Pay It 4ward: Valley HS student recognized for fostering school spirit

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In this week’s Pay It 4ward, a northwest Albuquerque teen is working overtime to make her high school as fun, and as safe as possible for her peers.

Miranda Chavez is now a senior and Valley High School’s student body president.

Front desk clerk Brenda Chavez says she’s watched Miranda change the school for the better over the past four years.

“She does a lot of different things for the school, for the community, for her grandma, for her parents,” said Brenda Chavez, Pay It 4ward nominator. 

Like tutoring children who’re struggling with their class work, and putting on school performances, and events. 

Miranda is always looking for ways to help those in need. 

“We had a custodian here, and she had to have surgery. So she stepped up to the plate, she says, ‘You know what’ – this was right after COVID. She says, ‘You know, I think we need to keep this place clean, and safety for ourselves, for the students.’ So she got the students to do that, to clean the front office and to wipe down. To this day, I still do that with the kids,” said Brenda. 

Miranda also organizes and helps students privately find things they need in the Viking Closet.

“They go into the Viking Closet, they come up with a smile whether they’re going in for food, or they’re going for a pair of shoes, or they’re going for clothing or whatever,” Brenda said. 

“Every year, you always have leaders that come through, that step up to the plate. But what I’ve noticed on Miranda, that separates her from everybody else is that she’s a leader, but she’s not a leader that needs the recognition or wants recognition,” said Valley High School Principal Anthony Griego. 

Until now, it was time to Pay It 4ward with $400.

Watch the video above for more.