Inspire was my happy place. Most people dread their high school years but for me, it was a time when I felt safe to dream big and push myself past my comfort zone. The teachers believe in the students and the students believe in the school. The passion is unmatched and produces talented artists, scientists, writers, and above all kind and compassionate individuals.

I started freshman year at a different high school in Chico and switched to Inspire partway through the year. The smaller school size and the students and teachers I met there helped me deal with a lot of the anxiety I was facing entering high school and I immediately felt so much more at home at Inspire than my previous school. Because of the biology and history classes I took at Inspire, and the amazing teachers I had for those classes, I decided to study biology and history in college and now work in a related field that I'm very passionate about. I worked on the yearbook at Inspire as well, and the camera I used for yearbook photos was the first real camera I had access to and helped me discover my love for photography.

Today, I live in Chicago, Illinois and work at Northwestern University, supervising the care and health of the laboratory animals for the university's medical research. I love working with animals everyday and contributing to research that saves lives. In my free time, I take photos of nature and sometimes other things!

Danielle Alexich was the English and Creative Writing teacher when I attended Inspire. Looking back, she had the biggest impact on my life. Not only was she an amazing person but a great teacher. I never liked reading OR writing until taking classes with her. She made things interesting in a way no other English teacher had. I went on to college loving reading and especially writing, which led me to a major in Communication studies.  It’s hard to pick one favorite part of Inspire, but I would say the connections teachers created. You really could tell they wanted students to succeed. They would go out of their way to help a student and that is something you don’t often see at other schools. Inspire definitely prepared me for life after high school. I came out of high school a well rounded person who could juggle getting good grades, being in musicals, and having fun whilst creating connections. Students at Inspire have a lot on their plates and learning how to do that in high school sets you up for an easier transition into college and a career.

It has been over five years since I graduated from Inspire. Since graduating, I obtained both my bachelor’s in religious studies and my master’s in public affairs from Brown University. I’ve traveled to ten different countries on three different continents. I spent a year of undergrad studying abroad at Oxford where I spent countless hours studying monastic-like in library enclaves and exploring the alleyways that inspired C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, and Lewis Carroll. I’ve practiced Zen Buddhism in monasteries throughout Japan, marveled at giraffes and elephants as they stroll across the plains of Kenya, and worked in a skyscraper in Manhattan. I am unbelievably blessed to have had all of these opportunities. Especially to have had them as a first-generation and low-income student. I credit Inspire for building in me the confidence that I can do the improbable, for teaching me that failure is only possible when one refuses to try again, and for showing me that a caring community is an important part of learning and growth. In these exciting years of change and of travel, I have found myself missing Inspire. More particularly, the sense of community I felt while a student there. Inspire is undeniably special. I learned many things, both from my peers and my teachers, that I carry with me each day. While a student, I often found myself humbled by the sheer diversity of talent that surrounded me. I was also humbled by the fact that I owed much of my success and my inspiration to the community of friends––both peers and teachers––who supported, helped, and encouraged me as I struggled through APUSH, memorized derivatives for Calculus, sought to qualify as a mediocre ceramics student, and applied to colleges. Inspire, to me, is special because it constitutes a community whose ethos is one of mutual support, collaboration, and concern. Inspire is a place that encourages and embraces a diversity of expression: artistic, scientific, funky, fun, poetic, musical…the list could go on. My experiences at Inspire have dictated how I have sought to build a sense of community while away from home and will dictate how I hope to build community in the future. Going to Inspire never felt like a chore nor a requirement, but, rather, a privilege and a joy. Anna Lenaker has written a book titled "Able To Be Otherwise" [button link="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/able-to-be-otherwise-by-anna-lenaker#/" color="purple" newwindow="yes"] PURCHASE ANNA'S BOOK[/button]

A teacher who made a tremendously positive impact on my life was Mr. Hopkins. He taught English and was my advisor as well. I still talk about literature and plays with him whenever I visit.  My favorite part of Inspire were the performance opportunities. I took advantage of all the opportunities I got to be on stage and it worked out well for me.  Inspire definitely prepared me for my particular career path. I was ready for the expectations of a conservatory style training after high school, and every job I get builds on the last one all the way back to “White Christmas” at Inspire in 2013.

Inspire is home to some of the most dedicated, funny, and loving teachers I have ever come across. It jump-started my passion to create and solve problems, while showing me that I can enjoy things outside of engineering, like the arts. Inspire was a pivotal point in my life, and it has led me to where I am today. As a first-gen student, I've continued my studies at UC Davis, and am now pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.

If I had to describe my time at Inspire in three words, those three words would be; knowledgeable, interesting, and satisfying. What really makes Inspire a unique school is the fact that they really care about the students and give them every opportunity to express themselves in amazing ways. Whether it’s through dance, music, art, or science, students can explore new talents and really grow into the amazing individuals they’re destined to be.  Since 2016 when I graduated I’ve been continuing my education at Butte College. I had no idea what I wanted to work towards at first but I finally decided to pursue a job in the medical field as an X-ray tech. I’m actually moving to Klamath Falls, Oregon in like 2 weeks to go to the Oregon Institute of Technology. I’m going to miss Chico, but I’ll be back as much as possible to visit.  Inspire was truly a blessing for me because at my other high school I felt so alone and misunderstood. Our music classes were a joke and there wasn’t much else there for art. I didn’t even know Inspire existed until my grandmother took me to a musical they performed at PV High. I couldn’t believe what skill they had and that apparently they came from a school with students just like me, kids who appreciated the fine arts and longed to bring joy to other through their talents. I knew I had to go there to survive high school, and Inspire helped my thrive. I will always be grateful to the amazing teachers and kind classmates I had and I can’t wait for our first reunion.