There is something about walking onto a college campus for the first time. For me it was the grandeur of historic buildings and a quad full of students proudly wearing their school letters. But mostly it was that sense of being part of something bigger — a fullness of hope that success was not far away.
Last week, 39 high school juniors and seniors from Hilltop High and Castle Park High traveled out of the county on the first Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood (CVPromise) Campus Crawl. The two-day trip took them to Cal Poly Pomona, CSU Dominguez Hills, Loyola Marymount University, The Claremont Colleges, UCLA and UC Riverside. The students will be the first in their families to attend college. Many of them had never traveled out of the county.
“There was a new-found inspiration,” Gloria Calderon, CVPromise academic advocate, said. “It became real. It became attainable.”
Calderon, who attended the trip as well, works with students and their parents to support their academic achievement and help them navigate a journey that can feel foreign and complex. Among the support offered are SAT and ACT prep courses, financial aid workshops, research and presentations of colleges and, most importantly, that one-on-one interaction with the whole family.
“It’s important for the whole family to support the idea of higher education,” Calderon said. “A year ago, parents may have had doubts about sending their children on this trip. But we had overwhelming support.”
On the trip, students met with school leadership to learn details about curriculum, majors and college life. They explored every aspect of the campuses including college dorm rooms, classrooms and resident hall cafeterias. Part of the trip assignment was to complete a report on their experience, which included interviewing leadership and college students on the campuses.
“Learning to ask questions is an important process to choosing the right college,” Calderon said. “By the end of the trip, they knew what to ask and they knew what to look for in their college of choice.”
Andrea Castillo, a junior at Castle Park High School, was looking forward to visiting the campus of UCLA — her dream college. She and her younger brother have always received encouragement from their mother to go to college. Andrea’s mother attended Southwestern College but never completed.
“My mom encouraged but she really didn’t know how to help. She never would have had the ability to take me to see all these colleges,” Andrea said. “She talks with advocate Gloria and we’re all so appreciative of the opportunities.”
Andrea, 16, said she now knows there are more college options for her. While she loved UCLA it was more than she bargained for.
“I’m not going to lie. I really didn’t know how open it was. I might get lost,” Andrea said. “It wasn’t the feeling I was expecting.”
She was surprised by the other campuses, many of which were new discoveries to her. She liked the private intimate setting of Loyola Marymount, the rural feel of Cal Poly Pomona and the unique college focuses and personalized approaches of The Claremont Colleges.
“I never head about LMU before. It was unique but not a lot of diversity,” Andrea said. “But, I could see myself there.”
By the end of the trip, Andrea, who aspires to be a pediatrician and travel the world, said that she has a new outlook on her college choices. She now wants to learn more about Berkeley and UC Davis.
“I would have never known before this trip,” Andrea said. “I have one more year to explore. I’m feeling very optimistic.”
Fall is a busy time for high school seniors and their parents. There are SAT and ACT exams to take before deadlines, college essays to write, letters of recommendation to collect, and completing and submitting applications. The initial application period for admission to most fall 2015 university terms began Oct.1 and will continue until the end of the year.
For more information about CVPromsie Academic Advocate program and resources during this college season, visit www.CVPromise.org.
CVPromise is coordinated by South Bay Community Services and is proud to partner with Castle Park Elementary, Castle Park Middle, Castle Park High School, Hilltop Middle and Hilltop High School to bring new opportunities and pathways of success for their students and families. For more information, visit CVPromise.org or call (619) 422-5005.
