2 Como Park Students Battle Adversity, Head To College
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- May is a time to celebrate accomplishments, especially in the classroom. The last day of school at Como Park Senior High will be Friday, May 29, and the outgoing senior class will celebrate with a Friday afternoon barbeque.
WCCO This Morning's Ali Lucia introduces us to two students who battled adversity to beat the odds and now are excited about the next step: college.
Monique Baker and Tuan Nguyen have come a long way since their freshman year.
"I didn't have a lot of people to talk to because my communication skills at that time, I would say, were a little bad," Tuan Nguyen said.
"Ninth grade year I was so bad, but coming to Como was the best experience for me," Monique Baker said.
Nguyen moved to Minnesota in search for a better academic life.
"My dad told me, 'I think you should go to the U.S. because the education is great,'" Nguyen said.
So, Nguyen moved with his mother to take advantage of the education system, and, with great study habits, will graduate with 23 college credits.
"At the end of the day, I just tried hard to study harder and learn new vocabulary," he said.
While Baker transferred to the St. Paul school her sophomore year in hopes of a change of mindset
"[I wanted to] show people that I could change," Baker said. "I was never a bad person, I just made bad choices."
Baker joined the basketball team and helped them win their first ever Saint Paul City Conference title this year. She also volunteers as a tutor for the Academic, Behavior, Support Center (ABSC).
"I had so many teachers to support me, my counselor supported me," Baker said. "She believed in me."
Her economics teacher has seen her leadership in the classroom.
"Monique is very goals driven. She always shows up to class willing to ask a questions. She is very invested in the material. And from what I see in her student relationships, she's always looking to make friends and make sure everyone is included," Josh Connell, a longer term substitute teacher, said.
After spending a day with the two students it's easy to see why they are excited to walk the stage come graduation day.
Nguyen is headed to the University of Minnesota to study engineering. Baker is headed to St. Cloud.