Senior Spotlight

Hey Dragons! For our recent Senior Spotlight, I had the pleasure of interviewing Anna Mathews!

Anna Mathews is an Indian-American, born in Florida and raised in California. She has younger twin brothers who are sophomores at MCHS. Some of her hobbies include playing the guitar, bass, piano, and loves to sing. She also loves to perform her many talents for our school's talent shows. Anna has been in an acapella group since her freshman year and loves to sing with other singers. Her favorite season is summer, and her least favorite dessert is chocolate ice cream. Politics, religion, and personal growth are subjects that she is passionate about. In quarantine, she has enjoyed spending time with her family before leaving for college. She started watching shows like Topgolf Chef Showdown and The Queen’s Gambit. She's also taken this time to do inline skating, nail art, bullet journaling, and mailing letters to her friends.

After graduation, she plans to attend a four-year university majoring in political science and minoring in music. She will graduate with an AA in Political science, an AA in Arts and Humanities, and a Pre-law certificate this year. She found her love/interest in political science after taking a class at Delta. She helped host the local mayoral debate and worked on the San Joaquin bail reform committee, which helped further her passion for political science. She dreams of working in law or the political science route one day. Some of her future focuses include policy, equity, and cash bail.

For her senior year, she wishes to maintain her GPA, get a paper published in the Delta College Political Perspective Journal, and learn how to drive. For 2021, she’s excited to have a fun summer with friends and family; hopes to go on road trips and go out to eat together (once it is safe to go out). She hopes that by the time university starts, she’ll be able to attend in person.

Her expectations for her senior year were a huge contrast to before becoming a senior. She expected to attend more school events like prom, club events, senior sunrise, grad night, and more. She regretted waiting to go to school functions and missed out on a lot of fun memories. Even though this year has been a letdown, she made some wonderful friends online and grew closer to some of her instructors. She also had the opportunity to be involved in extracurriculars online. Despite how this school year turned out, she continues to make memories with her friends virtually and in person.

“This has been a hard and unusual year but, everything happens for a reason and, I have learned and grown a lot from it, which is what counts.”

Anna says that she has changed and grown a lot from her experience at MCHS. Before, she was shy, self-conscious, and had unhealthy tendencies (that has since been resolved). Over the years, she gained a greater understanding of the world, herself, and has become more confident than before. Through those experiences, she has become a more well-rounded young adult and is adequately prepared for the future. From learning how to be a better friend to becoming a more efficient procrastinator, she has no regrets about coming to MCHS.

“I think time and experience have shaped my worldview and priorities for the better, and I’m happy that I have undergone so much personal growth, even during quarantine alone.”

Anna’s advice for underclassmen is to do everything in school. Get involved in any open opportunity because life is too short, so make the most out of every moment. Take opportunities as they come, and don’t let fear impede on your success. Make sure to not worry too much about the future because life has a habit of working itself out in the end. Adulthood will creep on you, so enjoy your time in high school and have fun.

“That’s one of my biggest MCHS regrets: waiting for senior year to get really involved in the school. You never know when a pandemic will hit, so live as though time isn’t guaranteed- because it isn’t. Take care of yourselves and stay safe!”

Thank you, Anna, for your wise input, and we’re excited to see you flourish into a successful adult one day. We only hope that you achieve your dreams and aspirations.