Meet Alexa Mendoza, an alumni who attended Kavod during her middle school years. Alexa’s family stumbled on our website after searching for the best rated schools in the area. Kavod Charter School immediately made it to the top of their list of best options.
Alexa is now a high school student taking college credits, and has returned to the Kavod classroom to intern. Learn more about Alexa’s journey at our tuition-free school below!
Why did you or your family choose to enroll at Kavod?
One of the decisive components of the school that made my family choose it was the fact the curriculum was rigorous, and the opportunity to learn Hebrew was amazing. Not only that, it was a small school, meaning that it offered more of a one on one experience which is great for growing academically.
What advantages does Kavod offer students?
The greatest advantages I gained during my time at Kavod were with history, english, and math. I had the opportunity to receive high school credit, while still in middle school. Thanks to my history and english classes, I learned how to write in MLA format which is not usually taught until high school, and how to write more descriptively and proficiently. These skills have been useful to me in high school, because while many have to be taught, I came in already knowing how to do it.
The math classes at Kavod are one of the subjects that I appreciated the most. During my last semester of 7th grade, Mr. Macleod taught us a lot of criteria from 8th grade and during 8th grade taught us 9th and 10th grade level. Even though I only got the credit for Integrated Math 1 (9th grade level), when they explained the curriculum we would be learning at my Integrated Math 2 class (10th grade level) I already knew 3 out of the 4 units that were going to be taught. When I talked to the math teacher about that, she told me that she would talk to the counselor and see if I could be placed in IM3 (11th grade level) and simply complete homework and exams from IM2.
Thanks to Kavod Charter School, I was given a huge advantage over other students, and I was able to complete all of my math requirements for high school during my freshman year. I will be going into precalculus just for fun! I received 3 years of Hebrew and had the opportunity to reach the intermediate speaking level, and I am now closer to being trilingual.
What was the path for you after Kavod
For a long time, my path after Kavod was very blurry. I like going to school and always try my best when it comes to academics and at Kavod I was offered the opportunity of getting a scholarship for college. But because of the fact that at the time I was unsure about pursuing further education after graduating high school, I rejected the opportunity.
When I went on tours for high school I found my current school M.E.T. The moment I learned about the many opportunities it offered, I decided that I would be attending there. The school has an internship program, and an opportunity to attend college classes for free at the Mesa College campus.
After attending my first college class the spring of 2025, I became sure that I wanted to continue my education after high school. Even though I still haven’t chosen my future career clearly, I have some ideas about what I want to study. The ideas that I want to explore first are Medical Assisting and Anesthesiology.These used to be the only two ideas that I had, but after exploring the education field this changed.
What was the path that led you to interning at Kavod? Are you planning to go into the education field?
I am currently at a high school that offers an internship program. This means that instead of going to school 5 days a week, I only go three: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I go intern/work at a place of my choosing for a minimum of 4 hours which is the standard. It had always been my plan to ask about an internship at Kavod when I arrived at my new school, but I ended up not doing it for my first semester as a freshman. Even though I liked my first internship at Fletcher Elementary School working with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders, I wanted to try something different, so I left, and began looking for somewhere new.
About a week into the search, my advisor Ms. Baker asked me about interning at Kavod. They had pitched the idea to administration and they liked the idea, so she told me about it because she knew that I was a former student of Kavod. Of course, I accepted. I printed out my resume, and had a quick interview. The administration told me I could start that same week and gave me my schedule. Getting used to the 4 week rotating schedule that Kavod has was difficult on the first day, but every day after that was an amazing experience. I got the opportunity to work with 4th graders, 1st graders, and 7th and 8th graders. The chance to work with two of my old middle school teachers Mr. Murphy (History) and Ms. Hayes (Spanish) was especially something I enjoyed, and meeting other teachers taught me different teaching styles, and gave me new perspectives.
My high school requires me to create a project to benefit my internship community, and after discussing my ideas with Ms. Macdonald and Ms. Greenland, they approved my project of hosting the 8th grade transitional night. This event consisted of helping the graduating 8th grade class choose their high schools, giving a good idea of what the high school experience is like, and recommending helpful ideas to have a better experience at their new school both academically and socially.
My overall experience while interning at Kavod has been great, helping me expand and grow my skills. My patience, confidence and classroom management skills have improved thanks to the teachers I worked with, and thanks to my project I was able to work on my public speaking. I enjoyed it so much that I have decided to stay at least 1 more semester at Kavod Charter to continue to learn, grow, and I’m hoping to explore the education field a little more. After all, working with kids has been exciting for me, and teaching offers me the opportunity to do so. My greatest reason for wanting to become a teacher is seeing the kids become attached to you and having the opportunity of knowing each student one on one and being able to help them grow socially and academically.
Can you share a favorite subject or teacher that impacted you?
While attending Kavod, my favorite subject was history. My teacher Mr. Murphy has one of my favorite teaching styles. The class was rigorous and always challenging – which kept me on my toes. The greatest part about Kavod? Definitely the teachers. It’s a relatively small school so you get the chance to truly receive personalized help from your teachers. My mom was particularly impressed by this. During drop off in the mornings, all of the teachers at the entrance called everyone by name. The overall classroom experience was amazing. The teachers truly knew how to explain the content and you could see that they were proficient in the subject they were teaching. Not only that, Kavod teachers are attentive to each and every student both academically and personally.
There was a time when attending Kavod that I felt academically burnt out after a long year and it was getting very difficult for me to turn in work. I mentioned it to Ms. Hayes and Ms. Stagner casually. The next thing I knew I was pulled out of class by Ms. Stanger where she told me that all the teachers knew I was a good student and always tried my best, rough patches happened, and to try to not be so harsh on myself. She shared with my other teachers how I was feeling, and they worked on an extension for me. I still remember every word she told me and it remains as one of the most comforting moments of my stay at Kavod. Each teacher I had during my stay at Kavod was helpful, and I appreciate them all for helping me grow academically and personally.
What advice would you give to a prospective student or parent who is considering enrolling at Kavod?
My greatest advice for possible future students and parents of Kavod is, ENROLL! I believe that the school has offered me so many opportunities and has set me up to succeed in high school. Kavod Teachers care about the academic and personal struggles and strengths of every student, and try to give students the help they need.
Kavod is a great environment socially, and the teachers and students try to make it as inclusive as possible. For the students and parents specifically that have already enrolled but are new, be open to asking for help from teachers, you might be surprised at how well it goes. Also, get involved in after school activities and field trips, they’re a fun part of school and you will make great memories. My final advice is to always try your best, it is worth it even if you might not think so!
Thank you Alexa, we are thrilled to see your continued success after Kavod Charter School. Ready to see firsthand what makes Kavod a top charter school? Join our community and learn more about us today. Students and families rave that Kavod sets their child up for success. Enrolling now for Fall 2025.
About Kavod
Founded in 2013, Kavod is a tuition-free public charter school in San Diego committed to growing the next generation of bilingual, globally aware leaders who will make the world a more respectful place. We offer modern Hebrew and Spanish to diverse TK-8th graders alongside a rigorous curriculum, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, and enriching electives. As a non-religious, dual language elementary and middle school, we are consistently ranked as a top 5% charter school in California and across the country. Kavod means respect – we believe respect makes a world of difference. Enroll with Kavod today!
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