Guest author: Montay McDaniel II

McDaniel II is a senior at The Met Sacramento High School. 

I am not your normal high school student. What makes me different from other high school students you may ask? Well, I have two associates degrees, one in behavioral studies and the other in communication studies for transfer. On top of that, I’m currently a student at California State University, Sacramento, about seven courses away from receiving my bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Now, this wasn’t a short or easy journey, the process was difficult, and I can tell you that there were plenty of times where I thought there was no light at the end of the tunnel. 

Thanks to my charter school, The Met Sacramento High School, I was able to be a part of its long-standing dual-enrollment college program. That’s helped me thrive academically and be where I’m at  today. The Met created this flexible program to benefit students like me who want to be successful in college at an early age. The program’s flexibility has freed up Tuesdays and Thursdays for me to take college courses. 

Through all of this, my counselors at the Met have been incredibly supportive. They regularly check in with me to make sure all of my needs are met and that my work load is not too stressful. And they’ve helped me make appointments with Sacramento City College’s counselors who worked with me to map out an in-depth educational plan that’s set me on the right path.

During this journey, there have been times where I thought there was no way I could do this. But my charter school helped me every step of the way to push through my doubts and be a part of this life-changing program. Without my charter school, I wouldn’t have seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

Montay McDaniel II is a senior at The Met Sacramento High School.