Alex EsquedaSince becoming a student at Pivot Charter School in fall 2019, Alex Esqueda has gone from being unsure if he would graduate on time to completing a phenomenal 12 credits in one semester. A 17-year-old senior, Alex is now on track to graduate with his classmates in the spring of 2020.

According to Alex, he was driven to work hard by supportive and honest conversations with Pivot teachers, including the Regional Director of Pivot San Diego Craig Hobart.

“My conversation with Craig really motivated me; he let me know that I could have to repeat a grade if I didn’t do something different. That really motivated me to be a better student and to graduate in 2020,” Alex said.

The flexible, blended learning program enabled Alex to work at his own pace to complete his coursework. The 12 credits Alex completed in the fall semester reflect 500 hours of coursework — as much as most students complete in a full year.

“I stayed up pretty late at night, I woke up early, I did less activities with friends; I did a lot of work,” Alex said. “It feels good now; it feels like I accomplished something.”

As he completed his courses, Alex took advantage of opportunities to get help from teachers at the school’s resource center. He visited the center as many as five days a week when he was working on challenging assignments.

“The teachers would help me when I was struggling,” Alex said. 

Alex is looking forward to completing his spring semester and graduating this spring, and then he hopes to pursue a career as a forensic investigator. Criminal justice has interested Alex since he was young, and he says that his sociology and psychology courses at Pivot have helped him prepare for a potential future in that career field.

When asked about what Alex would share with other Pivot students to help them be more successful, the hard-working senior had these words of advice: “Stay positive. Do your best. And don’t give up.”