Nicole and Wendy (both FG5) pound out their personal statement drafts.

First Graduate’s high school seniors have returned to school with the goal of graduating on their minds. But they are also looking ahead to college. To help them get a jump on the application process, First Graduate’s Upper Division program staff organized the fifth annual Senior Retreat. For four days in mid-August, our seniors gathered to learn about the steps they need to take to apply to college and begin writing their all-important personal statements.

To launch the retreat, all 25 seniors traveled with staff to Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma on Tuesday, August 10. Surrounded by tall oak trees and green garden paths, our students took in the sights of the Sonoma retreat space before digging into the topic of applying to college. Staff then led students in a creative activity that allowed them to share their fears, hopes and plans related to college. Among the expectations our students expressed were these thoughts:

“I hope to finish off high school with the best GPA and to aim for a 2000 on my SAT.”

“I hope to: 1. Make new friends, 2. Learn new things, 3. Meet different people, 4. Succeed.”

“I hope that at the end I will go to one of my top choice schools and receive enough financial aid to pay for it.”

“I hope that wherever I decide to go, I’ll find a strong support system to help get me through the struggle of moving away from home.”

FG Upper Division program staff posed with our high school seniors during the college applications retreat.

Later that day, students got a chance to play the role of college admissions officer, reading and considering mock student applications. In groups, they debated different applications and made decisions about which students to accept and which to deny based on the admissions criteria of a given school.

On day two, students participated in two activities to help focus their ideas for personal statement topics. They did a free writing exercise, responding to questions posed by staff as well as prompts used on University of California applications. Later in groups, they shared their writings, giving and getting feedback on their topics and writing style.

For the remainder of the retreat, staff and students returned to First Graduate’s offices to continue working on personal statements. The seniors also heard from a panel of First Graduate college students, who shared their experiences applying to college, including insights into balancing school work with their social lives. By the end of the retreat, each senior had updated his or her resume, filled out a common application for private colleges, set up a FAFSA account, and signed up to take their SATs in October.

The Senior Retreat helps demystify the complex process of applying to college. “It’s overwhelming,” says Angely Miranda, program associate at First Graduate. “They would otherwise go into the process blind.” But with the guidance of staff, students get organized and receive ongoing support from the beginning of the process to the end. In September, the seniors will continue their personal statement writing work with the help of volunteer writing coaches and complete a draft before college applications are due in November.

To view more photos of the retreat, visit our Flickr page.

Chris (FG6) shared his experiences as a rising junior at Leadership High School.

On August 3, First Graduate hosted our eighth annual Presentations of Learning (POLs), a special event for our students, their families, and members of the community. During the evening event, held at The Bay School, more than 80 of our high school students offered insightful and moving presentations highlighting their educational experiences and goals for the future.

The POLs gave our students the opportunity to reflect on their challenges and accomplishments as they continue their journey on the road to college. The event also provided them with a chance to hone the type of public speaking and presentation skills they will need to exercise in college and beyond.

During their POLs, several students offered evidence of their work and talents, including poems, drawings and instrumental performances. At the end of each presentation, volunteer evaluators – program partners, board members, mentors, and a few of First Graduate’s college students – posed questions and provided feedback for our students.

Here are a couple of examples from the student POLs:

Paola (FG6), The Marin School

“I spent most of my freshman year getting used to high school and adopting to a new culture with a different socio-economic group than I was accustomed to. By the beginning of my sophomore year, I had already gotten somewhat accustomed to the culture and really wanted to learn and grow more by getting to know other cultures and lifestyles. At my school, my English teacher was introducing African literature. During this unit, he asked for volunteers for an event called Teach with Africa. This was the first year when the program was going to take students overseas to San Francisco to host a workshop with Bay Area students. The workshop was going to be about the educational systems in South Africa and in the U.S. I immediately knew I wanted to be part of this event. “

Chris (FG6), Leadership High School

“Over the past two years, I have grown a lot academically, personally and socially. I have had to face many obstacles to get to this point in my life. When I first started my ninth-grade year, I wasn’t scared of the challenges that would face me. But I was concerned whether I would able to tackle those problems and confront them. Academically I have become more enriched with the various subjects that my school has to offer. I had never taken a Spanish class before my ninth-grade year. I didn’t really like the class when I started, but as time went on I developed a relationship with my teacher and I was able to get the help that I needed. In the fall, I’ll actually be taking AP Spanish, which I never thought I would do.”

