By Caleb Deltoro, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, Class of 2015
Wow, it’s almost the end of senior year already! It amazes me how fast time flew by these past few years. I have learned and grown so much here at Roberto Clemente Community Academy. I have dropped many tears; good tears and sad tears. I still remember the first day that I transferred in to Clemente from a charter school during my sophomore year. Clemente’s environment was new to me and I did not know what to expect. I had heard negative things about the school, but to my astonishment, those things were not true. I would sit in class and not say anything for weeks, just observing the actions of others.
In my eyes, Roberto Clemente Community Academy has made tremendous strides. When I first arrived at this school, the hallways were crowded, the homework was not challenging enough for me, the staff did not have as much control in the classroom as they should have, and the classwork was boring. Now, thanks to the leadership of my principal, Marcey Sorensen and the IB curriculum that we are a part of, a lot of things have changed for the better. The hallways are clear, the staff is maintaining a strong level of discipline in the classrooms, teachers and students have strong relationships, and more importantly, every student is challenged and has a fair opportunity for a successful, quality education. I really do believe that some schools have teachers who only teach for a paycheck. Fortunately for me, I have teachers here at Clemente who love, honor, and respect what they do. They teach to give back to the community. I remember crying in the arms of Mr. Stephenson, one of my English teachers. I remember Ms. Grimaldi, another one of my English teachers, telling me to stay strong. I also really appreciate my Senior English teacher, Ms. Williams, who always makes her classes interesting and fun. She also always pushes me to excel and gives me multiple chances and opportunities to complete missing work. These teachers along with others, believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. They taught me that it is possible to overcome any obstacle. They taught me to be independent and open-minded. They also taught me something I will never forget: pain is temporary.
It is also good to know someone will always be there for you. In my case, that person is my principal, Mrs. Sorensen. Mrs. Sorensen has pushed me more than my parents. I mean that. She calls me to wake me up so that I will not be late for school. She lets me know when I am doing wrong and she acknowledges me when I do well. She talks to me and broadens my perspective on school, on the world, and on my life. It is so good to know that I have someone to catch me when I fall. At my old school, I spoke with my principal once, maybe twice the entire time I was there. Now, I am fortunate enough to have multiple conversations a day with someone who wants success for me just as much as I do for myself. I can’t thank Mrs. Sorensen enough with words, so I will thank her by walking across the stage and graduating.
Caleb Deltoro
Roberto Clemente Community Academy
Senior – Class of 2015
