Central Los Angeles

HIGHER LEARNING: A thousand students and parents gathered last weekend at Bell High School for the Southeast College Conference to meet with college recruiters and attend workshops about how to apply to a four-year school.

The conference, sponsored by Assemblywoman Martha Escutia (D-Bell), was put on to encourage Latino high school students to pursue a higher education.

“[Colleges and universities] don’t come in on a regular basis, we feel, as much as they do at some of the suburban high schools,” said Bob McElderry, spokesman for the congresswoman. “It takes an event like this.”

Schools from Harvard and West Point to local community colleges set up booths that Southeast Los Angeles-area students could visit to learn about their educational options.

“At the workshops, students learned about the process of applying for financial aid and they learned about four-year institutions, community colleges, trade schools and other private institutions,” McElderry said.

“Parents attended workshops as well, about motivating their children and putting education first, and creative ways to help children pay for college,” he said.

Among those who spoke at the conference was famed math teacher, Jaime Escalante.