Future cardiologist Mirel Mejia tells it like it is

There's an unkind stigma about alternative education programs. That they're only for "lazy" students or those who are otherwise failing.

The fact is that many students at alternative education programs receive the one-on-one attention they need and may not get at comprehensive high schools. Students at alternative education programs, like independent studies, often do better than they used to in their huge high schools. They thrive, succeed, and move on to better and bigger things.

Mirel Mejia, who graduated in 2010 from an independent studies program offered by the Monterey County Office of Education offers one such example. She'll be graduating from Hartnell this June, will begin attending CSUMB in the fall. She's planning to become a cardiologist.

And in spite of her nervousness, she tells her story much better than anyone else could, so please check it out.