When Jazmin Mortera Aguilar started school at Encina Preparatory (6-12) High School in Sacramento, she found a piece of home in her chemistry class. The language was similar to what she already knew from school in Mexico. The English she learned as a child didn’t prepare her for navigating life in the United States as a teenager. School has not been easy.

Jazmin lives near Encina with her mother. When neighbors learned she was going to attend the school, they warned her that Encina students fight too much and it’s just a bad place. Jazmin’s experience of Encina was different than what she’d heard. She found support from staff and students. More than that, she is finding her voice as a leader among her classmates.