Mica Peak: David Brogdon makes his peers feel welcomed — ‘my door is always open’

When David Brogdon walked into Mica Peak High School near the beginning of his sophomore year for an interview with principal Kamiel Youseph, he had zero credits to show for his freshman year.

Brogdon had struggled to stay motivated during middle school and the impact of online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic only made things worse. When in-person classes resumed his attendance was lacking.

“I basically dropped out at this point but unofficially,” he said.

Three years and a new school later, Brogdon will graduate from Mica Peak High School this month as an ASB and school board representative whose extracurriculars include DECA, Key Club and theater, and with more than enough credits to go around.

“He’s got a lot of leadership type roles at Mica Peak,” Youseph said. “He’s just hard-working on all levels and just really kind and sincere.”

At his previous school, Brogdon “chose the wrong group of kids to hang out with and, by association, he was viewed as being one of those kids,” Brogdon’s mother Tabitha Gonzales said.

“The teachers decided that David was a certain type of student and because of the attitude that David had perceived from the teachers, he lost interest in school,” she said.

Brogdon felt unwelcome, like a burden, he said.

When Brogdon transferred to Mica Peak, his attitude toward school changed and as he adjusted to the new school, he became more and more involved in the school’s community.

“There’s times where he’ll work late, but he’ll still be at school and if we have a community event, he’s up front cheering everyone on,” Youseph said.

At Mica Peak, Brogdon said, “I have only felt supported and cared for. I have passed all my classes since attending here with nothing lower than a few Bs.”

Now, with his involvement in school events and clubs, Brogdon works to ensure other students feel at home.

“I now try to be the person who is supportive and outgoing and make sure that others know it’s OK to be themselves and that my door is always open,” he said. “I want to help make what made this school so special and helpful to me as welcoming and as equally amazing to my classmates and the future students.”

Youseph said he does a great job at this.

“He’s just got this warm sense about him that makes people feel welcomed,” he said.

In addition to his load of extracurriculars, Brogdon works 40-plus hours per week as a manager at Taco Bell. His key to juggling school, work and extracurriculars is effective time management, Brogdon said.

Brogdon isn’t sure where he will go after high school, “but I know I have plenty of doors open.” His options include beginning a career in electric equipment maintenance, the medical field or attending the University of Washington.

Though Brogdon isn’t sure of his post-secondary plan yet, he knows who he wants to be as a person.

“I know that I want to continue giving back to the communities I am a part of,” he said. “I want to make a difference and support and work for the people around me and uplift them.”