A Letter from Principal Jim Bopp

When I first came to Brophy in 2005, I was a physics teacher and the coach of a robotics team that had just begun. We had one robot, a small number of committed students, and a workshop in Keating Hall about the size of a large closet. What we lacked in space, we made up for in imagination. Those students stayed late, experimenting, troubleshooting, and learning how to take an idea from concept to creation.

Two decades later, the Innovation Commons has transformed that modest beginning into something extraordinary. The 11,500-square-foot space includes a coding lab, a fabrication studio with 3-D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, and an array of industrial-grade tools that allow students to design, build, and test nearly anything they can imagine. It is a space where students learn by doing—where curiosity and persistence take center stage.

The robotics program, once a single team, now includes six high school teams and three Loyola Academy teams competing within the FIRST Robotics family. More than eighty students take part, developing not only advanced engineering and programming skills but also teamwork, leadership, and communication. The varsity-level team competes regionally in Arizona and Las Vegas and continues through the Arizona Robotics League each year. The t-shirt cannon that fires into the Stampede at football games is one small but joyful symbol of that creativity and collaboration.

Innovation at Brophy extends far beyond robotics. The rocketry team builds and launches high-powered rockets throughout the year, earning certification to launch at remote sites across the state. The CubeSat program is exploring satellite design, testing systems through weather balloon launches and data collection projects. In the Aviation Club, students train on a professional-grade flight simulator that helps them complete hours toward ground school training. The RC Club brings together students who build and fly radio-controlled planes and drones, often out at the Sports Campus. Across these programs, students are not just learning technology—they are learning to work together, solve problems, and take pride in building something real.

All of this reflects a long Jesuit tradition of exploration and innovation that stretches back nearly five centuries. Jesuit education has always sought to inspire curiosity grounded in conscience, intellect balanced by humility, and creativity guided by purpose. The work happening in the Innovation Commons embodies that mission in a modern way. It gives our students the chance to think deeply, act boldly, and imagine a world they can help improve.

The Brophy Fund makes this possible. It supports the programs that foster discovery, the people who mentor and guide, and the spaces where imagination becomes reality. When we invest in these experiences, we help every student find confidence, purpose, and joy in learning.

Thank you for believing in this mission. Our students flourish because this community continues to believe in them.

AMDG,