Name: James Jimenez
San Andreas Continuation High School
Age: 17
City: Hollister
College: Undecided, but plans to get four-year degree
Major: Education
Scholarships: William Medeiros Jr. Memorial Scholarship
Favorite Food: Flaming Hot Cheetos
Hero: God
Many high school students rely on the support of their parents to help them through their awkward and transitional teenage years, but Senior James Jimenez has been supporting himself mentally and financially since he was 14.
After being kicked out of San Benito High School his sophomore year for missing class, Jimenez spent a few months working two jobs and trying to make ends meet.
“I was just doing my own thing,” he said. “I didn’t care about my future or my education.”
During those months, Jimenez got burnt out, and realized he didn’t want that lifestyle for the rest of his life. He enrolled at San Andreas Continuation Education High School and started on a path that would lead him to earn scholarships and a bright future.
“I was hanging out with the wrong kids and I started making new friends and paying attention to what my teachers had to say,” he said. “I realized they cared about me and my future.”
During high school, Jimenez has been working 20 hours a week at K-Mart and has been living with various friends and family members that would take him in. He said one of the hardest parts about continuing his education, has been getting out of work at 10 p.m., walking 30 minutes home and having to get up for class the next morning.
“It was during the nights when I’d be walking home in the dark, in the rain that I found motivation to continue my education,” he said. “I knew I didn’t want to be doing that forever.”
Now as he’s ready to graduate, Jimenez said he owes his success to the teachers at San Andreas.
“The teachers here knew my situation and so no matter what, they’ve helped me out,” he said.
Jimenez plans on continuing his education so that he’ll be able to one day come back at work in education and help others.
