Student of Month
Novemeber Senior 2021
Student Standout November: Juan Mejia
Drum roll please .. this month's student standout is Juan Mejia !!
Juan Mejja has grown to become a hard-working person. He is the oldest of 3 siblings and has not had the easiest journey. Mr. Mejia was born in El Distrito Federal, Mexico but raised at the age of one in Orange County, California. His parents were born and raised in Oaxaca and Veracruz. Juan has had to grow up quicker than he expected. He has to learn how to become independent and be the head of the household for his siblings. He does the best he can do to take them to school in the morning and make sure he gets to school on time himself. Not only does Juan Mejia have the responsibility of maintaining a job and being a hard-working student, he appreciates the fact that he has learned how to be mature because of his job. In addition, Juan has learned to put others first besides himself in life situations such as his siblings.
When coming to the United States at the age of one, English was not his first language. Mr. Mejia’s first language was Spanish, and because of that was put in ELA and speech classes. One thing that helped him a lot growing up was being able to watch T.V. and copy the words that the characters were saying. He did not let his speech ability get in the way of anything. Mr. Mejia always had a positive attitude towards things and never looked at the negative side of situations. During his time here at Saddleback High School was able to experience AP U.S History, while on some days he did find it difficult because of the workload such as having to write different essays, DBQ questions, and presentations, Juan was still happy he was able to get through the class and push through with a passing grade on his transcript.
Mr. Mejia was able to join Track and Field his sophomore year but it was cut short due to the Pandemic. However, that did not stop him from finding leadership abilities outside of school. Juan describes that his job has allowed him to grow and learn how to become responsible from training others to running his shift promptly and getting things done during his timeframe. With everything Juan Meija has going on, he was able to maintain a 3.26 GPA throughout his time here at Saddleback High School. His leadership and time management skills have been great ways for him to show his skills to his siblings and be the best role model that he can be. One thing is for sure, Juan wants his siblings to know that they can be and do better. He shared with me that he will always support them and have their back.
Juan’s goal after high school is to attend college at a four-year university such as Concordia University or Cal State San Bernardino to earn his bachelor's degree. He hopes that in 6 to 8 years he will become a police officer and service his community wherever he is needed.
Juan's Motivational Words
Higher Education Center
Email: edith.cruz@sausd.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/sausdlearns.net/counseling/home
Location: 2802 South Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA, USA
Phone: (714) 569 - 6349