Volunteer POL evaluators Olivia Ho, Olivia Bradbury and Heidi Erbe responded to student POLs.

Several guests and volunteers were impressed by the student presentations. “The students are so amazing,” said Aparna Behari, a volunteer and Online Merchandising Manager at Apple. “Our youngest presenter blew me away with his presentation. All the students did a great job.”

To view photos of this event, click here to visit First Graduate’s Flickr page.

Our students outside of a Sephora store on Career Day.

How early do students need to start thinking about a career in law or technology? It’s never too soon to learn about what it takes to land a great job in a desirable field. That’s the philosophy behind First Graduate’s 4th Annual Career Day, an event for Summer Session students.

On Friday, July 16, nearly 100 First Graduate students, including a few of our college students, broke up into groups to visit one of 10 Career Day host offices.  “The purpose of the event is to expose students to the diversity of career options available to people who have earned a college degree,” said Program Associate Rachel Alexander, who organized the event.

This year, the hosts included a few new sites (Hill & Knowlton, San Francisco Chronicle,  Sephora, 1:AM Gallery) as well as veteran ones (California Children’s Services, Gap, Inc., Gordon and Rees, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco Zoo, and Ubisoft).

At Sephora, the Director of Merchandising for Fragrance and Men’s Grooming Jessica Hanson shared a slideshow presentation highlighting her educational and career paths as the first in her family to graduate from college. She explained how a new fragrance comes into being and students got a whiff of some of the store’s top-selling scents.

Our aspiring lawyers visited Gordon & Rees, a law firm with offices throughout the United States. Staff, including First Graduate Board Member and Gordon & Rees Partner Sara Thorpe, treated our students to lunch followed by an office tour. Students Anthony (FG10) and Heisel (FG9) had prepared such questions as, “Why did you choose to be a lawyer?” and “What do you do on your first day as a lawyer?” The highlight of the visit came when the hosts presented a series of mock cases for the students to discuss and judge.

Our would-be writers stopped by the Chronicle newsroom, sat in on a morning news meeting, and toured the Food & Wine section’s

Ever wonder how news decisions are made? Our students got to listen in at the Chronicle.

test kitchen. Assistant Managing Editor Allen Matthews used a whiteboard to explain what stories would be covered in the next day’s paper.

At each site, students got a good sense of not only what it would be like to work in the given profession, but what they need to do to prepare. “Students deepen their knowledge of industries in which they may already be interested, learn something new about fields they might not have previously considered, and meet professionals who can share their experiences with college and the working world,” said Rachel.

Alex (at left) was one of three college students to greet guests on visitor's day.

Last week, First Graduate hosted a special event for visitors to the program, First Glance at First Graduate. Among our guests, which included program partners, volunteers and supporters, was Leah Garchik from the San Francisco Chronicle. She posted a follow-up story on her popular blog. In it, she described our program and made the connection between the resources we provide students and the larger issue of rising college costs.

A quote: “The oldest participants in First Graduate’s 8-year-old program are two years away from college graduation, enrolled at colleges throughout California, and also in the East (Tufts, Barnard, Harvard). They’re promised $1,000 a year in financial help, but most individual needs are so much greater that more is provided, often with the help of counselors who help figure out how other sources can be tapped.”

Students set their sights high on the campus of UC Berkeley, standing in front of Campanile (aka Sather Tower).

Every First Graduate student’s long-term goal is to graduate from a four-year college. To make that dream more tangible for our students, First Graduate organized College Day on July 2. On that sunny Friday, more than 80 students – ranging from rising 7th to 10th graders – boarded buses to travel with Summer Session staff to one of two local universities: San Francisco State University or the University of California at Berkeley.

