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Photo for The New Vision by Brother Martin Vu
San Miguel High School class of 2008 alumni who have graduated from college or will be graduating this spring gathered in late March at the Tucson school (Left to right) Leslie Shultz-Crist, President and CEO of San Miguel High, Edward Sanchez, James Hayes, Anissa Cardenas, Damian Baeza, Esteban Parra, Isabella Chamseddine, Roxanne Garcia, donor Jim Click and Brother Nick Gonzalez.
By VICTOR CALDERON
The New Vision
San Miguel High School opened in south Tucson in 2004 with a mission to prepare its students to go out and serve others.
Now, eight years later, the first of its alumni are graduating from college and doing just that. The alumni were honored at a school gathering in late March.
Anissa Cardenas attended the University of Arizona and has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Northern Arizona University.
“My experience at San Miguel was great and it was great to see the school grow,” said Cardenas, who is now a support specialist at the Tu Nidito non-profit agency in Tucson that is dedicated to supporting children impacted by serious medical conditions and death. “The school molded us to be good people and make more of a difference in the community.”
Cardenas is one of five graduates from the Class of 2008 who have earned their bachelor’s degrees as of December 2012, school officials said. The others are:
-Esteban Parra, University of Arizona, Sociology and Spanish Interpretation
-Damian Baeza, Boston College, English and Secondary Education, pursuing a Masters in Secondary Education, wants to be a teacher
-Isabella Chamsedine, Psychology, working at Juvenile Detention center as a probation officer in Tucson
-James Hayes, Accounting from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., working as a financial advisor’s assistant in California
Six more students will be graduating beginning in May, nine more are continuing their education either at Pima Community College, the University of Arizona or out of state and eight students have earned their associates degrees and are working in the medical, dental or automotive fields, school officials said.
The school has succeeded thanks in part to the work and fundraising efforts of school administrators and faculty and community leaders including Jim Click, who owns automotive dealerships in Tucson.
“The fact that Jim Click and other Tucson celebrities believed we could succeed in a small school in south Tucson motivated us to do well,” Cardenas said.