Clear the Path to College

Southern California grows increasingly diverse thanks to immigrants from all continents who arrive in search of a better future. The children of the newcomers will be among the leaders in the coming years. Getting them the best education possible must be a priority.

The children of college graduates grow up with the idea that college is in their future. But the likelihood of higher education isn’t that obvious for teens who would be the first in their family to attend college. If they get no help from family, friends or school counselors, it can be especially daunting to figure out what classes to take, what schools to apply to, how to prepare for interviews.

There is a growing recognition that potential first-generation collegians need assistance, and this movement needs to be encouraged and successful programs replicated. At UC Irvine, the campus reaches out to high school students. At several high schools in Los Angeles and in the San Fernando Valley, the roles are reversed, with the secondary schools pushing students toward four-year colleges.

The Latina Academic Mentoring Program, or LAMP, started three years ago at Bravo Medical Magnet High School in Los Angeles. This year it has expanded to three other schools, including San Fernando High in the Valley, where it built on a program begun by the San Fernando chapter of Comision Feminil--a nonprofit Latina group. At San Fernando, Latinas meet over their lunch hour each Monday. Teachers invited nearly two dozen students to apply for the program this year. Some appeared to be on the college track; others appeared likely to be dropouts.

Keeping all the students in school until the end and sending them on to college may be difficult, but the Bravo experience shows it can be done. At Bravo, all 40 girls who graduated from the program since it started have continued on to four-year schools. Each girl at San Fernando High School is paired with a mentor, most of whom are professional women, able to show the students the value of higher education. During college application season, the mentors talk to the students about colleges possibilities and assist with applications.

At UC Irvine, the school and the Santa Ana Unified School District last summer invited 40 adults to a two-day program on the Irvine campus. Most adults were from Santa Ana and Pomona. The school district was able to tell parents what they would need to get their children ready for college. There were briefings on classes required for admission and what financial assistance is available.

University of California officials say the campuses have fewer minority students proportionally than do the state’s community colleges. It’s important for blacks, Latinos and Asians to know that if their grades are good enough they can transfer to UC from a community college or win admission as freshmen.

The university is funded by all the state’s taxpayers and intended to serve all communities. It should reflect the diversity that exists within California. Mentoring programs for teenagers from all ethnic and racial groups can be valuable. Bright young men and women should not write off college for lack of knowledge of the right classes to take or the scholarships available.