Sam Walter moved to Benicia after attending high school in Concord. After being told he did not have enough credits to attend Benicia High School, he and his family settled on the town’s alternative school, Liberty High School.

Makayla Brown started her high school experience at Benicia High but felt she could benefit from a more intimate setting.

“I decided it wasn’t working for me and that I would rather be in a smaller environment where I could get more one-on-one time with teachers,” she said.

As a sophomore, Brown staged a rebellion by not attending Benicia High.

“After I stopped going to the high school, they had no choice but to send me here,” she said.

Brown and Walter went on to benefit from attending Liberty, where they will be graduating as this year’s valedictorian and salutatorian respectively. In fact, Brown has already graduated early.

“It was something I wanted but never something I expected,” Brown said. “It was pretty cool to get that call.”

Liberty is a continuation school, which means students who attend it were previously not on track to graduate. As a result, people tend to have misconceptions about the school itself.

“They assume that a lot of the kids that go here are usually getting in trouble with the law,” Walter said. “They don’t see the good kids that are trying to succeed.”

“They think that it’s less than the high school, it’s easier than the high school,” Brown said. “I learned way more here than I did at the high school, not just because of the environment but because it wasn’t like ‘Oh, here’s an assignment. Do it.’ It was ‘Here’s an assignment. You’re gonna do it in class, and there’s no homework.’ You’re doing your work in class to make sure you do it, and if you don’t do it you’re not getting your credit.”

“It’s more straightforward, whereas at the high school there’s plenty of room to slip under and get far behind,” she added.

Among other things, the two received a lot of support from their teachers.

“My teachers were always there for me whenever I needed help with credits,” Walter said.

Walter enjoyed his time as a member of the school’s basketball team, and Brown enjoyed the Christmas and Thanksgiving parties as well as field trips to a bowling alley and Alcatraz. Brown was particularly inspired by a Career Week presentation by Solano Community College professor and former Genentech visiting scientist Jim Dekloe which made her want to pursue a career in biotechnology.

“It just sparked an interest, so I took a class with him at Solano during my time at Liberty,” she said. “I enjoyed it, but I unfortunately didn’t have a means of transportation. Once I get that straightened out, I plan to go back to school.”

Brown plans to go to Diablo Valley College for general education units and also plans to return to Solano to take classes with Dekloe. Walter will be taking general education classes at Solano while he figures out his career plans.

Brown and Walter encourage incoming students to make the most of their time at Liberty.

“It’s still school, but there’s a lot of great opportunities here that should be utilized way more than they are now,” Brown said.

Likewise, Walter encourages new students to not let misconceptions about the school diminish their drive.

“Don’t be nervous about school,” he said. “Everyone is very nice and will help you along the way.”

As for fellow graduates, Walter advises “Stay motivated and believe that you will succeed.”

Liberty High School’s graduation will take place at 6 p.m., Thursday, June 9, at the Benicia Yacht Club, located at 400 East 2nd St. For more information, call the school at 747-8323.