Eloisa Cherise Maire Lopez Manard is entering 9th grade and her third year at Pivot North Valley. She first came to Pivot in 7th grade, after COVID-19 caused her previous school to operate remotely. 

“When Covid hit, my school had no idea how to do distance learning. There were tons of assignments a week, and the lessons didn’t make sense,” said Eloisa. “Pivot has so much experience being distanced and hybrid. After coming to Pivot, I’ve started doing much better in school.”

Not only has Eloisa started getting better grades since her switch to Pivot, but Pivot’s at-home and flexible system has helped her take control of her schedule and finish all her assignments on time. She is excelling academically and has even begun to take classes above her grade level. 

Last year, Eloisa took part in one of Pivot’s new Career Experience Pathways courses in Animal Science. These courses were taught by one of Pivot’s Career Technical Education (CTE) credentialed teachers that provided students with a hands-on program to gain real-world career experience. 

“I really enjoyed the Animal Science class because we went on field trips, and one time, goats came into the class, which was really cool,” Eloisa recalled. 

Now that Eloisa is in 9th grade, she is hoping to take advantage of Pivot’s concurrent enrollment opportunities. She is working to get into an art class at Butte College, where she can complete a high school requirement and gain a college certification simultaneously. 

“Outside of school, mostly all I do is art,” Eloisa commented. “I am starting to try and paint, but most of the time I just draw with graphite pencil.”

Her teachers and peers know of her impressive artwork. North Valley Site Administrator Travis Bennett said, “Eloisa is an excellent artist and student. She is super talented and selfless. One time she drew a photo of one of the students and then gave it to him without hesitation.”