Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood’s (CVPromise) newest program addition is growing organically from our first generation college students. Feeling like they needed to do more for their high school and community, these first and second year college students, guided by an Academic Advocate, spent a summer week in leadership courses and brought life to the CVPromise Ambassador Program.
According to Postsecondary Support Coordinator Gloria Calderon, the goal of an ambassador is to build a college-going culture in the Castle Park community by elevating the visibility of students achieving academic success and postsecondary enrollment.
“Students wanted to give back and this program creates something cyclical,” Calderon said. “They’ll have an opportunity to enter a leadership position where they can become mentors and ultimately strengthen their community through the power of education. Ambassadors will also play an active role in developing a supportive community among CVPromise students attending their college or university.”
There are 25 ambassadors on various college and university campuses. Their responsibilities include developing expansive knowledge of their college; providing campus tours for CVPromise middle, high school and community college students; representing their college at Castle Park community or school events when home and available; and sharing their college experiences through video, blog or social media posts. Academic advocates will also help create strong relationships with their school’s admissions offices that may provide further trainings so Ambassadors can be better prepared to represent the college.
Calderon said this is also about retention. Statistics show that graduation rates for first-generation college students are remarkably lower than the rates for students whose parents attended college. This can be attributed to the fact that first-generation students often have financial burdens, jobs or family obligations that challenge their ability to focus on an education, and they lack the built-in support of parents who have experienced what they are going through.
“A major role of the ambassador is to create a supportive community among those students attending their college,” Calderon said. “Ambassadors will also hold meetings for these students and have discussions about campus resources, group challenges, and opportunities.”
Needs and concerns that come out of these meetings, Calderon shared, will be communicated to their academic advocate who can help connect them to other established school resources such as EOP, EOPS and MECha and more.
Ambassadors such as Hector Alvañez, 18, and Stephanie Sahagun, 19, believe that this is an important step for them and community. They are working together for a common purpose – to help more family and friends find a path to college and career attainment.
“I am so thankful for all the support,” Alvañez said.
Alvañez graduated from Castle Park High School this year and will be a San Diego State University freshman in the fall majoring in mechanical engineering.
“I was able to do it so I know everyone can make it,” Alvañez said. “The leadership training was amazing and opened my eyes on how I can make an impact too. That is amazing. I want to share this with my friends back at Castle Park High. There are no limits. They can go to college.”
Sahagun is entering her second year at Cal State Fullerton majoring in child and adolescent development. She is looking forward to sharing her college experiences with her high school alma mater Hilltop High School and hopes to stop the idea of college as a foreign or scary concept.
“I want to share how important it is to get involved on campus and join clubs,” Sahagun said. “It helps you make more friends who have your same interest and it helps with school.”
Sahagun is involved with an on campus club that helps to raise money for Children Hospital of Orange County.
“Its important to get out of our skin and experience something new,” Sahagun said. “Of the many things I got out of our leadership week is that no matter if it’s not related, it is always connected.”
