Despite the short six-minute walk to the Milpitas Middle College High School (MMCHS), few MHS students know about the Middle College program or why some students choose to join it.
For junior Janvi Balakrishnan, the decision was clear: the Middle College offered the supportive environment she had been searching for, she said.
Balakrishnan transferred from MHS to the Middle College at the start of this year, due to a challenging experience at Milpitas High, she said. She appreciates the smaller environment of the Middle College as she had felt undervalued in the larger community of MHS, she said.
“There’s a huge shift in how positive people are here (MMCHS),” Balakrishnan said. “People actually want to try, and people are here to acknowledge other people’s trying.”
Junior Elyse Huynh, who also attends the Middle College, dislikes the small setting of the Middle College, she said. Elyse had been stressed academically and joined the Middle College for hands-on teaching, but will be leaving next semester, Huynh said.
“I kind of miss MHS, even though there’s more academic support here … I feel like there’s more options (of people) to talk to at MHS,” Huynh said. “If you don’t get along with one group, you basically don’t get along with anyone, because (the Middle College’s size) it’s so small.”
Sophia Do, a junior who joined the Middle College this year, transferred since she felt behind in bolstering her college application, compared to other students, she said. She didn’t get the support she needed from teachers at MHS, Do added.
“My experience with teachers was that they’re this whole entirely different entity,” Do said. “It was always so hard for me to talk to teachers and be myself around them. I get to be more one-on-one with the teachers here, and they being super nice and helpful allowed me to open up.”
Do didn’t have an established friend group before high school and struggled to make friends at MHS, she said. The smaller environment at the Middle College was perfect for her, Do added.
“Instead of having a new group of students in every single different class, you get to stick with the same people, and that allows you to get to know people more like you used to back in elementary,” Do said “You get to stick with the same people who are willing to help you out. If you feel like you’re kind of lost in life right now, school-wise or mentally-wise, then I think you should come here. It’s like turning over a new leaf.”