MONTEREY, Calif.—Estephanie Pérez Hernández, Emily Ventura, and Graciela García wanted more out of their cafeteria at Monterey High. The juniors wanted a place to hang out and eat their lunch, but the drab space they used to have felt uninviting and cold. When it came time to remodel what is now called Monterey Café, they joined a committee to give their input.
"We wanted to be in the cafeteria to enjoy our food, not forced to be here because we couldn't find any other place," Pérez Hernández, 18, said.