At San Francisco State, staff from SF Promise (a San Francisco initiative that guarantees that all district students have access to a college education) hosted First Graduate students. They first took part in a scavenger hunt designed to introduce them to the campus as they went from building to building in pursuit of scavenger list items. After lunch, our students attended a panel discussion during which an SF State coed shared her experience and took questions.

SF Promise Program Coordinator Martin De Muchas Flores engaged our students in a scavenger hunt.

For Douglas (FG7), a rising sophomore attending Abraham Lincoln High School, the visit was not the first to acollege campus, but it gave him a new perspective. The tall tenth grader was impressed by the spaciousness of the campus, as well as the design of the Creative Arts building. He was also pleased about the relatively small size of the classes he observed. While Douglas has time to decide where he’ll apply for college, the trip motivated him to plan ahead. “It made me think about taking challenging classes like advanced history, so I could be competitive with other students,” he said.

At Berkeley, members of Bridges Multicultural Resource Center, a coalition of five student-of-color organizations, welcomed our students and took them on a tour of a residence hall. The dorm visit was followed by a tour of the larger campus, including the Valley Life Sciences Building, where a 40-foot mounted skeleton of a T-rex resides.

Diana (FG8), who will be a freshman at Lick-Wilmerding High School this fall, particularly liked the panel discussion with five Berkeley students – including three first-generation ones – who shared stories about their paths to college. “We were able to actually talk to the students one-on-one,” she recalled. “We could ask them questions and they answered them honestly.” While Diana is keeping her options open in terms of specific schools, the trip underscored what she already knew: “It made me want to go to college.”

College Day is one of three opportunities that First Graduate provides for students each year so that they can visit college campuses and learn more about college life.

Lara (FG9) receives her Student of the Week award from Alex (FG1).

School is out but First Graduate’s rising 7th to 10th graders are engaged in our Summer Session. For five weeks, from June 21 to July 23, our students take a mix of rigorous classes and enjoy a range of stimulating activities. “The summer program provides our students with the opportunity to hone their academic skills, build leadership skills, and develop a sense of community,” says Sandra Park, Director of Programs.  

During Summer Session, all 120 participating students work on strengthening their abilities in math, reading and writing. They also have opportunities to develop their public speaking, interviewing, research, and computer literacy skills. Each day begins with two academic classes (math and language arts) taught by certified teachers. After lunch, students transition to study hall for help with homework. In the afternoons, they engage in a combination of tutoring and electives, as well as advisory, when staff help them plan ahead for high school and college.

Students show they've got talent during a lip-sync contest.

On Fridays students come together for Mosaic, First Graduate’s gatherings for team-building activities and celebrations. This summer, several Fridays are also dedicated to events:

•    First Graduate Olympics (June 25). A culmination of Spirit Week, FG Olympics featured a series of team competitions, including a relay race and lip-syncing contest. See photos on our Flickr page.
•    College Day (July 2). Students visit and tour local colleges to get a glimpse of college life.
•    Career Day (July 16). Students shadow professionals at companies such as Ubisoft, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Giants/AT&T Park, among others.
•    Project Presentations (July 24). Students exhibit projects highlighting the work they’ve done throughout the summer. Past projects have included student-made films and a debate.

For the first time this summer, our students are also testing their limits with activities organized by Outward Bound Bay Area. Additionally, First Graduate is hosting First Glance at First Graduate, an event for visitors interested in learning about the program, on July 13. For updates on Summer Session, check this blog, as well as our Facebook, Twitter and Flickr pages.

First Graduate's intrepid college student blogger, Anjie

This post is part of an ongoing series of blog entries by Anjie (FG3), a freshman at Barnard College writing about her experiences on the blog Uptown Girl. Here’s an excerpt from “Suspended Belief and a Taqueria”:

I don’t want to believe it.

