Sanaa Seaton-Msemaji takes seven classes, runs her own non-profit film company and still manages to find time to teach a class of tenth graders every Wednesday.

However, this is not your typical high school class.

Her students know her on a first name basis and she leads them in public speaking and self-esteem building exercises at the beginning of every class. She is strict with her students. When they keep up with their class work and complete their SAT practice work, she rewards them with lunch. She encourages them to expand their knowledge on subjects they feel passionate about, especially the downfall of the public foster care system, the theme of the class.

“Many people say they believe in youth,” said Rochelle Bailey, 16, a sophomore at Met West. “But she is actually doing something about it.”

Seaton-Msemaji teaches at MetWest, a new public high school in East Oakland. One third of the 17 teachers on staff are made up of community volunteers and Seaton-Msemaji, a creative writing and film double major, is one of the small group of SF State students interning there as a requirement for their major. Met West will have its first graduating class this spring.

Two of her students are interning at MilagroGrande Films her non-profit film production company. Her class of six is helping her produce a play called “The Orphan Chronicles.” The play is structured like the “Vagina Monologues,” but will be based on anonymous submissions by children in the foster-care system.

MetWest opened in 2002 and adheres to the “one-student-at-a-time” curriculum developed by Dennis Littky. The idea was to make high school more appealing for students by tailoring it to their individual needs. Littky developed this curriculum because he thought traditional high school was failing at-risk students. He called it the “big picture” concept and opened the first school in Rhode Island in 1996. There are now 27 “big picture” high schools throughout the United States.

Each student at MetWest is responsible for choosing their own classes and setting up their own off-campus internships. They are also assigned to an adviser and network of students who provide support throughout their four years.

The students receive general education including math, science and language. They are also required to take the creative writing seminar and elective classes.

“Their motto is ‘what is your passion?’” said Junia Medina, 22, a creative writing major who volunteers at MetWest. “When I was in high school, passion didn’t exist.”

According to Young Whan Choi, the internship and community coordinator at MetWest, there are no specific criteria to participate in the program. Volunteers teach six-week seminars and are free to devise their own lesson plan, syllabus, and can teach any book they want. Volunteers are also encouraged to teach elective classes on any subject of their choice.

“We haven’t turned anybody away, but we do have expectations,” said Choi. “We have (staff) support, but we don’t have a lot of time to train people.”

Seaton-Msemaji has dedicated herself to her work at MetWest. In addition to her work on the Orphan Chronicles, she and students Mimi Lok and Jenna Espinoza are working on a documentary through her film company called “Take Me Home”, a documentary which explores the inadequacy of the U.S. Foster Care system.

Her creative writing seminar is winding down its first six weeks. The students are preparing for the play by reading the “Vagina Monologues”, learning about how the foster-care system works and she is teaching them public speaking exercises. In the next six weeks, students will choose submissions to base their written monologues on and audition actors to appear in the play, which will take place in May 2006.

Sometimes Seaton-Msemaji finds it a bit overwhelming. But she loves the fact that she gives the kids real-life experience while furthering her own education.

“I’m on the brink of falling over to tell you the truth,” she said. “But I can incorporate everything I’m learning here, it’s gratifying to see that.”

Contact Young Whan Choi at 510-7879-8689 or by e-mail at frebelcator@gmail.com to receive information about volunteering at MetWest High School.