Nicholas Almaguer 

What are your plans for next year?

For next year after I graduate high school, I would like to continue my undergraduate degree at St. Philip's for my welding, applied sciences and manufacturing, using the Alamo Promise. I’d like to manage a manufacturing plant.

How have SAISD schools shaped you into the person you are today?

Phoenix was a big opportunity for me. I didn’t know it existed. I was just going to Highlands and I didn’t even know what I was going to do after high school until I got a call from Phoenix. I came here and now I know what I want to do. So Alamo Colleges providing even more of an opportunity for me to continue going to college really means a lot to me and to a lot of other students too. They can contribute a lot to their community.

The teachers here are really more like leaders. They really help you; it’s more of a community. So whenever you have any questions about anything, they always give you advice. 


Who has been most influential to you in your education this far?

My mother has been the biggest advocate for what I do because she is the one who helps me stay in school and not need to work after school. She always supports me and gives me advice on what I would want to do in the future. She’s a single working mother, so the Alamo Promise makes less stress for her, too. She’s been my biggest motivation and support because whenever I go into the field, I’d like to support her in the future.

As a leader of the Class of 2022, what is your hope for the Class of 2022 as they move on to the next chapter of their lives? 

What I would hope for is that everyone in this senior class would continue with the Alamo Promise. It may not seem worth it in the short term, because most people in the trades just see money in the short term, if you continue getting your degree, it will guarantee your future. I hope that they can give back to their communities and inspire others much like I’ve been inspired by this community.

Hoshi King

What are your plans for next year?

I plan to go to college at St. Philip's and go into culinary. I’m going to be working more and trying to support my mom and make sure she is good and that we’re all good as a family.

What is the greatest challenge you have overcome during your education?

My biggest challenge for getting through high school was motivation. Motivation was a very big problem for me because I never thought I was going to graduate, especially after missing two years because of COVID. I just lost motivation. I thought because I had so many credits to make up that I wasn’t going to be able to do it.

When COVID first came down, I was working a lot and with the Zooms it didn’t really mesh well, so I just stopped showing up for the Zooms, and then I stopped doing the work. It was like that for a year and a half until we came back and through that time, I didn’t really focus on anything. I barely opened Canvas.

How have SAISD schools shaped you into the person you are today?
 
Who I am today has a lot to do with Cooper because of the environment they have. It’s a smaller community and they are able to help you out a lot more than a larger school. You can get one on one help and it really helps. It’s a completely different environment and it helps me remain motivated.

Ms. Dillon, the math teacher, would check in on me all the time. She would also make sure that I’m understanding everything and if I ever needed something or if I didn’t understand it, she would always try her best to explain it in a way I would understand it.

As a leader of the Class of 2022, what is your hope for the Class of 2022 as they move on to the next chapter of their lives? 

I hope that everybody graduates and still has that same kind of determination that we have here and use it out into the real world. No matter what we’re doing, if it’s a simple 9-5 or going to college, I hope we still stay the same way we were, determination-wise.

Michelle Luis 

What are your plans for next year?

I plan on working part time and going to school full time to college. I applied for the nursing program for my RN to my associates.

How did you choose your pathway?

I want to continue the medical field because I already have my CNA certificate, so I’m already interested in the medical field. I was more focused on the CNA class than my credits so I got my CNA first and now I’m getting my diploma. I’ve been working with elderly since I was 18, so that’s my interest in continuing with the medical field. I have a really good job now. I love working with patients. I’m working part time and hopefully God-willing I start school in August.

What is the greatest challenge you have overcome during your education?

I have four kids. It wasn’t so easy to give my all to school. The biggest challenge that I have overcome is to actually give all my dedication to school instead of just putting it to the side. It is really hard because they need a lot of attention from you and you get frustrated sometimes and I broke down. Sometimes I would wake up for school at 8 and finish at 8. I came to school and I broke down to my counselor, Ms. Martell. She encouraged me and gave me the motivation to push on forward. It took me a little while, but set my mind to “This is what I want; this is what I need for me and my kids, and I have to do it.”

As a leader of the Class of 2022, what is your hope for the Class of 2022 as they move on to the next chapter of their lives? 

My wish for the class of 2022 is no matter what your situation is, don’t give up and just keep going forward. You’re always going to have a different obstacle that’s going to come your way and you’re just going to have to go over it. That’s the only thing you can do. Problems are always going to be there but don’t let it affect you.