments, and hope for children facing these challenges. As we look ahead, our board is excited to continue growing our impact through new partnerships, additional fundraising events, and expanded outreach. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has attended an event, made a donation, volunteered their time, or supported our mission in any way. Kidz4Causes began with the belief that young people can make a difference. More than ten years later, that belief continues to guide everything we do. kidz-4-causes.org Kidz4Causes continues support for rare disease fundraising Benjamin, Michaela, Madalyn, and McKinley Paltzik. All three sisters have served as president of the organization. PHOTO: CHRISTINE JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY Every year, more than 50,000 students visit MIM through educational programs and field trips.

29 JULY 2026 By Olivia Garcia For Gio Santora, there is nothing like stepping onto a racetrack after a long day. At 17 years old, the professional race car driver has already spent more than a decade behind the wheel and has no plans to slow down. Santora’s racing journey began when he was four years old, at CrackerJax, where he first discovered go-karting. What started as a childhood pastime quickly became a passion as he spent hours developing his skills. As his interest in racing grew, Santora continued training at K1 Speed and Octane Raceway in Scottsdale. During those early years, he focused on mastering passing, the art of out-timing competitors, and quick decision-making under pressure. His dedication soon translated into success on a larger stage. After establishing himself in national karting competitions, Santora represented Team USA at the Rotax Grand Finals in West Asia in 2023. He then gained further momentum by winning the FEED Racing Shootout, a motorsports scholarship competition that earned him a Formula 4 scholarship in France. Since then, Santora has advanced to the MINI Challenge UK, where he competes as the series’s only American driver and one of its youngest racers. Most recently, Santora competed during the Snetterton TOCA weekend in May. He qualified 15th for Round 6 with a lap time of 2:21.330. Even with those accomplishments, Santora said the transition from karting to race cars brought a new set of challenges. Unlike open-air karts, race cars require drivers to adapt to new braking techniques, and vehicle controls become essential as they progress through the ranks. “Overall, it’s adapting to the car’s conditions,” he said. “We drive four different race cars, and they all tend to handle a little differently. The most challenging being a setup designed for an opposing driving style.” To manage those challenges, Santora relies on mental preparation as much as physical skill. Before races, he listens to “Interbloom (Radio Edit)” by RÜFÜS DU SOL, says a prayer, and writes motivational phrases on his steering wheel. Another lesson that continues to guide him came from racing coach Simon Dawson of Dawson Racing. “Never let anything get in your head,” Santora recalled. “At the end of the day, it’s you and you only, and anything that distracts you, you should take out of your mind.” His father, George, said he is grateful for the opportunities his son has earned. “The experience he’s getting, the independence, and how much he is learning is incredible,” George said. “We’re lucky to have a good foundation over there.” Santora competed in Pembrey in June in the MINI Challenge UK. He will race at Thruxton in July - one of the fastest and most demanding circuits. “I’ve learned you can’t skip any steps because if you do, something will fall down,” Santora said. “You have to give your dreams 110 percent, which means always looking onwards and upwards.” or much of my life, I felt like I was standing in my own way. My name is Gabe Turner. I’m the creator of UNTZ Apparel, a graphic designer and someone who has spent much of his life searching for connection and confidence. From the outside, things looked fine. I played baseball as a kid, softball as an adult, stayed active and built a career as a graphic designer. Inside, though, I often felt like something was holding me back. It wasn’t a lack of effort. It was a poor self-image and negative inner dialogue. For as long as I can remember, a voice in my head questioned my decisions, second-guessed my abilities and convinced me to play it safe and isolate. I focused less on what could go right and more on what could go wrong. That pattern followed me beyond sports. I struggled with social anxiety and spent years avoiding situations that made me uncomfortable. That felt safe, but I felt disconnected from the people around me, and it cost me close friendships as well as relationships. For a portion of my life, I also suffered from frequent migraines. They often left me feeling mentally and physically drained, making it even easier to retreat from the world instead of engaging with it. Part of that came from how I was raised. One of the messages I grew up hearing was that you should be seen and not heard. Over time, I internalized that deeply. I learned to stay quiet, avoid attention and keep many of my thoughts and ideas to myself. It made me more reserved in most of the things I did, more comfortable observing life than actively participating in it. Ironically, one thing that helped me find myself was something I spent years avoiding: electronic dance music (EDM). Growing up around ‘music snobs,’ EDM, especially techno, was treated as a joke. People in my friend group would imitate the beat by repeating the word “untz, untz, untz” and mock it for its simplicity and repetitive nature. For years, I accepted those opinions without giving the music much of a chance. Then, four years ago, my life changed. I lost my father. My dad and I were not always especially close, and we rarely talked about life. Much of that was my own fault, because of the self- isolation I mentioned earlier. That made one of our final conversations even more meaningful. He had spent years dealing with serious health problems and understood how quickly opportunities can disappear. During that conversation, he spoke honestly about missed opportunities and things he wished he had done while he still had the chance. Then he gave me a piece of advice that changed my life. He encouraged me to start experiencing life, try new things and, half-jokingly, said to do everything once. Because conversations like that were rare for us, those words carried even more weight. After he passed away, I returned to them again and again. That conversation became the start of an unexpected journey. My father set me off on an adventure to reclaim my life – not through grand gestures, but through a simple decision to stop letting fear make my choices. It sparked something in me, I began saying yes more often. Yes to travel. Yes to new experiences. Yes to meeting people. Yes to stepping outside my comfort zone. That decision led me to places I never expected. Along the way, I got more into fitness, electronic music and festival culture. While there are positive and negative aspects to most cultures, my festival experiences have been mostly positive. I found a community built around music, movement and connection. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged. Festivals are where I feel most alive. The EDM genre and dancing has helped quiet the noise in my head and allows me to constructively confront the hurdles in my life. Fitness has had a similar impact. Movement became more than exercise. It became a source of confidence, focus and growth. Whether through sports, training or dancing, movement taught me to trust myself. Growth often happens when we step into discomfort instead of running from it. The name UNTZ comes from those old jokes about electronic music. What was once used to mock a sound became a symbol of something meaningful. That idea evolved into UNTZ Apparel and a message that has become deeply personal to me: Unleash Your Freq. To me, that message has a double meaning, it’s about unleashing your frequency and your freak. Not “freak” in the negative sense, but in the sense of embracing the parts of yourself you’ve spent years hiding. It’s about letting go of the fear of standing out and pursuing what makes you feel alive. Whether that is fitness, music, creativity, competition, entrepreneurship or self- expression, we all have something that energizes us and makes us feel most like ourselves. To me, unleashing your frequency means finding that authentic part of yourself and putting it into the world. It’s your energy, passion, creativity, self-expression and purpose. By broadcasting it, you can help inspire others to find their own path. That is what UNTZ represents: movement, connection, self-expression and the courage to fully participate in life. The voice that once told me what I couldn’t do has never completely disappeared. The difference is that I’ve learned to quiet it. Life is meant to be experienced. Every workout, festival, friendship and experience outside my comfort zone feels like a way of honoring that final conversation. My dad told me to start living. I’m working on it. For more info, follow UNTZ Apparel on the gram @untz.apparel & untzapparel.com Arcadia News designer finds connection through movement & music Speed, skill and international success follow this Arcadia racer Gabe Turner (left) created UNTZ Apparel in hopes of inspiring others through music, movement and connection. From go-karts at CrackerJax to racecars across the pond, Gio Santora has big plans for his summer – including multiple races in the UK. PHOTO COURTESY OF SIMON DAWSON