Viola Romero: Graduated 1949

What was your most memorable high school moment?

It was when I was first elected cheerleader my sophomore year. I was a cheerleader in junior high, but when I got to high school there was more competition.

What kind of person were you?

Popular, [but] I was a pretty normal person.

How did high school impact you?

It gave me a good education. I was able to work when I got out of high school.

What was world life like when you were in high school?

There was a lot of prejudice against Spanish students. I ran for carnival queen my junior year and it was a tie between the ‘gringa’ girl and me so they decided to flip a coin and I won. Many students and teachers complained that it wasn’t fair, so they had a re-election. I won again. They still complained. The cycle went on three or four times and I won every time. That went to say how divided it was. The superintendent also wouldn’t hire any Spanish-speaking teachers. They were mostly from Oklahoma.

Are you doing what you thought you would be when you graduated?

Yes. I worked in an office for the county in the accounts payable department. That’s where I retired.

What was SFHS campus/school like?

Small. There were only three buildings. The only electives were Home Ec., Spanish, and PE. We also had dances every other Friday night; the jitterbug was really big.

If you would tell your high school self one thing what would it be?

Get a good education. Don’t give up. Keep going. Go to college. I wish I had.

Do you have any advice to people in high school now?

Get a good education. Don’t waste your time. You need to go to college in this day and age.