San Juan Bautista - Justin Brown has a bright future mapped out, but for now he'd rather dwell in the present a bit longer.
The 18-year-old Aromas resident graduated from Anzar High School on Friday. While he already has begun planning for the next four years, he's also thinking about the friends and relationships he has made over the past four years.
"It's like turning the page. Even though you don't want to, you kind of have to because it's good for your life and making progress," Brown said.
Brown will attend Cabrillo College in the fall where he'll study ecology and science. After two years, he plans to move on to the University of California schools in Santa Barbara or Davis, or maybe even the university in Santa Cruz. Although his post-college plans are somewhat up in the air, he thinks it would be interesting to work as an ecological consultant for a large company.
Throughout his time at Anzar, Brown has explored a range of interests. He has worked with the boosters club on fundraising for the school, played sports and excelled in his culinary classes, as well as other, more academic coursework.
"He's one of our top students," said Lynne Ellison, the senior-class adviser. "He's an excellent, bright kid who has just been solid in everything he does."
But it wasn't until his senior year that Brown found his passion for ecology.
"He found a direction this year with biology," said Chris Wardlaw, Brown's advanced placement biology teacher. "I think it was the first time he thought, 'Here is something I might actually want to do after high school.'"
In his AP biology course, Wardlaw briefly had touched on the environment, piquing Brown's interest.
"It really opened my eyes," Brown said. "Me and (Wardlaw) would talk about population endangerment and certain niches being wiped out."
Brown said he became especially interested in the California condor because it could be studied so close to his home.
Wardlaw said he was thrilled to see a student showing that much interest.
"That class is a pretty tough class, but he was never sick of it," Wardlaw said. "He stuck with me after class and asked me a lot of questions. There were a lot of topics he wanted to know more about."
Brown's hard work and inquisitive mind paid off. He was the recipient of the Earthbound Farms scholarship for environmental stewardship, which nearly covers his first year at Cabrillo College, he said.
Although Brown's future looks bright, he said he will miss his time at Anzar High School and the growth he made there.
"It's really been a diverse experience at Anzar. Because Anzar is so small, you have a lot more one-on-one time with friends and your teachers," Brown said. "I have mixed feelings at this moment. You get really emotional. It's one side of the spectrum to the other."
Alice Joy Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. She can be reached at ajoy@freelancenews.com or 831-637-5566 ext. 336.
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