A new club at Huntington Park High School is giving students a space to grow into the best version of themselves. The High Value Club, founded by advisor Mr. Mesinas, focuses on helping students develop life skills, confidence, and emotional intelligence.
Mr. Mesinas shared a heartfelt story about his connection with students over the years about what inspired him to create the club.
” There are students, particularly boys, who tend to develop a relationship with me and have private conversations,” Mesinas said. “They’d come during lunch, in the mornings, or after school to talk or ask for advice.”
Many of those conversations went far beyond schoolwork. Mesinas explained that several students came from challenging backgrounds, often growing up without a father figure.
“I had students tell me, “Mr. I like talking with you because it feels like I’m talking to my dad” and I know their background, their dads weren’t around in their life, their dads were either locked up, passed away, or just absent.”
He explained that many of those students stayed in touch after graduating, telling him how his advice helped their lives.
“They’d say, ‘Remember when you said this?’ and honestly, I wouldn’t even remember,” he said with a laugh. “But they did. They said those talks helped them hold themselves to a higher standard and to become better people.”
After hearing how much those talks meant to his former students, Mr Mesinas began to reflect. If those one-on-one conversations could make such a difference for a few kids, he thought, how many more more students could he help if he created a space for it, that thought eventually led to the creation of the High Value Club with the help of student Jeriko Martinez.
When describing the club’s purpose, Mr. Mesinas said the club focuses on the importance of developing every part of a person’s life
“The purpose of the High Value Club is to help students become the best versions of themselves,” Mesinas said. “We believe that’s the best way to live life. If you’re socially intelligent, you can build and maintain strong relationships with friends, family, and future partners. If you take care of your health, you’ll live better physically. If you’re emotionally aware, you’ll understand yourself and others more deeply. And if you keep growing educationally and career-wise, you’ll always move toward a smarter, stronger version of yourself.”
Looking ahead, Mr. Mesinas has big goals for the High Value Club. He hopes the group will continue to grow into a strong, supportive community where every student feels valued and motivated to improve.
“My goal is that when everyone comes to the club, they go up to each other and say hi,” he said. Even the shy kids do it, and that’s something I’m proud of.”
He wants the club to become known around the campus as a space where students respect themselves and others, stay engaged in class, and carry themselves with pride.
One of those students is Adriel Moya, the club’s treasurer. Adriel said he decided to join the club because he wanted to step out of his comfort zone and grow more confident.
“I heard it was a club to better yourself and be more going, which is why I decided to join,” he explained, “I wanted to be more talkative and open with people.”
When describing the club, Adriel emphasized its welcoming environment. “The club is basically a friendly place for everyone,” he said. “You get to know one another and become a better version of yourself.”
Written By Antoni Rodriguez, Staff Writer