From Dec. 15 to Dec. 19, Pop Up Phoenix, a fundraising effort for the senior class, was organized and set up in the career center at Rock Ridge. Previously, the senior class relied on a teacher’s auction, where teachers could bid on pieces of clothing, little fidget toys, and other items, as its primary fundraiser.

“Originally, the auction that we had was bidding,” career center coordinator and Pop Up manager Tiziana Marchante said. “So we have baskets and items that people and staff would make, and then we’ll have them bid on it, but it becomes too expensive. With the [current] economy, that’s not going to work, so we decided, ‘What about donations, and we see if people want to buy?’”

 Pop Up Phoenix was advertised through the school’s social media, specifically on Instagram. “I heard about the thrift store on Instagram, and I figured that I’d give it a shot,” sophomore Zyler Yalap said. Others heard about the Pop Up Phoenix through the schoolwide announcements. Because of this marketing, the Pop Up thrift store gained popularity, leading to an increase in sales. 

Both students and staff shopped through a multitude of items at the Pop Up thrift store, such as clothes, smaller items, accessories, and books. “I found a T-shirt in the free bin,” sophomore Milan Soriano said.

The thrift store had a long range of items to choose from – especially men’s and women’s clothing. 

“I went through the free box, and I got myself a mug,” Yalap said.

Through the well-received advertising of the Pop Up Phoenix thrift store, the fundraiser managed to surpass the goal of $900, reaching a total of $1069. Rock Ridge’s main goal was to find a way to help out their student body due to rising prices. This was something that Rock Ridge fulfilled through the joint effort of the Rock Ridge faculty, and other outside donors. “It’s like a recycling type of production,” Marchante said.
”I’m getting [items] from the staff, and some of the other staff will come in and buy them, so it’s like a circle. At one point, we had a really huge donation from just one person,” Marchante said. 

Any money gained from this drive will be used for the senior class of 2026. This would support graduating seniors by giving them scholarship opportunities to help mitigate the costs of higher education. Any leftover items from the drive will be donated to a shelter. “Since we have so many women’s products, and clothes, we’re thinking about a women’s shelter,” Marchante said.

The Pop Up thrift store will be made an annual event, and will return in November 2026.