College may not be for everyone, but it is at least open to
everyone.
Some students from disadvantaged backgrounds don’t realize they
have the potential to go to college. The Educational Talent Search
out of California State University, Monterey Bay attempts to reach
out to these students and let them know college is not out of their
grasp.
College may not be for everyone, but it is at least open to everyone.
Some students from disadvantaged backgrounds don’t realize they have the potential to go to college. The Educational Talent Search out of California State University, Monterey Bay attempts to reach out to these students and let them know college is not out of their grasp.
“Our goal is to help get students into any post-secondary school of their choice,” said DeAnna Macias, outreach specialist with the Educational Talent Search (ETS) of CSUMB.
The ETS program reaches out to 10 high schools in the area, including San Benito High School. At SBHS, about 150 students in all four grades are participating in the program.
“Usually, these are the students whose parents have no expectation of getting them into college. They have the potential, they just don’t know it,” Macias said.
Although not all students fit the mold, the outreach program targets students who are low income and who are first-generation college bound.
SBHS senior Nancy A. Gonzalez is one example. She will be the first in her extended family to go to college.
“Before I participated in this program, I didn’t think about going to college. I just thought about getting through high school and working at McDonald’s,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez decided to participate in the outreach program her sophomore year because she wanted the help available in choosing a college and continuing her education past high school.
SBHS senior Diana Padilla signed up for the program her sophomore year as well because she “liked the idea they would be helping me throughout high school.”
Students take advantage of ETS’s various services, including field trips to colleges, academic advising, financing post-secondary education, processing college applications and requirements like the SAT or ACT. The program also offers workshops and information sessions for bilingual parents.
Many students take advantage of the program’s workshops on University of California, California State University and financial-aid applications. While SBHS has counselors and guidance technicians, they can have a lot of students in their caseload. ETS advisors specialize in college applications, Macias said.
“My mom was glad (I received help filling out college applications) because she didn’t know how to help me since she didn’t apply to college,” said SBHS senior Lupe Rodarte. “It’s helpful to have someone to ask questions about the applications.”
Rodarte applied to five colleges. His first choice is California Polytechnic State University for its mechanical engineering program.
The advising, workshops and field trips help give students an edge. Padilla caught an error in her course load during an on-site admissions field trip to Fresno State University. There, Padilla realized she met the requirements to graduate SBHS, but not all the requirements to get into a UC or CSU.
“We made sure my applications were done right. I saw how stressed out about (college applications) my friends were. I would have been completely lost,” Padilla said. “I had more time to do it one-on-one. These advisors are coming from an actual college, so they bring more hands-on experience.”
ETS also serves 1,200 students in Monterey County. It is a federally funded program through 2007, Macias said. ETS has an average of 95 percent of its students going on to community college or a four-year university. The other 5 percent is made up of military service, teen pregnancies and dropouts, Macias said.
All three students recommend the outreach program to others. In fact, Gonzalez’s younger sister is a participant.
Next up for ETS is organizing financial aid workshops that will start in January.
For more information on the Educational Talent Search, call the ETS office at 831-582-3662 or visit the U.S. Department of Education at www.ed.gov.
