Elliott Alternative can turn lives around

I'm a student at Elliott Alternative High School. Most people think that Elliott is a bad school, that it's all bad kids that go there. Many of the kids that come here have done poorly but are now trying to turn things around and do better in school in order to have a better future.

People are always talking negatively about us, about what they hear, but it's not like that. Elliott students are very dedicated; we might have some bad kids, but every high school does. We have been given a second opportunity to do better in school, and most kids turn themselves around.

I didn't care much about my education. I did very badly all my years of school. At my regular school, my counselor said, "Joseph, you will not graduate with your class; you are behind too many credits. Even with you getting sent to Elliott, you will not graduate." I asked myself, why did I mess up in school?

I took my Elliott opportunity, I'm using those words from my counselor and using it as a boost to do better and turn myself around and show that I will never give up. If I quit now, will I just throw my whole life away?

Now I'm doing much better. Here at Elliott, the teachers are more hands-on. They keep pushing me to keep going and to do better. I want to thank all my teachers from all the schools I went to; most importantly, the ones here at Elliott for helping me all the time. They help me stay focused and dedicated to my work.

JOSEPH ACOSTA

Modesto