Soon graduating as part of the class of 2024, Madison (or Maddy) Diaz has undoubtedly left her mark on Mt. SAC Early College Academy (MECA). Maddy believes her biggest achievement in her time at MECA is being a member in the Speech & Debate team.

 Maddy explains, “I did very well for my first year and won a couple of awards too! It was a blast and it has definitely improved my communication skills.”

Outside of Academic achievements, Maddy also shares a lot of fun memories with her high school friends. Field trips were a big part of them. “The college ones were probably the best since we got to all be together outside of school,” according to Maddy.

Applying for and choosing colleges can be very challenging and frustrating at times. Figuring out which has a better college community, benefits and opportunities,  as well as deciding how far you want to leave home and the cost. Maddy has decided to attend Cal Poly Pomona along with other soon-to-be graduates. And as far as careers go, Maddy plans to coach elementary Speech & Debate students in West Covina.

“[Cal Poly is] close to home but I also plan to coach Speech & Debate for the elementary schoolers in [West Covina].”

A lot can happen in 4 years, especially in high school. Maddy is no different, when asked what she would say to her freshman self, Maddy said, “I would tell them to take more of the opportunities offered. I would have loved to have done a speech in Junior year and I missed out on a couple opportunities since I was lazy. So I’d love to have taken more of those.”