The Alternate Approach: Sophomore Anhelica “Angel” Ramirez spent her freshman year

February 25, 2010

By Henry Zhu

hzhu@hilite.org

Waking up at 5 every morning in order to participate in hours of grueling, military-style physical training before hours of difficult classes in the afternoon and going to bed at 8 every night is not something every teenager can imagine themselves doing. However, for sophomore Anhelica “Angel” Ramirez, this was the basic pattern of her life from last January to June. Rather than spend her freshman year at a public or private school, Ramirez took part in a five-month long Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy (HYCA) program in Edinburgh where she devoted more time to doing push-ups than cracking open books.

“We would wake up at 5 and spend the better part of the morning doing obstacle courses and exercises before lunch,” Ramirez said. “Since it was sponsored by the National Guard, it was basically living the life of a soldier.”

Ramirez is one of a small but significant and growing number of students who, while still planning to go to college, have looked into programs other than this school’s standard curriculum. Other alternative options include the J. Everett Light Career Center and the Carmel Learning Center, both of which are half-day programs where the students spend half the day here and the other half at the center.

“J. Everett Light is for students who are interested in a career that is not part of the school’s curriculum,” David Mikesell, J. Everett Light coordinator and counselor, said. “The classes there range from dental assisting to fire fighting to law enforcement. Many of the classes can also be taken for dual credit at nearby colleges, including Ivy Tech and Purdue.”

Aside from J. Everett Light, the Carmel Learning Center is another option for students interested in alternatives to the normal schedule. The center focuses on students who may be struggling with their required academic classes and is designed to serve their needs.

 “It’s more technology-based and the classes are smaller, so students are more likely to get the help they need,” Mikesell said.

The six-month program that Ramirez attended, while mostly focusing on physical training and community service, also included a variety of academic classes.

“We would take classes for three or four hours after lunch.” Ramirez said. “The main focus of the program was more to help us figure out what to do with our lives.”

J. Everett Light, through its many classes, also helps students decide if they would want to pursue their interests further into college or as a career.

“Both J. Everett Light and the Carmel Learning Center are options to students who seek an alternative to the standard program,” Mikesell said. “The number of students attending J. Everett Light has been increasing over the last several years and there are more students in the program than ever before this year.”

Though she was one of the few to complete the National Guard program (only 10 of the original 22 girls graduated), Ramirez said she has no plans to join the army in the near future. Instead, she plans to go to a four-year college.

“(The challenge) really helped me develop a routine and organize my life. It also helped me at a time when I wasn’t really sure where my life was going,” Ramirez said. “I thought it was a great experience.”

OTHER OPTIONS: Counselor David Mikesell works in his office. According to Mikesell, other schooling was a good choice for Ramirez and may be for other students with different goals. STUART JACKSON / PHOTO

Updated by studentsection · Filed Under Student Section 

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