High Achieving Graduating Seniors
INTERVIEWS
By Kristin Mckenna, College and Career Readiness Director and Katie Navarette, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Secondary
Madera High School
Favorite Experiences?
Madison: Madera High The Miracle Worker Play, closing show and did a power dollar activity, where they appreciated each other. Seniors talked and shared experiences. Close group of senior drama students that get along well, and share their memories and experience from high school.
Hunter: I think honors and AP classes are more fun, because students become closer to each other since they have to take many classes together. It makes it fun to work together and do similiar projects with.
Isaac: Being on the robotics team and going to competitions, especially world championships in Houston and St. Louis. It was a good experience to meet people from all over the world and compete at a high level. 1323 has made World Championships all 4 years while I was at MHS.
Things special about MHS?
Madison: The amazing Robotics team and how the whole school can come together to celebrate them and their accomplishments.
Hunter: The girls cross country and track team are well accomplished and don’t get as much recognition.
Isaac: The community and diversity between students. We live in an interesting spot geographically, so students from multiple countries all go to school together. It is interesting to see how they all interact and coexist together.
What advice would you give a freshman?
Madison: Get yourself out there to try more things, so you can figure out what you like personally. Find your passion, MHS has a lot of clubs and programs which you can explore to see what the right fit is for you.
Hunter: Be more confident in yourself, you can do a lot more than you think you can.
Isaac: Don’t put too much worry on everyday affairs, some things aren’t worth worrying about. Situations will work themselves out whether you worry about them or not.
One thing you would want the community to know?
Madison: We have a lot of kids who will do great things, they want support from the community and for the community to embrace them. These students are the next generation. Try to support as many events as possible, even the small clubs, to show that you want students to succeed.
Hunter: MHS has a lot of hard working students. The stereotype of teens who don’t want to work isn’t always accurate. Students here do the work to better themselves and better others.
Isaac: Hard working students at MHS who don’t often see their efforts recognized, everyone has their own story and accomplishments and should be encouraged to be their best, not stereotyped.
Name: Madison Stone
GPA: 4.32
Next Year / Future Plans: plan to attend BYO Provo where I will major in Psychology and eventually earn my PhD.
Extra Curricular: I participated in color guard as a freshman. I have also participated in plays in each semester of my high school experience.
Biggest Achievement: I sew for a non-profit organization called Days for Girls and I have successfully aided in making hundreds of reusable menstrual kits for women in 3rd world countries.
Greatest Influence: I always make a daily effort to see that my classmates know that I care about them and love them. My teachers and friends have inspired me to do great things and I can’t go on without doing the same for them.
Madera South High School
Favorite Experiences?
Emmanuel: Through my sports involvement (track) and hanging out with teammates, competing is fun especially in Academic Decathlon and FBLA competitions.
Yadira: I played tennis for one year and made a lot of my closest friends from that experience. I found out that sports were not my thing. However, I was brought together with a close group of friends through the nursing program. This group shared similiar interests as I did and we had the opportunity to work together during clinical hours after school.
Things special about MSHS?
Emmanuel: The positive classroom environment in the AP and honor classes where peers help keep you motivated and push you to do better. Peers are able to help you set higher expectations for yourself.
Yadira: The teachers at MSHS, it makes it easier to learn, because of the relationships that you build, the teachers motivate you succeed. You notice the difference between classes, being with the students in honors and AP classes is helpful.
What advice would you give a freshman?
Emmanuel: Get more involved, high school is only fun when you’re involved, do competitions and clubs. Get involved and try really hard at your events, then you will have a lot of fun.
Yadira: Focus on yourself, as a freshman you are influenced by others. You can lose focus if your friends aren’t headed down the right path. Do what is best for you, because you have to live with yourself forever.
What was your favorite part of your CTE experience?
Emmanuel: Due to my participations in Future Business Leaders of America and the Entrepreneurship class I want to major in Economics and minor in Entrepreneurship. FBLA helped me study and learn Economics and know where I am, especially when competing. When competing in FBLA you get to compete against students throughout California so it is a benchmark on your learning and success.
Yadira: The gateway to the real world through nursing and getting a Certified Nursing Assistant license. The clinical hours let me see nursing in practice to decide if it is still something I’m interested in or if there is something else I should pursue. Also the teachers did a good job of explaining other options within the healthcare industry.
Mountain Vista High School
Favorite Experiences?
School treasurer and ASB class, have allowed me to talk to different groups of students and the teachers at MVHS are really helpful.
Things special about MVHS?
Teachers — at the bigger schools it is difficult to get individual attention. That has been what has helped me to be successful.
What advice would you give a freshman?
Do not procrastinate and focus on school. In the end, school is the most important thing for somebody to be something in life.
One thing you would want the community to know?
Even though it is a continuation school, the students aren’t all bad, some just need a new environment. I personally enjoy the stronger connection between students and teachers on a small campus.
