Jordan Roberts, Senior
Pauling Academy
Oregon Small Schools Initiative

Jordan Roberts grew up in Gresham and Portland in a large family with four sisters and two brothers. By the time she enrolled in Marshall High School in 2002 she had attended two elementary schools and two middle schools, and as she admits, didn't have much interest at all in attending another school.

"I didn't like school at all," said Jordan. "And Marshall was big. I was even afraid to walk down the hall and I don't think most of my teachers knew who I was."

Jordan started hanging out and "acting cool", and as she said, "I wasn't in the right group of people at all." She wasn't doing well in school either. Jordan failed several classes including freshman English, and finished her first year of high school with a 1.07 PGA.

The following year, with the help from the Oregon Small Schools Initiative, the Marshall Campus was formed. The new campus consists of three new small schools (originally four) within the same building. Each school has a different theme, but they are all designed with a rigorous college preparatory curriculum and special programs that support students and teachers and provide students with more personalized attention. Jordan entered the Pauling Academy.

"At first we were mad about the transition to small schools," said Jordan. "We didn't want to be split up from our friends. But then I realized how much more comfortable I was in the hallways because everybody knew everybody else. I know who my teachers are, and they know who I am. Now since we changed to small schools I discovered teachers are actually real people!

Reconnecting with school has been exciting for Jordan. She talks about enjoying her Environmental Science classes and French, and really enjoys the field trips that are part of the schools expeditionary learning model. "I really like the hands on activities," said Jordan. "They make learning a lot more fun."

Jordan is going to classes regularly, working on the school paper, The Pauling Press, and is connected to a new group of students and teachers who all take an interest in her.

"I guess it is working because now I have a 3.5 GPA and I really want to do something after high school. Maybe I'll go to veterinarian school. That'd be pretty cool."

Yes, Jordan, we think that would be pretty cool too.