The first senior class at Mission, Achievement and Success Charter School (MAS) left a legacy that will last forever and I am happy to say I was a part of it.
I have always wanted to help others, which is why I would like to study sociology with a minor in criminal justice in college. Working with people with disabilities has been a dream of mine. If I can make a difference in the life of someone else, my goal will be complete.
The important lessons that I learned from my school came straight from our school’s founder, Ms. Mitchell. She used lessons from her own life as examples. I thought that was very unselfish of her. I learned a lot from her and will always be grateful for the opportunities MAS has given me—like the college trip to Denver to visit Colorado State University. My friends and I got so close to each other during the trip because many of us had never been away from home without our parents.
Looking back, graduation was very special to me for many reasons. The first reason was that I was the first child to graduate from high school—or any school for that matter—in my immediate family. The second reason was that because my last name is Alarcon, I was the first person in line to receive my MAS diploma. Not to mention, I had a 3.5 GPA and that is something I didn’t expect to achieve! I will miss all my friends and teachers.
I was one of the first students to be enrolled at MAS the first year when Ms. Mitchell started the school. There were nine of us that graduated together and I truly believe we will all be friends forever. I will be leaving behind my younger sister who will graduate in 2020. I have advised her to have as much fun as I had and not to pass up any of the awesome opportunities MAS has to offer. My parents have supported my sister and me with all that we needed throughout the years, and I hope to one day help them when they need it.
Eileen Alarcon is a 2018 graduate of the Mission, Achievement and Success Charter School in Albuquerque, N.M. and will attend Central New Mexico Community College. Her sister is Roxana Alarcon and will graduate from MAS in 2020.
This blog is a part of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ month long celebration of #CharterGrads.
