Minarets has students that come from all over the Central Valley. Some chose to attend while others are, in a word, forced to go. I am one of the many students that chose to come here. Though I live fifteen minutes from the school, I am not in the Chawanakee Unified School District. I am actually in the Yosemite Unified School District. However, my story of why I came to Minarets does not really begin with not being in its school district. It starts in Fresno at a small private school in its last few years of operation.
Beginning in preschool and lasting all the way through the eighth grade, I attended a very small, private school with a tight knit community. My graduating class was eleven and that was one of the larger graduating classes. All of my classmates lived in Fresno and knew where they were going to high school upon graduation. I did not.
I had three schools in which I was considering. This process through which my parents and I went through was something that could mildly resemble picking a college. My middle school teachers prompted my parents and me to apply to University High School. If I had been selected to attend, I knew I would have been very prepared academically for college. The only catch was that they did not offer sports, which was one of my must-haves. So that narrowed it down to Yosemite High School, the school that I should attend according to my address, and Minarets High School, the closer of the two.
I had the opportunity to tour both schools. The first time I was on Yosemite’s campus, was when I attended the eighth grade orientation that Yosemite put on for all of the local middle schools. My first impression of that school was that there was a lot of uphill walking between the different buildings on campus. That immediately made me a little disgusted because if I had attended there then I would have to be carrying around a backpack full of textbooks and notebooks. I did not want to have back problems this early in life. Next, I “toured” Minarets. I knew a student that was attending Minarets that offered to let me shadow him. I was able to accompany him to his different classes and experience what student life was at Minarets. I even attended a meeting of a club he was part of. During one of his free periods, he gave me a tour of the campus and I was able to talk to some of my future teachers if I ended up attending.
This student did his job! He listed and showed me all the right things that I wanted to hear. I love the fact that Minarets has a later start time because I, like most teenagers, enjoy to sleep and tend to stay up late and sleep in past the alarm. I was also intrigued by the notion that almost everything is done on computers. This concept is still kind of foreign to me (though I am getting better acquainted with it) as most of my school work during elementary and middle school was done with pencil and paper and we were taught through textbooks. Despite my uneasiness doing school work on a laptop, I enjoy having one. My four years here has allowed me to become more used to it. With a laptop, I have found it easier and even fun to research colleges because high school is only four years of your life.
I also like the small atmosphere that Minarets has. It is small enough for you to know your teachers and for your teachers to know you. It reminds my of my former elementary and middle school. I like that the campus is small and I do not have to lug textbooks everywhere. I very much enjoy the small enrollment because there is not a flood of students and I am able to know a greater amount of classmates. And most of all, Minarets offers sports! I figured that I had a better chance at making a team at Minarets if I had gone to Yosemite or any Fresno school for that matter. Being involved in sports would also offer more opportunities to make some new friends.
The possibility of becoming a founding member of a new club on campus also excited me. Being part of new club on campus was one way I could leave my mark and go big, go pro, and go now! I have succeeded in my goal of being a founding member of a club. I was among the first group of inductees to the National Honor Society (NHS) Chapter at Minarets High School and the club’s first secretary. Other clubs that I am part of include the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and Spanish Club. I am also heading Minarets’ first National History Day team as part of my Senior Legacy Experience (SLE).
My journey to this school was what I like to think well researched. I toured the different campuses and parents studied the statistics, reviews, and asked other parents whose children attended the schools. I still have faint memories of Minarets being built. It is weird to think that I am older than this school.
By now you are probably wondering the significance of the title or simple do not remember. When I was first learning about Minarets, I used to spell it M-I-N-E-R-A-T-S. It would read out mine rats. I thought it was funny and has become a little inside joke for me. Now, I am proud to say that I spell it correctly!
With that, I would like to leave you with two pieces of advice if you are considering attending Minarets. The first is to tour campus in some capacity whether it be shadowing, taking a guided tour with the family, or if your attending some kind of event. The second, do not be afraid to try something new. This can happen in any form. Join a club, participate in a class discussion, take a creative angle on a project, play a sport, or get to know a teacher. By doing something new, you can find a new passion, hobby, discover new ideas, or a future career path. At Minarets, it is difficult to just stay on the sidelines so why not take advantage of it?
Interested in touring or attending Minarets High School? You can learn more here!