Armando -

“Three years have passed since the day I first enrolled at Premier High School. I really didn’t have a specific reason to enroll in a Charter School, but I was curious. Since the first day I started attending Premier High School I noticed the differences between [Premier] and a public school.
One thing I noticed that was really drastic was my dependence on teachers which seemed to decrease while my independence grew. Independence at this school means working at your own pace and getting all the attention from the teachers if you need it, unlike public schools where in one semester you only get up to three credits. Here you get as many as possible if you work hard.
I also got much help for college thanks to the Go Center provided at Premier High School. This past summer I went on a trip to visit some colleges here in Texas. I gathered a lot of information from that trip which is now helping me plan for my future.
This school has been a good experience and a big help to me. The teachers here are great and very helpful. Being a part of the Student Council has enhanced my leadership skills. Thanks to the many opportunities here at Premier High School, I’m on my way to becoming a successful architect.”

Gaby -

“I really never saw myself graduating and going to college until I came here to Premier High School. I was born and raised in Miami, FLA, where my school experiences began. I did alright until I got to middle school.
For some reason I lost focus, I guess I got to the point where I had to choose which crowd I was going to hang out with and I made the wrong choice. I picked the wrong crowd because I wanted to fit in. I started slacking off in school, my A’s and B’s soon turned to C’s and D’s and even F’s. I then moved to Texas and experienced a big change in my life.
I started my eighth grade year at a traditional middle school and again, I chose the wrong crowd. The following year was my first year in regular high school and things just got worse. I was in ninth grade twice. I skipped school a lot, ended up in [In School Suspension] regularly and I wasn’t a good influence to the people around me. One day I finally realized I needed to do something or I was never going to get out of the ninth grade.
My brother influenced and convinced me to attend Premier High School with him. I wasn’t very excited about the idea. I knew that leaving regular high school meant starting all over. It meant new friends… new everything, but I finally decided that’s what I needed.
When I started here at Premier, I started off with 12.5 credits. I began to move fast, every 10 packs meant I had another credit. I began to get more focused, and what I liked most of all was that everyone was friendly. I didn’t have to fit in, everyone was respectable, teachers as well as students. From day one this school and these teachers have been a blessing in my life. One teacher here, Mrs. Garza has really helped me a lot, she pushed me up, and taught me to believe in myself, even when I didn’t think I could.
Premier High School has changed my life in a more positive way. Like I said in the beginning, I never saw myself graduating and going to college, but I’m here right now. Just a few packs away form something I honestly never saw coming. Premier High has been a blessing in my life… a second opportunity for me to get it right.”

Carlos -

“By the time I was of school age I want to school in La Joya, TX. The experience for me was okay in grade school but once I got to middle school it became unbearable. Students made fun of me because I was a good student and got good grades. When I passed all my tests they would call me names and say I was a ‘teacher’s pet’. I would get elbowed daily and if a teacher returned a paper to me with a good grade, they would take it from me, pass it around in class, get all my answers and make fun of me once more. I absolutely hated it.
Two years ago I filled in my paperwork to Premier High School. In my interview I told her all about my experiences. She listened compassionately and she gave me a chance to be here.
I have learned to be independent and stand on my own because I feel loved, respected and cared for by the teachers as well as the students. The teachers always make time to listen and to help me if I need help. I know I am in a place where I can be myself.
Someday soon I will graduate and I will make something of my life because the people here at Premier have taught me to believe in myself.”

Rudy -

“Ever since I came to this school my life has changed a lot. I met new friends and struggled a lot. Premier High School is a whole different school than a regular school.
In fact, when I came to this school I thought, ‘what am I going to do without my old friends?’ Then when I came to my classroom I saw a whole new kind of environment. The people were nice and honest. Which was weird for me because I had never seen teachers and kids be so friendly. In my regular school the teachers and kids were mean and did not care about you, which made you want to do whatever you wanted.
Now that I am here at this school. I have picked up my grades and have fixed my attitude. Not all by myself but with the help of my wonderful teachers. I think if I would have stayed in my old school, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I used to be the kind of guy who would not care about you and humiliate you, but now that I look back, I realize that it was a great thing to come to this school. I am now a grateful student. I love this school and the teachers. I would not go back to the regular school.”