26 JUNE 2020 By Ray Artigue The question doesn’t faze Bull Earnhardt because he has answered it so many times. “Is that really your name?” And the answer is yes. Bull is his real name. His mom tells the story of when he was born and how his grandfather, the late Arizona icon Tex Earnhardt, came to the maternity ward to see his newest grandchild. He took commercial license and slapped an Earnhardt – No Bull bumper sticker on the bassinet. From then on, the nurses started referring to the newborn as the ‘No Bull Baby.’ “I guess it just stuck, and with a little urging from my grandpa, my mom chose that as my birth name,” Bull said. The 38-year-old businessman is the third generation of Earnhardts working in the family automobile business founded in 1951. It consists of 23 dealerships and 17 different brands, and today it is one of the largest auto groups in the country. “When I was 16, Grandpa gave me a new Ford pickup truck and said, ‘Now get to work!’” “I started in the car wash and, over time, have held every position there is. His motive was evident as it taught me the importance of having a solid work ethic,” Bull said. Today he is general manager of Earnhardt Lexus. “That’s no small thing given that the dealership moved clear across town just a few years ago, which was almost like starting from scratch,” he said. Earnhardt said that he and his family members and all of the employees work exceptionally hard to carry on the philosophy of Tex, which is to treat people just as you would like to be treated. “We sell a product, but we are really in the people business.” Bull grew up in Chandler along with his extended family, which is where Tex settled and opened the first dealership. He attended ASU, earning a degree in finance, and got married to his wife Alexis a year after graduating in 2005. “We were high school sweethearts and were introduced by her cousin. Both of our families have known each other since the 50s. I guess you could say it was meant to be,” he said. However, Bull does admit that he took nothing for granted. “Alexis got a job with NBC right out of college, and all of a sudden she was 3,000 miles away. I took 15 redeye flights to New York in just one year because I wasn’t going to let a good thing slip out of my hands.” Bull and Alexis have two daughters, Estee, 9, and Evalee, 6, and say that they always wanted to raise their family in Arcadia, though admitting it was tough pulling up roots in Chandler. “There’s no other neighborhood in Arizona that looks and feels like Arcadia,” Bull said. “You just can’t beat the large lots and ranch-style architecture, the bike paths, and all the citrus trees. My family loves it here.” When he isn’t working six days a week, Bull loves to play golf and spend time with his wife and daughters. Asked about the best advice he has ever received, he quickly said, “You can’t like what you do, you have to love what you do.” Sage yet honest advice from the same guy who also liked to say, “That ain’t no bull!” You have to love what you do.” Bull Earnhardt Bull with Grandpa Tex Earnhardt in November 2018. 2020 98% were accepted to their first choice high school.

27 JUNE 2020 By Mallory Gleich Arcadia seniors Lainey Durchslag, Toni Stark, Oriana Valcamp and Jamie Villarreal, along with 33 other SUSD students, were awarded this year’s Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency award. This recognition comes in the form of a seal that is adhered to the students’ diploma. It states that they have completed the Fine Arts Career Pathway and completed their capstone project, which is a combination of a digital portfolio and a student-led project and reflection. “It was an absolute honor to receive the State Seal for the Arts,” Jamie said. “The fine arts are a great passion of mine, so it feels great to be honored this way!” The criteria for a student to receive this seal is a final GPA of 3.0 or 4.0 in each qualifying arts education course and minimum credit requirements in dance, music, theatre, visual or media arts. The student must also complete 80 hours of arts-related extracurricular activities along with the capstone project. The award is part of the Arizona Department of Education arts program and was signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey in May 2019. The main goals of the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency are to celebrate students who demonstrate high levels of proficiency through personal expression and creative experiences, as well as artistic literacy. It also promotes access to arts education across the state and helps prepare students for college and career readiness. Students submit a digital portfolio that includes an artistic statement, academic resume, documentation of their extracurricular work, awards and honors and eight examples of their work. At least one of the submissions must include an explanation of a leadership role the student has held and a reflection on why they chose the project as well as the obstacles and successes they had during the process. Lastly, the student must explain their future goals and how the arts have supported them and will continue to support them on their next steps. “All of the work I submitted was from my film class and consisted of projects such as my special effects makeup, a music video for class and one of the festival film intros,” Lainey said. “I was very excited and proud that my hard work had paid off.” Unfortunately, with the closures of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no awards banquet, but the students were honored at a virtual awards ceremony. AHS seniors awarded the State Seal of Arts Proficiency edwardjones.com Member SIPC Richard M Ross Financial Advisor 4350 E Camelback Rd #B100 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-955-7654 I’m open, let’s talk. Serving the Arcadia/Biltmore area for over 20 years What’s Your Financial Strategy Moving Forward?