Meraki student’s hard work leads to dozens of college acceptances (and counting)

12th-grade student Alexandra Thomas has found herself in a unique situation that many of her fellow students dream of: Thomas has been accepted into 15 colleges so far, with millions of dollars in scholarships to go along with it. 

The colleges that Thomas has been accepted to span the entire country, and include Knox College in Illinois, Willamette University in Oregon, Sonoma State in California and Beloit College in Wisconsin. 

Thomas, a student at Meraki High School, credits the independent study format of her school, as well as the rich learning experiences and a broad course of study offered throughout the San Juan Unified School District, as a key factor in helping to land her where she is today. 

“I’ve been a hard worker in school and in general my whole life, so coming [to Meraki] and doing all the things we do here, but also having the opportunity to go above and beyond, and reach for more things, was really awesome,” she said. 

In addition to an impressive educational resumé, Thomas also has several extracurricular activities that keep her busy, including ballet, swing dancing, ultimate frisbee and band. 

With guidance from advisors and mentors, as well as unwavering support from her mother, Thomas navigated the often-overwhelming college application process.

She said that during her freshman and sophomore years of high school, her mother was busy learning the way the college system works, preparing Thomas with several amazing starting points. 

“By the time I had to be ready, I became ready with a good foundation to start exploring and looking into things,” Thomas said. 

Reflecting on the process of applying for so many colleges, Thomas said it hadn’t all been easy, admitting the fear of the future that many students feel at this stage of their academic careers. 

“It's really daunting to think about how many things you have to go through to get to this final decision of where you're actually going to go, and then you have to actually go to the college and then do all of the work that comes with that,” Thomas said. 

Scott Evans, Thomas’ advisory teacher and counselor, said he wasn’t surprised by her success and the number of choices she has for her higher education. He added that Meraki gave her the “freedom to excel in the way that she’s capable of doing.”

Evans said he felt a wave of emotions after hearing the news of Thomas’ acceptances and scholarships.

“Those are the things I kind of had heard anecdotally from other schools and other counselors and other kids. But I hadn't really seen it on that scale with one of my own kids,” he said. 

While Thomas has yet to make a definitive decision about her future major, she says she’s leaning toward pursuing a PhD in psychology.

“I like humans,” she said. “I like observing people. I like learning about them, and I’m just really intrigued about how people work and what inspires them and motivates them.”

Thomas’ English advisor, Michelle Bebout, echoed the joy felt by the Meraki community when she heard about the opportunities that have become available to her. 

“That's the payoff, right? That's the moment when you realize that everything you've done as a student has come together in what you hoped for. And so I was really just excited for her,” she said. “It was just a really uplifting moment. I was very excited for the possibilities that she had created for herself.”