Sometimes the original goals you hope to accomplish don’t work out. That’s how it was for registrar Jessica Galindo. 

It was unexpected for her to be back at Alisal after graduating in the class of 1995. She originally planned to become a nurse, but it didn’t happen. “Honestly, I did not expect to be here…I wanted to go into the medical field,” Galindo said. “I think I just got comfortable here and I ended up staying here.”

After graduation, Galindo was working through the Monterey Youth Program at Alisal and she became a substitute office staffer here at Alisal and has been here since. 

Although she went to Central Coast College and gained certification to become a medical assistant, she decided to stay at Alisal. “I would work part time here at Alisal High School and then I would go and work at the clinic,” Galindo said. “It just wasn’t the same. The medical assisting wasn’t for me, so I ended up staying here.”

Galindo was really thankful for the resources she had during high school to help her with a huge challenge. “A challenge I had was that I was a teen mom, but when I was in high school we had the childhood program and that really helped me complete my education,” Galindo said. (The location of the daycare was actually where Mr. Fernandez has his class now.) “I think the daycare really helped me because we actually had to do a homemade class and we also had to take a class there at the daycare so they would pretty much teach us as we’re going,” she said. 

The process of becoming a registrar wasn’t something you can learn overnight. “Mrs. Hernandez and some of the other ladies kind of took me under their wing, so I kind of learned and liked what they were doing,” she said. “Once I graduated, I got a job at the youth program, working here at the high school for the summer, and then I just ended up applying at the district as a sub clerk. And after three years I was permanent.” 

She went from a clerk to a registrar and she’s been here since 2006, which makes this her 20th year at Alisal and 27th year working with the district.

As the registrar, Galindo is in charge of enrolling new students, withdrawing new students, grade changes, updating any new addresses and phone numbers for students, and she also orders the diplomas and mails out transcripts.

She seems to really get pleasure when working with others. “I do like it here. I enjoyed helping the students a lot and working with Gloria Hernandez, who was the registrar at the time when I became her assistant,” Galindo said. “I just really enjoyed helping the parents, students, and the teachers. I don’t know the word to describe it, but I really enjoyed it, which is what kind of made me stay here.”

There’s been changes for the better here at Alisal that have happened throughout the years. “It’s changed for the better, curriculum and sport wise,” she said. “I remember being in high school and the highest math class I had was pre-algebra. And with our sports our student athletes just keep on getting better and better each year.”

During her high school years Galindo interacted with familiar faces. “I know Mr. Battaglini. He was my English teacher, Ms. Lucy Vega, and Ms. Paty (Patricia) Lara. They were all here when I was a student and I’ve been working with them,” Galindo said. “It wasn’t weird to call them by their first names, but I call Mr. Battaglini that way because he was my English teacher so for respect you know.”

In the end, Galindo enjoys the important role she plays at Alisal. “I enjoy seeing the students come in as a freshman, seeing them grow throughout the four years, and when they graduate I get to see them when they come and pick up their diploma from me,” Galindo said. “I get to see them freshman year and then their senior year when they’re all done with high school.”