Senior Spotlight

Hey Dragons! For our newest addition to Senior Spotlight, I interviewed Sandra Naylor to talk about her interest in cloud engineering as well as her time as an MCHS student.

Sandra has different interests and hobbies that she likes to do. She loves crocheting and baking. She loves to watch TikToks, especially watching a professional sandcastle sculptor make sandcastles (@sandsculptor). One of her favorite holidays is Christmas. Some of her pet peeves are racism and people who chew with their mouths open— two relatable pet peeves. Quarantine for her has been difficult as it has been for everyone. However, she’s taking time to watch anime such as HunterxHunter and focusing on perfecting her skincare— she highly recommends the Ordinary. She and her mom have been bonding more during quarantine, watching the Great British Baking Show together. I asked her what she’s most passionate about, to which she replied: “I would say I’m passionate about perfecting the immigration system and lowering homeless rates because they are far from perfect currently.”

After graduation, Sandra plans to major in Computer Science. She doesn’t know what career she wants to do, but she has a particular interest in cloud engineering. Sandra found out about cloud engineering while taking an Intro to Computer Science class and doing research on professions that relates to the subject. The colleges she applied to include: San Jose State, Sacramento State, Chico, Fresno State, and Cal Poly Pomona. Her top priority school is San Jose State because she’s most familiar with the town and has family who lives there.

“I took an intro to Computer Science at Delta. My professor gave us the assignment to look into three careers and write an essay about it. That’s when I discovered the cloud engineering field, which seemed to stand out the most for me.”

I asked her about what she wishes to accomplish during her last year at MCHS, and she wishes to get her license. She hasn’t been able to since Covid-19 began and regret procrastinating on it. She’s working on getting her AA degree but has been stressed out with certain classes this semester. We only hope for the best and encourage her to strive through this semester!

Her expectations for senior year have changed significantly. Originally, she thought it would be a breeze, but she is feeling a lot of pressure this year. With college applications and her classes, she’s been more stressed-out than usual. Along with college apps, her anxiety levels have risen waiting for acceptance letters.

“I turned in my applications already, and now I just have to wait, which is more nerve-racking.”

MCHS has changed her for the better. Freshman year was a huge turning point for her. She said that she was self-conscious and was afraid of judgment from others. However, she has found that MCHS has a lot of nice people and is full of so much positive energy. She feels like she has improved into a better person and loves herself for that. Procrastination has always been a little of a problem for her, but she has taken steps into becoming more productive during her senior year.

“MCHS does have a lot of nice people, and I am thankful to go to a school with such a positive energy.”

One of her pieces of advice she’d like to share is to not feel pressured towards choosing a career or major immediately. It's important that you find the profession that fits you the most and that you’d be able to enjoy it. You have a lot of time before you need to make a decision. In the meantime, enjoy your high school years, and don’t take for granted the time you’ve spent with your class and friends. The last one and possibly my favorite advice of hers would be: “Crack is wack.”

Thank you, Sandra, for taking the time and sharing about your experience and future endeavors! We hope for the best for you and your success in college and beyond.