MISSION COLLEGE : Grant to Aid High School Youths

Mission College has received a $90,000 state grant to provide high school students a head start on college.

The project will start in the spring semester when a group of Monroe High School students begin preparing for careers in the food service and hospitality industries. Later, the program will be expanded to include students training to become legal assistants and engineers.

“Young people have to be prepared as soon as possible for a vocation, and at the same time they need to see how that vocation ties in with academics, including mathematics and science,” said Penny Young, director of Mission’s business and professional center, which will assist the vocational education dean in administering the program.

“Young adults also need to understand why achieving a certificate of completion in their major field of study, an associate degree, or the requirements to transfer to a four-year college or university is so important.”

The project is associated with Work Force Los Angeles, a commission on workers, education and employment sponsored by the city of Los Angeles. The grant from the state Department of Education will be disbursed over a three-year period.

High school students became a part of Mission College last spring through a project supported by a $50,000 state grant. Tailored for 11th- and 12th-grade Sylmar High School students in danger of dropping out, the program included an array of practical courses such as office administration, drafting, mathematics and job-seeking skills.

“The program saved me from dropping out of school,” student Nestor Franco said. “It was like practice in how to prepare for the outside world. It was real helpful.”