Nativity Opens Doors
Carlos Mejia had all the ambition and fortitude needed to succeed in life, he simply needed a few doors to be opened for him during his early years. Carlos won the parenting lottery with his Mom, Graciela. As a child of a single Mom, Carlos witnessed firsthand what it took to persevere through adversity. His mother always modeled a sense of gratefulness for the blessings they did have. Graciela Mejia first learned about Nativity Prep from a friend she met on her daily bus commute to work at McDonald’s, where she has been working for over 20 years. Though the longer school days of Nativity Prep were essential to keep working full time, what really resonated was the college-bound culture the school fostered. Reflecting on his middle school days, Carlos shares: “What I didn’t realize until later was the pivotal role Nativity Prep represented in my journey. The teachers understood the financial situations we came from and saw our potential. They helped us believe we would all graduate college, that it was absolutely within reach, we just had to put in the work, and they would guide us along the way. I always liked school, but the teachers at Nativity Prep made it click.”
The Impact of Mentorship
Thanks to his 3.8 GPA at Nativity Prep, and the guidance of Mr. Sullivan, Nativity Prep’s High School placement counselor, Carlos enrolled at The Grauer School in Encinitas for high school. The opportunity to attend such a prestigious private school would not have been possible without the financial support of Ms. Jamie Carr, a longtime mentor, board member, and middle school sponsor at Nativity Prep. During his Freshman year at The Grauer School, Carlos and his mother would catch the local bus in City Heights and ride to downtown, where he would take the train to Encinitas, then a Nativity Prep volunteer would pick him up and drive Carlos to school. After his Freshman year, Carlos and his mother relocated to Encinitas for the remaining three years of high school. Carlos shares, “The Grauer School was similar to Nativity Prep in that it was a collegebound culture, where everyone treated each other like family.” In addition to maintaining a 3.85 GPA throughout high school, Carlos became the Vice President of ASB and a student ambassador, joined the drama, music and art program, played volleyball, and helped start the school’s first soccer team. Carlos also tutored middle school students and coached soccer at Grauer. Carlos’ well-rounded high school resume earned him acceptance into eighteen out of the twenty colleges he applied to. “Though Ohio was far away, I really liked the program at The College of Wooster. Much like Nativity and Grauer, The College of Wooster is a small, 2,000 student campus that focuses on independent, mentored learning. While at Wooster, Carlos started a new fraternity that bridged the gap between social fraternities and the rest of campus.
Living a Life of Service
“My goal was to start a service-oriented fraternity that identified with minority students on campus. We were a fun mix of Latinx, black, white, and Asian students that shared and celebrated our unique cultures.” In order to offset college expenses, Carlos worked as a Resident Assistant for three years, as well as working at the alumni office, where he was able to regularly engage with trustees of the board. Carlos returned to San Diego each summer where he interned at the City of San Diego and would volunteer as a guest speaker at Nativity Prep’s Camp College. “The reality of graduating from college hit me when I turned in my Senior Thesis. It was a year-long investigative project studying language barriers at audiologist’s offices. I knew when I submitted my thesis that I was about to start the next chapter of my life. During graduation week, my friends and I were reflecting on our journeys. My friends praised their high schools for putting them on the path to college graduation. Then I shared my story of Nativity Prep, the resources they provided, and the self-efficacy they instilled in me starting in sixth grade. My friends were so impressed.” Jamie Carr wouldn’t let Graciela miss her son’s graduation, even if she’d never flown on a plane before (and was petrified to do so). Jamie shares: “I flew her first class, so she’d be more comfortable and to start the weeklong celebration off right. Graciela was beaming with pride on graduation day, as was I. Carlos has made an impact everywhere he goes. His easy-going, kind disposition leaves a lasting impression on people. He’s going to make a real impact on the world.” Carlos has just accepted an offer to attend Pacific University’s Doctor of Audiology program. His future plan is to work as an Audiologist within a school district.
