Jaquelyn Mora was missing credits and at risk of not graduating from Pajaro Valley High School when she learned about Renaissance High.
“I was smart, but I never felt the need to do the work,” she said.
She would also frequently skip class, she said. “I didn’t pay attention to how important it truly was until after I came to Renaissance.”
Once she arrived, she says the school, created for students in need of a smaller learning environment—and for those who need to make up missing credits—was the perfect match.
Mora said that the small class sizes, and the one-on-one attention she got from her teachers, was a breath of fresh air from the much larger school from which she came.
“I came in here with an open mind, and honestly the time here has been really good,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It has honestly changed my perspective in school and in life.”
Mora played volleyball and soccer for the Sea Dragons teams, both of which earned championships. She was also part of the school’s leadership team.
She now plans to attend Cabrillo College, and eventually transfer to CSU Monterey Bay to study nursing.
Mora said that the school’s negative image is belied by its staff, teachers and educational opportunities.
“I thought Renaissance was going to be my downfall, that it was going to be a negative experience.” she said. “But I don’t regret coming here.”
Cesar Fernandez graduated earlier this year, and is now looking for jobs in either retail or food service as he ponders his future.
While college does not currently factor into those plans, Fernandez said he hopes to eventually find a career that includes the arts or photography, and live in either a foreign country or to the East Coast.
He says that he wasn’t finding success at Aptos High School, meaning he couldn’t participate in sports. His parents—both of whom attended Renaissance—told him the school was a good option, as well as his school counselors.
And so he attended for half of his junior and all of his senior year, playing basketball for the school both years.
Fernandez says he liked the teachers, the extra-curricular activities and the small class sizes.
“I felt like the teachers were building more relationships with each individual student,” he said. “They showed a lot of love to me as soon as I got there.”
Adri Castillo said she came to Renaissance as a sophomore.
“I felt welcome here; I just didn’t feel all the pressure,” she said. “I got good counseling and was able to focus on what I had to do.”
Mora and Fernandez joined 70 of their classmates in receiving a diploma on June 4.
