In the name of education

In the name of education

By Karen Duryea

Daily Bruin Staff

The 225 high school students from the inner city who gathered in
Ackerman Grand Ballroom stared at their surroundings, awed by the
looming size of the room.

"This place is huge," said Iskui Kodzhyan, a senior at Hollywood
Hills High School, "like for weddings."

Kodzhyan and the other high school students visited UCLA
Thursday as part of The Los Angeles Youth Renaissance, a program
targeting students from the Los Angeles Unified School District to
encourage them to aim for higher education.

"To young people, education doesn’t always have a good name,"
said Mandla Kayise, assistant director of UCLA’s Community Programs
Office, one of the co-sponsors of the event.

"Our main goal is to try to work on the student’s motivation for
college in terms of how they perceive themselves and how they view
education," Kayise said. "To empower students to take over their
lives and their education and their future."

Some of the students touring the campus said they were motivated
to strive for higher education.

"If I had the opportunity I’d go as far as I could, but I don’t
have the grades right now," said Ana Preciado, a senior at
Roosevelt High School. Preciado said her brother, who currently
attends UC Santa Barbara, influenced her to prepare for
college.

"I see how his life has changed, the way he talks, even the way
he walks, his whole point of view of life has changed. I say, ‘Hey,
why can’t I do that?,’" Preciado asked.

The Los Angeles Youth Renaissance helps students get an
education by providing them with work experience in the community,
employment-preparation techniques and an introduction to higher
education. The program typically lasts 18 months.

For many high school students participating in the "Day at
UCLA," touring the campus gave them their first glimpse of college
life. The youths were impressed with the campus, deeming Bruin Walk
and "that flat building they called a waffle (Bunche Hall)" their
favorite spots.

"We also went to a class, that was cool. They were taking a test
and then they kicked us out," said John Escobar,a senior at Belmont
High School.

The students began the day with an hour-long tour of the campus.
The group then gathered in Ackerman Union to hear speakers and
participate in student-led discussion groups, which Kayise
described as the most important event of the day.

Organized by UCLA students from the Community Programs Office
and the Campus Retention Center, the groups discussed issues such
as academic success, self-awareness and gender roles and
relationships.

The UCLA students served as role models for the high school
students, Kayise said, by representing minority groups that the
high school students can relate to.

"I think the main thing is to expose students to an alternative
view of education, in a way that is going to be relevant to their
families and community," said David Maldonado, a discussion group
leader and director of MEChA Calmecac, UCLA’s student-run Chicana/o
student retention program.

UCLA students can also act as long-term personal contacts for
the high schoolers, organizers said.

"Now they have a permanent resource on campus who is relatively
accessible," Kayise said.

Most of the students, like Preciado, are unable to go straight
to a four-year college. Instead, they are opting for a junior
college with hopes of transferring.

"I’m going to go to a two-year college because I have low
grades. I screwed up in high school," Escobar said. He said he will
"study his ass off" once he reaches college due to higher
education’s hefty price tag.

Maria Ignacio said she hopes to go to UC Santa Cruz some day,
but for now, her family ties keep her close to home.

"I don’t want to leave my mom," Ignacio said, "but I have to
make a sacrifice and not go over there."

Still other students said they are independent and well on their
way to preparing for college.

"What I heard here, I’ve heard somewhere else," said Manual
Pulido, a junior at Roosevelt High School. Pulido is preparing
himself to attend Cal Tech, where he hopes to study computer
science.

But despite what some high school students felt was recycled
motivation, the experience of meeting other minority role models
could potentially inspire the youths to become leaders themselves,
UCLA students said.

"They may have heard all of this before," Maldonado said, "but
seeing their faces in ours – that will empower them to take more
control in their lives."

SUSIE CHU/Daily Bruin

Nakima Houston, an 11th grader from L.A. Jordan High, listens
during a group gathering of mentors.

SUSIE CHU/Daily Bruin

High school senior Dimas Ramirez (striped tee) speaks to Akilah
Shakur, director of UCLA’s Academic Supports Program, during the
Self-Awareness Session.

STEFANIE CHAO

(L to R) Rhynna Santos and Angelique Scott give high school
students the grand tour.

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