Rose is someone who gets along with everybody. Her adaptability has served her well as she’s relentlessly worked her way toward graduation. She explained during her Senior Spotlight interview that when she toured Lumen during her junior year, “The first thing I noticed was the closeness between the students and teachers. Everyone is friendly!”
The Journey to Lumen
Rose has attended a different school in Spokane for every year of high school. Nothing fit, and she felt lonely no matter which setting she tried. After finding out she was pregnant in the middle of junior year, she worried that she wouldn’t be able to continue school after she had her baby. Fortunately, her mom, who is her number one support person, had a co-worker who had previously worked at Lumen High School and told her all about their mission to elevate the lives of teen parents while providing high academic standards and on-site childcare. “I heard they had a lot of resources and I felt like I could get on track,” Rose said.
“In the beginning, a lot of students had been at the school for a while, so I didn’t know where my place was, but that only lasted a month,” Rose said. “It’s easy to jump into conversation and get to know people because it’s so small. It’s so much faster to feel a part of community. You actually get one-on-one time with teachers.”
Learning What Matters
Rose has found that what she is learning is practical in life outside of the classroom: “It’s a very hands-on school. We can actually apply everything to our real life, especially the parenting classes. We’re always going out and doing something in the community and using real-world examples. It’s way easier to learn there.”
The project-based teaching style made learning more accessible for Rose, especially as she continued with her senior year after giving birth to her daughter in October. “I wasn’t caught up on credits before I got there, but I got caught up really fast because of the way they teach.”
“I struggle to ask for help, but at Lumen, they just offer it. I don’t have to go to them. There’s always so much talk about how you should go to college, but there’s never one-on-one help. I didn’t know how to apply to college! At Lumen, they helped me and taught me how to do that. If I hadn’t been here, I wouldn’t have been able to choose a college.”
Pushing in the Right Direction
Rose quickly found that the resources she had heard about at Lumen were even more helpful than she anticipated. “Yes, there are diapers and wipes, but also, you can actually talk to some of our admin. They will help you with parenting plans and literally counsel you. If you dig deeper in resources, you can get a lot more help that is readily offered.”
“My teachers here are pushy, but not in a negative way,” she said. “They’re always making sure you’re at school and they check in a lot. Their consistency makes me more consistent. I used to have a hard time going to school. I would not have graduated on time if I hadn’t been at Lumen. My teachers Julie Jones and Taylor Deitz are my number one fans. They’re always supporting me, always checking on me.”
As a new parent, Rose needed an environment where her teachers treated her as a whole person and understood that she had to balance school with her parenting responsibilities. She found that at Lumen: “The teachers are so understanding, which allows them to be flexible with what’s going on that day. Whether it’s not making it to school on time or something going on with your baby, they’ll change things or switch days or save things for you to do.”
Advice for New Students
Rose wants any student considering Lumen to give it a chance. “My advice is that new students go to school and show up! A lot of people think that they don’t want to go to school at a public school, but it really feels different at Lumen.” She knows the feeling that many students have when they feel separate from everyone else and not involved, but she hopes students will try Lumen out. “It’s way more enjoyable than any other school. You all have something in common!”
What’s next for Rose
Rose is heading to Eastern Washington University to pursue her Master’s in Social Work after graduation. She learned about the program from a family friend who finished getting her master’s and bachelor’s in four and a half years. “I want to work in a prison or Eastern State Hospital,” she said. “I want to be that help for people who don’t get treated the way they’re supposed to be treated. I just want to understand other people better, especially people who aren’t just like me. I want to be the one person who they feel open enough to talk to me about things.”
We applaud Rose for her tenacity and for her dedication to helping others through the education path she’s pursuing. Rose is on a journey to be the best student, community member, and parent she can be, and we’re proud of her for her commitment to her future. Congratulations, Rose!