Uriah Ortiz looked like a model Boulder High School student.

Popular and with good grades, the Boulder native was elected sophomore class president. But life outside school began getting in the way, and he stopped wanting to go to class. He transferred to Boulder Preparatory High School his junior year and graduated two weeks ago.

I enjoyed it," he said. "I think I'm going to miss a lot here."

He said he really liked middle school because of great teachers. It's the personal attention of teachers that also appealed to him at Boulder Prep, a small charter school designed for at-risk students that also attracts those looking for alternatives to large high schools.

"It's more of a community here," he said. "You're not scared to open up if you need to."

He said Boulder High teachers might not notice if a student ditches or is absent for a few days, while Boulder Prep's teachers will question students as soon as they try to walk out the door.

The school sets high standards, he said, making it challenging.

But classes are smaller and teachers provide lots of extra help. He also earned college credit through a partnership with Front Range Community College . His favorite class was film studies, which he said pushed him to look for deeper meaning.

But it's the memory of a quadriplegic who spoke at the school about learning to write with his mouth and going to college that really stood out.

"Just everything he overcame, it was just an incredible story," Ortiz said.

Modest and polite, Ortiz credits the support of his older brother, his mom and his teachers for his determination to become the first in his family to graduate from high school.

His mom married young and dropped out, later going back to get her GED. His older brother also dropped out, while his younger sister is a junior at Boulder Prep.

"Hopefully, she'll be next to graduate," he said.

He plans to attend Fort Lewis College in Durango in the fall, where he will study psychology.

"Just through things I've gone through, I want to help kids who have difficult times," he said.

He said getting his diploma was exciting because he wasn't always sure that graduation day would come. Now, he's looking forward to tackling the "real world."

"I'm ready," he said.