Clarissa Rojas, a junior, is enrolled in eight classes, including three college courses. Rojas continues to struggle with her decision. It is an ongoing negotiation with herself.
"Although I have made great friends here. This school is very small and has very few kids compared to the other high schools, so I have become very sheltered," Rojas said. "I feel like I have missed out on many things I could have done in a comprehensive high school."
It wasn't Clarissa's choice to come to JCECHS; it was her parents' decision. Having had her older siblings previously attend the school, she didn't consider attending other high schools.Rojas would like for her classes to align with her plans. She’s working to get an associate’s in business, but to follow the path she wants, she would need to graduate with a degree in either art or computer animation.
Rojas wants a career in computer animation, hoping to make animated movies for children and her relatives to enjoy. She already has a school in mind, the University of Texas at Dallas.
“After graduating college, I hope to work at a prestigious company like Disney or Nickelodeon,” Clarissa said. ” I want to make something that will inspire other kids to pursue a career in art or animation, just how I was inspired.”
JCECHS offers various degree pathways. However, computer animation is not one.