One of the benefits of attending Primavera Online High School is that you have a choice in your education. Because we are 100% online, you can have more time for studying and doing the things you love.

For Diana Hernandez, a senior here at Primavera, that love was pursuing an education.

Diana Hernandez-Rubio, Grade 12

If you ever get the opportunity to talk with Diana, it wouldn’t take long before you notice  her positivity, determination and zeal. Whether it’s her family, her school or even her hobbies, Diana is an idealist who puts her heart and soul into everything she does.

Since she was young, Diana has loved to read. She frequently spent her days with her nose in a book, delving into the world of fiction and fantasy. As she started venturing into other literature, Diana quickly discovered her favorite genre: mystery and crime. It was that love for mystery that led Diana to pursue her dream career in forensics.

“I was always a fan of mysteries and solving problems; I like reading books about it too and I love watching ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘CSI,'” said Diana. “I know they say it’s not the same thing as working there, but I started looking for more information and I just love the idea of hunting and finding things and just helping out.”

Being the eager, determined spirit she is, Diana did not wait to start on her dream career. Instead, she followed the advice of her father: Start accomplishing your dreams today.

“After high school, I plan to go to Arizona State University and get a degree in forensics,” said Diana. “But since I had so much time, my dad encouraged me to do something now. He’s said to me, ‘why are you going to wait to start making money when you can do it now?’ So I started taking classes and it’s helped me a lot.”

Through Primavera, Diana is able to take dual credit and separate college courses online. By the time she graduates high school, she will have nearly a full year of college already completed, an accomplishment Diana says would have been a lot harder to achieve had she not come to Primavera.

“If I were in regular high school, I don’t know if I could have done the college credits,” said Diana. “But here, I can take up to 24 credits, so when I start college I’ll be ahead maybe a year so I can graduate and get my degree faster. And then I can start working sooner on what I want to do.”

When she isn’t focusing on schoolwork, Diana likes to relax with her family and spend time with her three St. Bernards.

“Usually during the weekends, I spend it at my grandma’s house since she lives next door,” said Diana. “And we usually hang out over there or go to the pool at the park. I don’t feel like I have to go out because I have everything here.”

Of course, even when she is ‘relaxing,’ Diana is still out working to achieve her goal. Diana will be the first in her family to attend college, and with that comes the responsibility of finding ways to pay for her schooling. But that barrier doesn’t stop Diana. Instead, she diligently searches for funding through jobs and scholarships.

“Being the first in my family to enter college is exciting and a little nerve wracking, but more exciting,” said Diana. “My parents are really supportive. Now, I am starting to look into scholarships and I know I have to apply to a lot, but there’s one scholarship where I have to pick up cigarette butts. I told my mom and dad about it and they take me to the park and walk with me around the neighborhood streets so I can fill it up and try to win the scholarship.”

Diana is set to graduate this May, and we couldn’t be more proud of her decision to pursue a higher education.

“Primavera helps me succeed by earning college credits faster and earlier so that I can start early on my degree and what I want to do.”
– Diana Hernandez, grade 12

  • What do you think of Diana’s story? Share with us in the comments below!