Premier High School – Mission Class of 2013
Premier High School encourages students to take responsibility for their own education and find a workflow that works best for them to achieve graduation. Sandy Balboa graduated from the Mission, Texas campus in 2013 and says that the opportunity for independent learning helped shape her future. “I feel we were treated as responsible adults while being offered help at every corner when we needed it,” says Balboa.
Now working for the City of McAllen in the transit department, Balboa continues to love volunteering and is always looking for new opportunities. She offers to help with department and city events in her free time. While in high school you were more likely to find her volunteering on campus, at the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley and at local nursing homes, rather than attending social gatherings. Balboa was also a member of the criminal justice and political science clubs while a student.
She went on to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she majored in criminal justice. Working to support herself through college, Balboa was employed as an after-school coordinator, substitute, and finally a teacher aide. She says that the elementary school schedule allowed her to stay focused on her studies. “My jobs hardly required any of my personal time so I dedicated any and all of my extra time for school work including breaks between classes. There’s a lot you can get done when you’re able to focus solely on what is needed at the moment,” says Balboa.
Balboa goes on to say that managing her time between multiple responsibilities and working to pay tuition taught her to take ownership of her workload and be able to take on more when required. “Never let any obstacle along your way get the best of you, never give up, and have fun,” she says.
‘Never give up,’ is a saying that Balboa lives by and she thanks Mrs. Alizy and Ms. Perez for encouraging her throughout high school and supporting her all the way to graduation.
For more information about the ResponsiveEd Alumni Network, please visit www.responsiveed.com/alumni/.
