Last month, Cloud & Fire had the honor of hosting several of our alumni for a special huddle talk and lunchtime gathering. Not only did past graduates come visit, but Mr. Ren Floyd also came back to catch up with his old students and fellow staff. It was a fun-filled and nostalgic day as old friends reconnected and new students had the chance to meet alumni. The huddle talk included a message from Mr. Ren as well as some words from three of our past graduates, Luis Matias, Jorge Perez, and Havah Sterns.
Reflecting on her time at Cloud & Fire, Havah shared that “it was the loving and encouraging environment that showed me that everyone can do it, if you just try hard enough and persevere through your own mental negativity… I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. But Cloud & Fire had these great programs, there were health care [professionals] that came…and I like science so I signed up with them, took a health care [class] at Pierce college, and that kind of set me on the path that I’m on now. I want to become a nutritionist in the future, and I wouldn’t have known that if I hadn’t tried and stepped out of my comfort zone.”
Similarly, Luis beamed as he talked about his time here. “Cloud & Fire was actually a really good place to come to when I didn’t graduate from my high school…everyone here are the nicest people out there. Even the people who aren’t teachers, everybody is amazing. I still don’t know what I want to do, even though I did graduate, but the thing is I can actually go to college, I’ve been accepted to some colleges. I’ve just been working, but I want to go to college now, and I think I’m going to go this fall. I thought it was really hard to pass my classes [here], but it really wasn’t, because everybody really helps out. Mr. Carlos would help out, Mr. Ren, Mr. Jackson, every teacher I had.”
Cloud & Fire prides itself in providing more than just a school, but also a family for our youth. This special celebration of our alumni and their accomplishments, as well as their lasting ties to their school, was truly a testament to that.
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