Following The Family Footsteps: Junior Aixa Aguirre graduates a year early

All parents have expectations for their kids. Some kids are expected to get straight A’s, participate in multiple varsity sports or get an IB certificate. Junior Aixa Aguirre’s parents have something else in mind. They expect her to graduate high school a full year early.

In 2013, while her older brother and East alum Alad Aguirre was finishing his sophomore year of high school, he made the decision to graduate a year early to get a head start on his medical training. 

“I don’t know why or where he got that idea from,” Aixa said. “He just kind of wanted to get a head start on everything,”

According to Alad, he was inspired by his cousin from Texas who graduated a semester early. He then talked to his counselor to see if he too could graduate a semester or even a year early. 

After her brother’s graduation in 2014, Aixa’s parents decided that all of their kids would graduate early. Her sister Azul graduated in 2019, and Aixa is set to graduate this spring. 

Being expected to graduate a full year earlier may sound like a lot to take on, but for Aixa it’s always been the expectation and the norm in her family. 

“If you can carve out a year and get closer to your goals why wouldn’t you do it,” Alad said.

In order to graduate, students need three years in social studies, science and math. You only need one year of fine arts and physical education. All of which can be accomplished before your senior year — except for the English requirement.

There is a four-year English requirement, so in order to graduate this year, Aguirre had to spend her summer taking an online English 3 course on Edgenuity so she can complete her fourth English credit this spring.

Although she never hesitated on her plan, Aixa didn’t really realize how soon she would be walking across the stage in a cap and gown until she walked in her English class and didn’t recognize a single face. They were all seniors. 

After a while, she made new “senior friends” that help make her class more enjoyable. Now, she sits in class talking to her friends and does her work, treating it like any other class.

All of her classes are considered “junior” level classes, so it’s hard for her to really realize that she’ll be leaving this year. Not a lot of people fully comprehend what she means when she says she’s graduating this year.

According to her friend, junior Abby Whitefield, Aixa seems really excited to graduate this year and all she can ever talk about is her graduation and how she’s a “senior” now.

“When I tell people I’m a senior everyone’s so shocked,” Aixa said.

Although she’s leaving all of her friends a full year early and has to deal with the pressure of graduating without any of them, she is very excited to spend next year at UMKC with her sister. 

“I’m kind of jealous that she gets to leave this year,” Whitefield said. “I’m really happy for her though.”