How Alpha has Made an Impact on my Life

Bianka Mejia, 6th Grader at Alpha: Cornerstone

February 27, 2018

A little background. 

My name is Bianka Mejia and I am a 6th Grader at Alpha: Cornerstone. I have been a student here since Kindergarten which means I have been here for 7 years! I love Cornerstone because of all the opportunities for me to have a leadership presence, such as making speeches and getting awards for a job well done.

My favorite subject is Social Studies because I love learning about history. The world is such a crazy place today because we have access to so much technology that people in the past did not have. Now we have cars to get to our destination and back then we would’ve had to walk! See the difference?

A rough childhood only made me stronger. 

When I grow up, I want to become a social worker. My mom was young when she had me. She was 13 years old when she got pregnant and had me at 14 years old. My mom had the choice of giving me up to adoption or giving me up to my grandmother, but instead, she decided that she will be the one taking care of me. Since my mom had me young not only did she have to grow up faster but she had to raise me. She worked a lot of jobs as well going to school with me by her side. She worked really hard and that’s why she has always encouraged me to have a better future for myself and accomplish everything I want in life. That was the main reason why she enrolled me in Cornerstone. She wanted what’s best for me in every aspect of education and opportunity.

My success is because of my support systems. 

This is the reason I want to help other children who are in the same situation or in a worse one. I am one of the lucky ones because I have such an amazing mother who fought for me and now I have an amazing father who is supportive. Cornerstone has not only been my school, it’s my second home. Cornerstone is part of my family. Since my time at Cornerstone, I’ve had teachers who have really helped me grow as a person. One of my Kindergarten teachers, Mr. Magaña, helped me understand that my rough background only makes me a stronger person. He helped me change my mindset. Both of my 4th grade teachers, Ms. Blake and Mr. Grewal, have always been supportive. Mr. Grewal is now my sixth grade teacher and whenever I am having issues, he is there for me. I have a lot of respect for all of my teachers from Kindergarten to now. To name a few, Ms. Kath, Ms. Armitage, Ms. Vincent, as well as other staff that has always been there for me. I’m glad that we have a close bond.

I’m extremely grateful and will do my best to be a role model for my sisters.
Having lived through a bad area, I am in a much better place now. Cornerstone is a place where I can receive a good education and feel safe. I have two younger sisters who are ages 7 and 4. Cornerstone’s pride values have inspired me to be a good role model for them. Not only has Cornerstone taught me that I’m good enough to succeed in life and accomplish everything I want, but also has helped me in making my parents proud and be excited for my future. Cornerstone has made me a stronger person in many ways and has been a big impact in my life and for that I will be forever grateful.