Maggiano soars to top at New Hope

Marie Maggiano addresses the crowd at the New Hope Charter School graduation ceremony June 7 at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lodi. (Mary Min Vincent/News-Sentinel)

By Julie Z. Giese
News-Sentinel staff writer

After just five months attending New Hope Charter School, Marie Maggiano excelled to become the school’s top student.

Maggiano, 17, moved from Anaheim to Lodi in November to live with a friend and her family.

“I really just wanted a change in my life,” she said. “I don’t like repetitive stuff.”

The change proved to be successful during her senior year. She’s maintained A’s in the independent study program while earning a 4.0 at San Joaquin Delta College, where she took three classes.

Maggiano said she tried the traditional approach, enrolling at Tokay High School when she arrived in town.

Though she scored well on tests, she hated to do homework. She found a better fit with the independent study charter and college because teachers didn’t coddle her about assignments.

Moving to Lodi has given her a chance to reflect on her life and appreciate new experiences like living in a small town, she said.

At Katella High School in Anaheim, Maggiano was involved in choir, conflict management and drama. She also volunteered at area hospitals and youth groups.

Maggiano said she looks forward to the future though she’ll miss some parts of high school.

“I’m going to miss the lack of responsibility that comes with being a teen,” she said.

Maggiano attributes her success to understanding boundless opportunities in life and being unafraid to tackle new challenges, she said.

She plans to continue her studies at Delta and later transfer to a four-year university. She wants to study philosophy to possibly pursue a career in law or government.

Her parents, Steve and Janet, live in the Los Angeles area. She has an older sister who lives in Lake Tahoe.