Andrea Chacon knows the meaning of instability. At only 13 years old, she has been in and out of rescue missions and homeless shelters and has crashed with family members more times than many people move throughout their entire adulthood. “We’re working on getting our own apartment,” she said. “But my mom doesn’t see it coming too soon.” The Monarch School, where Chacon is in the eighth grade, is a K-12 school dedicated exclusively to homeless children. For Chacon, it’s at least one beacon of security in a world where she has no permanent home. “I’ve been to a lot of schools, but I think Monarch actually pays attention to students individually,” she said. “They ask what’s wrong, what’s bothering us. It lets you grow and they help you and nourish you. At my other schools, I probably didn’t know a thing I know now.” She paused, then laughed, “Monarch is awesome.” On April 20, the school held a special event for its students. In addition to its monthly “Butterfly Birthday” celebration (during which children with April birthdays were thrown a party), the school hosted a very special guest. Blair Griffith, Miss Colorado USA, came to the school to meet the students and share her story. Griffith, it turns out, is also homeless. One month after winning her title, sheriff’s officers knocked on the door, threw her family’s belongings into trash bags and evicted them from their home. Her mother, who had been raising Griffith and her brother alone since their father passed away when Griffith was 15, had health problems and was unable to work. Griffith said she was unaware the situation had deteriorated to that point prior to being evicted. “I may not have a home to call my own and I am constantly wondering when I will be asked to find a new place to stay, but I have a support system of family and friends that will not allow me to fail or give up,” Griffith said in her address to the students. “It is important to find your inner strength. There is no need to feel embarrassed by your situation.” Her message resonated with Chacon. “I thought it was awesome she shared that with us,” she said. “I don’t think most people would be that open about being homeless. I wasn’t open with my friends about it. But it inspired me. If Miss Colorado could do it, I think a student here could probably tell their other friends that they’re homeless.” Cynthia Valenzuela, 16, who came to San Diego and Monarch by way of Arizona and an unemployed father, said she felt a sort of kinship with the beauty queen. “[Miss Colorado’s] story was really touching,” she said. “My own situation went down pretty quickly. We sold everything and picked up and moved out here for a job for my dad that didn’t work out. We moved around some, and we lived in our car for a while.” Monarch, she said, has been a saving grace. “It’s like a big family here. I feel at home,” she said. “Without them, I would have nowhere to be. I would not be in school.” Founded in 1988, the school at 808 West Cedar St. serves about 175 students at any given time. It provides food, clothing, backpacks and school supplies, as well as medical and dental services, personal hygiene kits and transportation, among other services. Its student population has grown 75 percent since fall 2009. It has been so successful, in fact, that a new, larger campus is in the works, scheduled to break ground this September at 1625 Newton Ave. near Petco Park. “Our enrollment is constantly increasing,” said Laura White, vice president of development for the school. “We currently have 165 students, but we’ll be able to double that, with room for up to 350 students in the new facility.” Sarita Fuentes, CEO and co-principal of Monarch School, said that with the recent economic turmoil, the school needs to be ready to handle an ever-growing student body — especially one whose appearance is rapidly being altered. “For the first time ever, we’ve had students enroll whose families had been homeowners, so we can see the face of homelessness changing,” Fuentes said. “And the question becomes, ‘How will we break that multi-generational cycle of living in poverty if we don’t reach our students one student at a time?’ They are being impacted by homelessness, but they can still succeed in life. If we don’t invest the time and energy to help each and every student today, that student won’t have a fair shot at being a productive, contributing citizen in the future.” For the students who attend Monarch, Miss Colorado’s message of making goals and pursuing dreams echoes the encouragement they’ve been given by their teachers and administrators. Valenzuela said that, after she graduates, her first goal will be to find a stable place to stay. After that, however, she plans to go to college for music. She and some of her classmates even wrote a song for the school. They called it “Worth the Wait.” Chacon is also very sure about what she’ll do after she graduates from Monarch. “Come back and visit,” she said with a laugh. “I made lots of friends and lost lots of friends, but most have come back. Once you’re a Monarch person, you’re always a Monarch person.” Again, she repeated, “Monarch is awesome.” For more information or to donate to help fund the school’s new facility, visit www.monarchschools.org.