High school is the time where students are encouraged to start planning for their future goals and dreams. Built in 1966, Bonita Vista High (BVH) has experienced countless successes from their former students, whether it be a musical artist or a teacher.

For 90’s Seattle band Pearl Jam, drummer Matthew Cameron started getting serious about pursuing music as a career when he was in high school. During his time as a drummer for Music Machine, BVH’s co-ed choir group, Cameron was able to learn the work ethic he needs for his career today.

“We were playing gigs a lot outside of the school and we would rehearse before school started, so we had to get there an hour before school started. Stuff like that helped me in my future pursuits as a professional musician,” Cameron said. 

Moreover, high school was the time when Cameron was able to get side jobs like paid gigs, working at a restaurant and working in construction. During those times, Cameron mentions that his teachers, like former Music Machine advisor Ron Bolles, were supportive.

“Mr. Bolles really encouraged me to get out there and try to do things outside of the school setting. I had a lot of support from my teachers; they were great. There were some gigs that we had to play and we had to miss some classes and all the teachers were on board with any type of field trips that we had to do,” Cameron said. 

With the significant challenges he faced at a young age, Cameron explains he developed a work ethic and refined how to efficiently manage his time. He believes it is always a great opportunity to be exposed to different job opportunities at a young age. 

“I think all those early experiences helped me when I ventured into my professional life in my 20’s. Early experiences for kids take them out of their comfort zone and [they] have to think on their own and figure out this new kind of situation to navigate,” Cameron said. 

As he developed his skills as a drummer, Cameron played for a band called Soundgarden before joining Pearl Jam. He explains that Soundgarden was formed by his friends in Seattle in 1991. 

“In my early days with Soundgarden, we started in bars and clubs and played to 15 people. Our music in Seattle was pretty small, so all the bands kind of knew each other,” Cameron said.

Along with Soundgarden, Cameron joined Pearl Jam. Although his time in Soundgarden and Pearl Jam was successful, Cameron mentions the challenges he faced throughout his career in the music industry.  

“The music industry is a big corporate entity. So for me, it’s been a little challenging to try to navigate the corporate side of my industry because it doesn’t work that great in big corporate settings. It’s a matter of trying to find your niche and trying to find that sweet spot and that took a while for me,” Cameron said.

Although becoming an artist was not easy at all times, Cameron never thought of dropping his position as a musician. Overall, he is satisfied with the work he has accomplished. 

“I feel like I was able to pursue something that I was passionate about and I was able to make a living out of it, which is kind of hard to do in today’s day and age. But I think it was the life lessons I’ve learned, to pursue my dreams like self determination. You have to be able to stay focused on your vision because you’re going to run into some obstacles and people,” Cameron said. 

Similar to Cameron, former pitcher for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Detroit Tigers Guido Knudson began his career at a young age. He mentions that he was part of BVH’s baseball team before advancing to college level baseball, where he was scouted to be a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. 

After excelling at baseball, Knudson was able to secure a spot as the pitcher at University of California San Diego (UCSD) for four years. As scouts went to watch his games, he was eventually drafted for Minor League Baseball teams like the Toledo Mud Hens. He advanced to MLB’s 28th round by the Detroit Tigers once he started playing in the Triple-A teams.

“It felt surreal. It was hard to believe that [I got into the team]. Even when I woke up the next morning, I had to double check it. My legs went numb and I called my parents, my fiancé and sister and told them the good news,” Knudson said. 

After playing for the Detroit Tigers, Knudson then played for the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Through his time as a pitcher he developed a shoulder injury so his baseball career came to a close. 

“It was devastating. Baseball was one constant thing in my life. I was bummed about it for a while, but I think things happen for a reason sometimes. It was definitely hard and it was painful to see my dream come to an end, but there’s a lot of good things that have come in my life after that,” Knudson said.

As of now, Knudson is working as a civil engineer, specifically in the land development industry. He mentions he excelled at math and science in high school. So, during his time at UCSD, he started out as an electrical engineer then switched to structural engineering. 

“I got my degree in structural engineering. After baseball was over, I had a teammate working at this company as a civil engineer, who I [did] my structural engineering program [with] at UCSD. He kind of got me connected there and that’s been five and a half years now,” Knudson said. 

Instances like Knudson switching his career path is common. This was also experienced by BVH Forensics and Biology teacher Joseph Szakovits. Szakovits mentions that he was planning on continuing his career as a scientist before becoming a teacher. 

“It all started when I hit a dead end with my career as a scientist. I was in a Phd program for four years, where it became apparent it was not the right thing for me. So when I was looking for a profession that allowed me to work with science that matched with things that I liked to do, teaching became a natural fit and I went from there,” Szakovits said.

As a BVH alumni, Szakovits enjoyed his science class like Advanced Placement Biology. Through this, he was met opportunities to help his classmates when needed.  

“I would teach the content to them. I was certainly offering my assistance in that way and it made me feel really good about myself. That was something that I thought back on when I was reconsidering my own career path,” Szakovits said.

Outside of teaching science courses, Szakovits is also the advisor for BVH’s Quiz Bowl. Through these contributions to BVH, he feels connected to the school’s community. 

“I think the fact that I came back, the fact that I am the adviser of Quizbowl, the fact that I often give interviews to the newspaper, I feel like there’s always going to be a part of me that’s here. I’m glad that I’m here serving this community that made me the person that I am today,” Szakovits said. 

Although not every career can end up as planned, those like Knudson and Szakovits give students a reminder to find value in what they achieve. Cameron further explains the importance of finding positivity and value in one’s life.

“It’s important to pursue the things in your life that you find valuable. I think there’s a lot of pressure on kids these days to get a career and get that money going,” Cameron said. “But it’s really important to value what makes you, you. It’s always important to focus on the positive aspects of your life.”