In my previous school, before AMES I experienced racial discrimination. My life at this other school was all about proving myself to most of the staff.   As soon as I began attending I noticed these hateful events.

I was stereotyped as “unsuccessful” by my skin color and my last name.  As soon as I set foot at this Jr. High I was put in an ESL class even though I knew perfect English.  This told me that the school used my last name.

To me that’s racism.

As being looked at as unsuccessful I was never spoken to about college.  I felt like this school didn’t encourage my future.

Then I heard about AMES. At first, I was terrified of something new.  As much as I wanted to get away from that other schools environment I was scared.  I was scared that I wasn’t going to find diversity in AMES.  I had never heard of an open institution like this, especially one that I personally could benefit from.  I was only used to being set back and discriminated against.

But just like every one of these graduates I decided to take the leap of faith and attend AMES.

Once in AMES, I was provided with a comfort that I was unfamiliar with.  I was surrounded by diversity and I never felt alone or discriminated against.  I was never judged by my racial background.

I was given the change to prove myself just like everyone else.

At AMES I had the opportunity to make my voice heard and become a new person, a better person. AMES was just what I needed.

I needed the AMES environment to help me understand all that oppression I had felt before was wrong.  At AMES, I had a freedom that no other school had ever provided for me.  Through this, I found my identity as a Chicana Student.  To me this means growing up with two different cultures and winning the struggle for cultural identity.

 AMES has truly encouraged me to experience and celebrate my identity.

Today is the end of the beginning.  It is the end of high school and it is the beginning of a new journey.  This journey is to change the world.

We are entering the real world……what our society calls “survival of the fittest”.  We now must learn self sufficiency.  Yet we must also not forget our community, and accept our diverse culture.  Racism, oppression, social inequality, discrimination, these are some issues for us to confront.

We ARE the generation who will stand up for those who are oppressed.  It is up to US ALL to create a safe living environment for all people; no matter what race, no matter what religion and no matter what social status.

We are the hope to those who are oppressed and less fortunate.  They NEED US. We need to strive for social change and achieve it.

We are the future.

We are heading on very different paths beginning today.  As diverse as this group might be and no matter how different we may be, we still need to unite in making our society a better place.  We need to stop living down to society’s expectation. Rather we should live beyond their expectations.

I know I speak for every graduate when I say that without AMES,  we wouldn’t be the people that we are today.  This school has molded us into intellectual students and I am so thankful for this.

I know that I could not have survived if it wasn’t for such a wonderful staff, especially  mama AMES a.k.a. Mrs. Hadden!  I am thankful for their inspiring words and for always believing in us.  I am thankful for the west pod and all the great friendships that were built there! I believe that every graduate here has contributed to the environment of AMES.   I am thankful for all of you that have set an example for me and I am thankful for the social equality that is felt through out AMES.
 
Most importantly I want to thank my family for always supporting me in what I do.  Mamy,  Papi agradesco todo lo que ustedes icieron por mi! y los quiero mucho! Again thanks to the AMES teachers and thank you class of 2007  for showing me and all of us what we can achieve!     Thank you!