Shadow Ridge senior earns Dorrance Scholarship

Shadow Ridge High School senior, Mirabelle Yontz, was awarded the prestigious Dorrance Scholarship, which is valued at more than $100,000.  The Dorrance Foundation for Education awards 60 scholarships each year to Arizona high school students to attend one of three state universities (Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona.)

Mirabelle will use the scholarship to attend the University of Arizona in the fall of 2025.  Her field of study, biology and genetics, is ambitious but also very personal to her.

“My family has a chronic illness, it’s called Fabry Disease,” she shared.  “My brother and my mom have it.  My grandmother had it, and she passed away.  Her brother also passed away from it.  My mom and brother are in treatment for it, but it’s a pretty severe disease.”  

Fabry disease is a rare, inherited disorder where the body lacks an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase A. This enzyme is essential for breaking down fats, and its absence leads to a buildup of fatty substances in cells, blood vessels, and tissues, particularly in the kidneys, heart, skin, and brain. 

“My brother has some of the worst symptoms because it’s an X-linked disease,” Mirabelle said.  “Males only have one X chromosome, and it affects them more severely.  My brother has a head-to-toe body rash, and then also severe stomach issues, severe pain in his hands and feet, and he has to miss a lot of school.”  

Her brother has been getting a treatment called fabrazyme since he was seven that’s administered at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.  Mirabelle is lucky in that she didn’t inherit the chromosome with the disease. 

“Even though I don’t have the disease, it’s traumatic to watch your family go through things like that.”  

Her mother and brother were her inspiration for wanting to get into genetics and applying for the scholarship to begin with.  Her goal after the bachelor’s degree is to get a master’s degree in microcellular biology and a doctorate in genetics.  Mirabelle hopes to work with those affected by the disease and help with symptom management, hopefully also helping to find a cure for it. 

“It means the world to me to get this scholarship,” she said with an enthusiastic smile.  “It means so much that all the work I put in paid off, and that I do get to be able to help people.”  

In addition to the Dorrance Scholarship, Mirabelle was also awarded the Surprise Youth Scholarship and the Wildcat Distinction Award.  She’s graduating with a 4.3 weighted grade point average with both an Honors Diploma and an Arts Seal of Proficiency.  

The Dorrance Scholarship is a need-based award that aims to instill college-going traditions in future generations of Arizona families, provide financial access and academic support for recipients and enhance college persistence through unique enrichment experiences. Students must be Arizona residents and current seniors at an accredited Arizona high school.