Helping Disadvantaged Youth

High School Students to Shadow University Undergrads for a Day

March 22, 2010 :: No. 091

What:

About 80 Anaheim and Santa Ana high school students will get a firsthand look at college life Cal State Fullerton April 6 by attending classes and touring the campus with university students as part of “TRIO Shadow Day.”

When:

Tuesday, April 6
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Who:

Students attending the event are participants of the university’s Talent Search and Upward Bound programs, both federally funded ‘TRIO’ programs, which focus on services to motivate and assist local youths from disadvantaged families to pursue higher education.

Why:

Transitioning from high school to college can be an overwhelming process for any student — regardless of their socioeconomic background, said Adriana Badillo, director of Cal State Fullerton’s Talent Search program. Many underrepresented students of low-income backgrounds are often the first in their families to go to college and face additional barriers to a successful transition, retention and graduation, she explained.

“One of these challenges is the limited college knowledge and exposure that can help them navigate through a collegiate environment. Their lack of exposure to the university landscape can become an intimidating factor as they apply, select and attend college,” Badillo added.

To assist and further expose TRIO students to a college environment, TRIO Shadow Day offers the opportunity to experience a college campus from the perspective of a current college student. The intent is to have high school students sit in a college class, share valuable college information and visit important college locations that are often not part of a traditional college tour, said Badillo.

Schedule:

9:30-9:55 a.m.: Cal State Fullerton students and high school participants meet in the Quad
10 a.m. to noon: High school students and volunteers attend college classes
Noon-1 p.m.: Lunch and activities in the Quad
1:20-2 p.m.: Panel discussion on “How to Be a Successful College Student Through Campus Involvement,” in the Alvarado Room of the Titan Student Union

TRIO programs:

Participants in both Talent Search and Upward Bound receive various services, including academic and career advising, geared to encourage them to graduate from high school and enroll in a college or university. Services and activities assist students to navigate key issues and develop confidence to pursue a college education.

Both Cal State Fullerton programs were developed in partnership with local school districts: Talent Search is offered at Anaheim, Katella, Magnolia and Savanna high schools in the Anaheim Unified High School District and serves 600 youth; Upward Bound is offered at Century, Santa Ana, Saddleback and Valley high schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District and serves 68 youth. More than 70 percent of the programs’ participants are from low-income families and would be the first in their families to go to college.

Grant Awards:

Last year, Cal State Fullerton’s Upward Bound received $345,000 — part of a $1.5 million, five-year grant funded since 2007. Talent Search has received more than $800,000 during the first four years of a five-year award.

Sponsor:

Jarritos, a Mexican soft drink, is sponsoring the event and lunch, as well as transportation expenses to take the TRIO program students on campus tours to UC San Diego, San Diego State, Cal State San Marcos and University of San Diego April 7-8. Cal State Fullerton Student Alliance and Lambda Theta Phi Latin fraternity will provide TRIO Shadow Day lunch activities.

Media Contacts:
Adriana Badillo, Talent Search, 657-278-8280 or abadillo@fullerton.edu
Hortencia Cuevas, Upward Bound, 657-278-7327 or hcuevas@fullerton.edu
Debra Cano Ramos, Public Affairs, 657-278-4027, 657-278-2414 or dcanoramos@fullerton.edu

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