My name is Luna Garfio, a senior at Red Mountain High School. I attend EVIT where I have earned my Phlebotomist Certification; I am currently working on getting my Medical Assistant Certification. I have been accepted into ASU and aspire to be a Registered Nurse in pediatrics. An obstacle I have overcome in life was when I was told I wouldn't be able to graduate from EVIT. In order to graduate from EVIT from the Medical Assistant program, every student needs to complete externship. To qualify for externship each student must have a 70% or higher in the testing category. Before my class was released for winter break, the teacher called upon students one at a time. We were given the good news that we had the appropriate grades to begin externship after returning from break. I was proud of myself and asked the teacher again for reassurance. She smiled at me and reassured me that I had all the qualifying grades to begin my clinicals. I was assigned an office and an in-person interview with the office manager. I shared this exciting news with my parents and that I was scheduled to interview the Monday after returning from break. That Monday at EVIT, my teacher called me to discuss some new information she had for me regarding externship. She stated that after reviewing all of my assignments and test scores, that I no longer qualified for externship. She began to state that she had somehow missed that I had an average of below 70%. This was news to me! How could I possibly be assigned an office for clinicals if I did not have the appropriate grades. I began to cry in disappointment and disbelief. My teacher stated she would call my parents after school and cancel my in-person interview. I decided to call my parents. As the phone rang, I was hoping they wouldn’t answer. My momma answered and I immediately began to cry. I managed to inform her that I didn’t qualify for externship. I had to explain that my teacher made a mistake and after further review, I did not qualify to start externship. Later that day, my teacher called my parents to explain the situation. The next day, I went to the dean at EVIT to see if there was anything I could possibly do that would allow me to do clinicals. I was turned down. A friend suggested I fill out a grievance form which would be reviewed by teachers at the campus. I collected many letters of recommendation from teachers at Red Mountain High and EVIT, and my momma.I turned in all the required documentation and waited for an answer. I continued to attend EVIT while my documents were reviewed. Before class had ended, the dean called me out of class. She personally came to apologize to me and said that upon further review, I actually did qualify to start externship. Apparently my EVIT teacher had missed grading a few of my tests and had marked them as zeros. I was way above the 70% passing score and would be able to attend after all. Although the office I was supposed to do my clinicals at had been re-assigned to someone else, I remembered that the office manager where my momma works had offered to take me as their extern student. Immediately I called my parents. My momma called the office manager and everything was set up. Had I not been persistent and just taken my teachers word, I would have missed a great opportunity. This life lesson will stay with me forever.