Artistic, kind, and funny, Alex Fernandez is a junior here at Mt. SAC Early College Academy. He first heard of this school through his mom, who was recommended by a friend. When he learned about the welcoming community and college classes, he believed this school would be a great fit for him, and since then, he has built his long-lasting friendships and enjoyed his time at MECA.

“Going to a private school growing up, I didn’t really have that privilege [to know] a lot more people who, I share a lot in common with, because when you stay with the same like 15 people for eight years, you’re kind of not exactly the best for someone, at least for me,” Fernandez said.

While being here at MECA, he feels at home. Fernandez has found many friends who share the same interests and believes this was the right pick for him. He loves the welcoming environment and supportive friends he’s made. This close-knit community has provided him with a sense of happiness and gratitude. He hopes this community will continue to grow and remain a supportive community.

In his freshman year, Fernandez started with two close friends, Anahi Vazquez and Angela Smith, who are now juniors as well. He appreciates them always being there for him and keeping their close bonds as friends.

“I like to say that we like adopt some of our friends,” Fernandez said. “We started out pretty small, and over time, we just met more people, and then we just kind of added them to our friend group.” Fernandez is very grateful for his group of friends and he hopes to stay in contact with them even after high school.

During club rush, he selects clubs that align with his interests in art and music. Such as the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and the Comic and Illustration club, during his sophomore year. This year, he has joined the Appreciation of Music club. 

“I really love a lot of forms of art. And my two biggest forms of art are digital or traditional art and also music,”said Fernandez.

In his free time, Fernandez loves to draw and share them with his friends. He also likes to listen to music; his favorite artists include Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, and Fluence in the Machine. He loves the style of music they use and the messages they spread through their lyrics.

“I think overall, just really like what they have done and the music that they’ve done, I think sometimes it beats me a little bit, and they sound really good. And I think, like, if I ever do decide to pursue music as well, I think they would be a great inspiration,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez is introverted, but once you get to know him on a personal level, he is funny, supportive, and charismatic with his friends.

“It takes a while for me to like, I guess like, get more comfortable around people, but once I do, I think I’m just a whole different person than like, how I was when you first met me,” said Fernandez.

He has one piece of advice for students attending or wanting to attend: “This is a place where like this actually like, does like mean something, be you, I guess just you know like, be like true to yourself, because it’s a very like accepting environment here, which is something I also really love about the school.”

Correction: Angela Smith was incorrectly identified as Angelia Smith.