Bryant Mendoza, 8th grade student at St. Anthony Middle School (SAMS), thrives in a small community. He is excited to live and learn in a place that makes it easy to be yourself. 

”When I moved here, I was kind of sad leaving Iowa but that was because I was so young. Wilshire Park Elementary was so friendly, focusing on finding friends and learning. It was probably the easiest transition I ever had.”

This easy transition was critical for Bryant because it helped him to adjust in a new environment. He knows that our small, caring community can be good and provide learning opportunities that other school districts can’t offer. 

“The resources, supports and overall education system we have helps students be themselves. My favorite class right now is Ms. Criss’ capstone class, which allows us to do work together and be more prepared for the future.” 

What are Bryant’s wishes? He would like to see more engineering classes, since he has an interest towards architecture.