Transfering schools gets him ahead

Curtis Gonzalez found out he wasn’t going to graduate on time his junior year.

The senior said he was bored with school and ditching Ocean View High School all the time. He was sent to talk to the principal of Valley Vista High School, who told him he didn’t have enough credits to graduate.

“It was definitely an eye-opener,” he said. “I realized how much time I’ve wasted.”

He decided to transfer to Valley Vista. He not only caught up on credits, but got ahead. He was given the option to transfer back to Ocean View, but decided against it.

The smaller class sizes and more personal experience cured Gonzalez of his boredom.

He plans to attend Fullerton College and transfer to San Diego State University to get his bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

Gonzalez wants to come back to high school to teach freshman algebra, his favorite subject, and he hopes it will be a chance to help students avoid making the mistakes he did.

“I’m glad I caught myself before it was too late,” he said.

— Britney Barnes