When Adrianna Stephens started at Armijo High School in the fall of 2016, she never really expected to have her senior year to be like this, but it hasn’t really been an issue for her.

“I’m not going to miss anything [about school], really. I never looked forward to going to school every day,” she said. In the four years that she has attended Armijo, she was not involved with any campus activities. She didn’t join any clubs, participate in any sports, or attend any after-school activities.

“The only thing I was looking forward to senior year was it being over. I would’ve also gone to prom because I hadn’t participated in any school activities and it was my last year so why not?” Stephens said.

Still the pandemic did make things difficult. “COVID-19 really changed every part of my life, like seeing family get sick and having to work and be in school at the same time,” said Stephens. The online class routine, combined with her job, made it an added challenge to keep her grades up.

While her grades are important to her so that she can graduate and move ahead in life, she is not planning on attending college. “I really think not going to college should be normalized throughout your years of school,” she said. “The only thing they tell you to do from the moment you start elementary is to go to college and how nice college is and how it will change your life, but in reality, it’s just a bunch of student debt and time wasted. Of course, this is just my opinion and if it works for other people that’s great, but I think teachers should show us other options besides college that can also make us successful in life.”

While Stephens does not have her eyes set on college, she would like to see more recognition for those teachers that are preparing the students for the future. “I feel like teachers don’t get recognized enough for the things they do for their students. Just because a teacher isn’t teaching by the book doesn’t mean they aren’t teaching us the right things,” she said.

While Stephens will be leaving, she isn’t going without some parting advice for those who will follow in her footsteps. Some advice she would give to incoming freshmen is for them to be themselves and not want to fit in because no one worries about what you’re doing. “I mean, it’s only four years and the people you hang out with now won’t be paying your bills when you get out and most likely forget about you,” she said. And although she earned a 4.0 grade point average most recently, she went on to say, “Grades don’t really matter as long as you pass. Normalize not getting straight A’s because it really doesn’t get you anywhere… coming from a student who has all A’s.”

Stephens has two sisters: Tatiyana Garcia, who is 16, and Cynthia Resendiz, who is 13. She said that her role model growing up has been her mother who has been supportive, hardworking, and a kind, non-judgmental person.

Her hobbies include going on walks with her dogs and taking care of her reptiles.