In my pursuit to catch excellence, I have the opportunity to visit all our classrooms at MUSD.
Recently, I was attending a high school math class and the students became very interested in who I was and what I was doing in their classroom. They could see I was taking notes and observing the classroom and their teacher.
For those of you who may have a high school student now, or one in the past, you know they are not afraid to ask questions of adults.
Their questions began very general, but quickly broadened. They had never heard the term “deputy superintendent” and I tried to explain what it meant. That explanation alone spurred several more in-depth questions, leading to how long I have been in Maricopa.
The fine young man who was the most inquisitive offered several facts about himself and his friends sitting near him. He informed me he had been in Maricopa since he was 3, his friend had been there since he was 5 and his buddy to the left was born here. They asked me how long I had been in Maricopa and I told them arrived before the Dairy Queen (and anybody who has lived here longer than 20 years knows when the Dairy Queen arrived, it was a BIG deal to Maricopans).
I have lived here to see the changes that our town has undergone and the beauty we still have of our small town feel. To further solidify this small town feel, the inquisitive student also offered that he worked at Fry’s.
I asked him if he owned a Ford Ranger. He looked at me dumbfounded and replied, “Yes.”
Now, you are probably asking what this question has to do with a small town.
The week prior I needed a break from the three teenagers in the house, so my toddler and I went grocery shopping. I am not sure if it was truly a “break” because a 3-year-old in a grocery store is a joy in itself.
As I was checking out of the grocery store, there was a young man helping bag the groceries. When the cashier asked me if I needed help to the car (I think she asked because my 3-year-old had taken all the candy bars out of the box, opened the soda cooler, and removed the calling cards at the check-out line), I gladly accepted her offer for help to get the groceries in the car.
As the young man was pushing the cart to the car, he noticed it was a Ford and he began telling me about the great deal he got on his vehicle, a Ford Ranger. He was so proud of his pick-up and informed me he was working to help pay for this vehicle.
I asked him what his future plans were and he said to graduate and go to college. I encouraged him to stay focused and follow through with that plan. I also asked him if he was taking advantage of the programs that we, at MUSD, have in place to help our students further their education.
We talked about Central Arizona College and the First Step Program. It is a summer program allowing students who attend high school in Maricopa to earn college credit while in high school. It is available for students in the summer of their senior year and immediately preceding graduation.
In addition, the early-college programs are during the fall and spring semesters for students who have completed their sophomore or junior year. Students can take college level courses for credit. I also shared with “Mr. Ford Ranger” that my daughter was in 8th grade, and she was planning to sign the Promise for the Future Contract given to all 8th grade students in February who attend schools in Pinal County.
It increases the importance of high school graduation and offers free tuition to those students who sign it as an 8th grader and finish high school and attend CAC.
In our community, the opportunities are limitless for higher education, especially with the future campus of CAC in Maricopa.My conversation with this amazing young man epitomized the need for adults to continue talking with our students and urging them to pursue their education after high school.
Although this situation may be a coincidence, I would beg to differ. This situation illustrates the beauty we have before our eyes in our city of Maricopa and relationships we build within our schools.
These types of relationships are key in helping our students stay focused, on track toward graduation, and fully prepared for college and careers. It is our duty as community members to embrace our youth and encourage them to reach their maximum potential.
One “trivial” conversation can make a difference, and our kids need us, now, more than ever.
