‘I’m Going 2 College’
Fifth-graders from Rancho Viejo Elementary School got a glimpse into their futures Thursday at Arizona Western College.
More than 120 Rancho Viejo students attended the grant-funded “I’m Going 2 College” program, which allows them to experience the life of a college student for a few hours, said Alison McLallen, director of media relations for AWC.
“I think it’s a great program. It’s encouraging. It’s insightful for kids that have it in their mind that ‘I can’t go to college because of either financial reasons or any other reason,’” said Rancho Viejo teacher Jorge Pantoja. “This lets them know that the opportunity is there for them absolutely.”
In collaboration with NAU-Yuma, the students hear speakers and find out general information about admissions and financing. Then they attend three mini-classes in science, art, career-tech, math, English, leadership and an introductory orientation, called College 101, taught by both NAU-Yuma and AWC instructors.
Students were welcomed to campus by the AWC Cheer team, got a human robot to make a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich and heard from a campus police officer.
“This is a safe campus,” said Campus Police Officer Greg Fell as he spoke to stu- dents.
“There are no bullies here. Everyone is nice and respectful of each other. In fact, the only bull on campus is Andale here,” he said, gesturing to AWC’s mascot.
Feeling safe is important to students who may never have been away from home
before, said fifth-grader Brenda Duran who first attended College 101.
She said the class covered “like in college how it feels like, how if it’s good for us, if you’re secure or not and stuff.”
Duran said is thinks that college might be in her future now, and it might help her prepare to be a professional gymnast.
The program is targeted toward first-generation students, and Pantoja said that opens possibilities.
“I think, especially the students that we work with, a lot of times the future is so bleak. It’s so big. It’s so far away that they don’t realize that it’s at their grasp,” he said. “This is one of the tools that we can offer them, to let them know that the future is not that far away. The future is ... Whatever the future may be, it’s reachable and attainable.”
The day ended with students getting an achievement certificate.
Jonathan Rivera said he had been considering become a police officer one day, but that today’s event had also shown him other avenues.
“Another thing I want to be is a doctor,” he said. “And that’s why I want to come here so I can learn about medicines and that stuff.”
Pantoja said he wants his students take away a sense of hope from participating in the program.
“More than anything, I hope that they take away the desire to want to learn and the hope that one day they can go to college, that they would meet ... a lot of the students that are ambassadors, their story is our kids’ story. A lot of them come from the same background so that they can see that. They see those students here at AWC, they can realize, ‘Oh my gosh. They’re doing it. So can I.’”