When Carmina walks through the doors of Magnolia Child Development Center, it feels like stepping back in time. Now a senior at Arlington High School, Carmina once attended the preschool herself and today, she’s come full circle as a volunteer, working alongside the very teacher who helped spark her love of learning and creativity.

“My experience here at FSA has been amazing,” Carmina shared. “When I was a kid, I loved this school. I still have a lot of the art projects I made when I attended here. My teacher was Ms. Anadeicy, and now I’m working with her, which is absolutely amazing! Every time I walk in, I get such a nostalgic feeling, even the smell is the same!”

Carmina volunteers at Magnolia not for community service credit, but to gain hands-on work experience and give back to the place that inspired her. “I see the kids doing their art projects, and it reminds me of when I was their age,” she said.

As she prepares for graduation, Carmina is already planning for her future at La Sierra University, where she hopes to major in fine arts or graphic design, a passion that began in her preschool days at Magnolia.