Desert Oasis sends o close to 100 grads
EL CENTRO — After facing personal issues, close to a hundred Desert Oasis High School students wore their gowns and gauntlets to put a significant threshold in their lives to an end on Monday afternoon.
One of those who graduated is Gizelle Gonzalez, who decided to move from Central Union High School to the smaller, more personal service campus.
“It feels very good,” Gonzalez said last week regarding her graduating. “I heard that this was a really good school to get your credits up, and the classes would be easier, and you would make more friends, too, and it would be less stressful than having the eight classes at Central.”
The student — one of the five who spoke during the graduation ceremony — admitted that becoming a Panther was a change compared to the crowded Central Union High School by having less teachers — a fact that was making her more nervous.
Such change turned a positive experience in her very first two weeks and the rest of the year at the new school with less students and less distractions, which helped her recover all her credits.
“I would, actually,” Gonzalez responded after being asked if she would recommend fellow students to transfer to the smaller high school. “They have the best teachers here. Oh, and Principal, as well.”
During the graduation ceremony, Gonzalez thanked her parents and grandmother for their support, while congratulating her fellow graduates for their hard work and effort, and wishing them the best in the future while keep striving to reach their goals.
“I know everybody tried their best,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody worked so hard.”
Several students had issues to select speakers for the graduation ceremony, which was seen more as a competition. These students approached Principal Julio Cesar Diaz to allow them take part in the ceremony with their speeches. The Principal approved the request, but limited speeches to a single sheet per student.
Principal Diaz said the 2024 Class includes up to a hundred students, as some who graduated back in December were expected to take part in Monday evening’s ceremony.
Different from traditional sites, Desert Oasis students are required to take the core subject areas needed for graduation and a requirement of 160 credit count.
“We take away most of the electives that they don’t need so when they come over here, we evaluate the transcripts and then whatever classes they need we give it to them and then they can graduate potentially graduate (…) early,” Principal Diaz said. “But it’s important to know that the state of California requires only 135 credits for a high school diploma.”
The latter gives continuation schools to require 160 credits instead of the 220 mandatory at big high schools for college requirements and GPA.
The school seeks to help students so behind in credits to make sure they get the core subjects like English, mathematics, science, and physical education needed to graduate on time and get their high school diploma.
The school also offers students trips to the Imperial Valley College to meet counselors and administration for enrollment and financial aid purposes although students opt to continue with their college education.
Since arriving in the school a couple years ago, Principal Diaz has sought to change the system and help students to succeed by getting their diplomas.
Having worked for continuation schools in San Diego, the principal decided to reduce credit requirements for students can have the opportunity to graduate on time as part of an equity piece. That policy received support from the school district board, whose members were happy to see that change that has increased enrollment as well to 185 students from 120.
Kids like Gonzalez have become more interested in the small high school program.
For those unable to graduate, the school is now offering a fourweek extended learning program that has been set to begin Thursday to complete their credit requirements.
Principal Diaz — a seven-year school administration veteran — assured that teachers have been a key component to increase enrollment and helping students through the changed program.
Also, the school stopped requiring students to wear uniforms due to the potential profiling of students.
“It’s a school,” the principal said. “It’s not a prison.”
At the same time, the school got a new mascot — Pancho Pantera, a well-known Mexican character used by Chocomilk producing company for advertising purposes, and developed a yearbook this year named “The Claw.”
“So all this type of stuff I think kind of celebrates our culture and celebrates our school,” Principal Diaz said, explaining that the new programs have been disseminated by word of mouth among students and parents. “It’s not what it used to be.” The principal admitted that many in the community think the school is home to a certain type of student undesired in other schools.
“Well, that’s not us,” Diaz said. “We give an opportunity for students who are behind in credits and because we give an opportunity for them to catch up.”
According to the principal, while school staff has worked to make it better its employees celebrate as well its students and its phenomenal teachers.
The deal for all Desert Oasis staff is to help students behind in credits, with attendance concerns and low motivation for getting re-engaged in school.
Every single morning, Principal Diaz stands at the school’s gate and welcomes students. The same is repeated in the afternoon while dismissing students.
“So that also shows some aspect of like what type of culture we have here,” Principal Diaz said, adding that students immediately feel the non-traditional environment by meeting teachers on a one-toone basis, with whom they can actually have a conversation. The principal said smaller classrooms and a smaller environment prevents students from getting lost like it happens in traditional high schools.
The school offers students cyber-security and barber programs for they can pursue licenses to become professionals for potential well-paid jobs.
The principal said the school has developed a socio-emotional program named “Impacter Pathway.” The pilot program was launched this past semester and is expected to get fully implemented next semester. The program gives students tools in areas like character development, social learning, emotional intelligence, and emotional learning to cope with certain emotions while helping students finding strategies to deal with certain situations in life.
“It’s a program that gives the kids access to go through that cycle, identify their purpose, and define how much grit they have, resiliency, so they go through these attributes,” Principal Diaz said. It’s just for students to get involved with and so we have some successes past semester.”
In this program, students can ask Artificial Intelligence questions related to a certain subject that lead to offering career and college pathways. The program gives students responses depending on their character, attributes, and personality.
In his speech to graduates, Principal Diaz said that although students arrived at Desert Oasis after something happened along their way, got behind in their education, or are currently struggling with family and outside variables and factors they have already accomplished greatly.
“You’re achieving success by getting a high school diploma and hopefully you take this as an example of future success,” Diaz said. “In life we’re going to have adversaries, we have obstacles, but we just never give up.”
The principal’s inspiring message called graduating students to continue to problem-solve and overcome obstacles while shooting for success — whatever that individually means for every outgoing student.
“Hopefully they choose that pathway that makes them, you know, happy,” Principal Diaz said before underlining the fact that school’s positive changes has been spreading out in the community as action speaks louder than words, especially by giving students a motivation and inspiration to shoot for something bigger.
An example of those newly expected achievements is Gonzalez, who now plans to become a nurse.
“I just want to tell everybody to not give up, don’t think the worst,” Gonzalez referred. “Changing schools isn’t bad, even if it’s a continuation school. It can be the best thing you’ve done.”