How could a whole school year go that fast? Technically I can’t even call myself a first-year student anymore since I’ve finished all my exams and papers, but I’m not technically a sophomore either. Not that I’m emotionally ready to be a sophomore! I refuse to believe that in a few months, I must pick my major. I’m not ready. I want to stay a first-year student, go on Orientation Week’s walking tours of the West Village again, and have the dining hall closed to all those annoying male jocks that crowd the food lines and weigh down their trays with multiple entrees. (Grrr.)

I don’t want to pack.  I’m already halfway done with packing, but it’s not like I like it. See, the packing itself – putting things economically into boxes and my one suitcase, judging each item I own for its worth and its future usefulness – is all something I somewhat actually enjoy. But packing means I’m leaving Barnard. Packing means I’m leaving the friends I’ve made here (except the ones who are also going back to CA). Packing means saying goodbye. Packing means saying the requisite “keep in touch” to everyone I know even though everyone knows that won’t happen for everyone. Packing means organizing a way to get to the airport – not fun. Packing means going home.

You would think that I’d be ecstatic to be going home. I should be. I have a paid internship lined up that will provide me with invaluable, life-altering experiences and a way to finance my education at the same time. I’ll be back in the city I love (maybe even more than New York? Still deciding), I’ll be able to see my old friends and my sister and my cat…so I should be happy to be going home.

And I am, sort of. But mostly I’m sad and grumpy about it. Going home means dealing with MUNI‘s never-ending nonsense. (The NY subway has totally spoiled me.) Going home means going back to everything I left behind – the good and the bad – when I left home for Barnard. And I’m not so sure that the good outweighs the bad.

On a lighter note, there’s a taqueria, named Taqueria, on Amsterdam and 105th(ish) that has the weirdest “authentic” burritos I’ve ever tried, but they’re quite good. Their tortilla chips are the kind I would make at home when I’m bored and when I have a stack of tortillas and a bottle of oil available in the kitchen. That’s one thing about going home that gets me excited — at long last, good Mexican food!

Students conduct trend research during First Graduate's annual career exploration event.

A doctor? A lawyer? Or a buyer for Sephora?

Those are just a few of the career options that First Graduate students learned about at Exploring the Possibilities, an annual career event hosted by First Graduate in collaboration with the local alumni clubs of Harvard and Stanford Universities.

On Wednesday, May 12, more than 50 First Graduate students and 10 students from College Track came to the Bay School to hear from professionals about a range of exciting career paths. After a welcome and introduction to the 30 presenters, students dispersed to rooms with panelists representing arts & entertainment, business, engineering, law, medicine, technology/gaming, and public relations.

In each room, the adults offered interactive presentations to not just describe their jobs, but to bring them to life for students. In the arts & entertainment room, students got a chance to pretend they were entertainment executives planning a concert. They broke up into teams and made decisions about who to hire as talent and how to spend their budget. In one of the business/finance rooms, representatives from Sephora led students in a trendspotting exercise using magazines. Aspiring lawyers practiced saying “hearsay” and other objections during a mock trial led by representatives from Gordon & Rees.

Jodie Feusner, Brooke Hartmann, and Pauline Self from Gordon & Rees held court in one of the rooms focusing on law.

“Part of the students’ journey that First Graduate and the Harvard Club of San Francisco hope to support is  ‘aspiration,’ because the obstacles facing potential first-generation college attendees are greater than simply taking the ‘right’ classes and securing good test scores,” said Preston Dodd, president of Appregatta Technologies and member of First Graduate’s Board of Directors. “Those outcomes are generally a by-product of the drive and determination necessary to achieve the milestones required to be an attractive job candidate to employers such as Google, the University of California San Francisco Medical School, or a leading law firm.”

Like First Graduate students, several of the presenters were the first in their families to go to college and all confirmed the value of a college degree. “There’s no way I could do what I do now if I hadn’t gotten a good quality education,” said Adam Hunter, a site reliability engineer at Google who earned a B.A. in math and computer science from Rice University and a M.S. in computer graphics from Johns Hopkins. The engineering room illustrated just how varied any one career area can be – the presenters included a veteran video game engineer, a radio engineer and two bioengineers.

View photos of Exploring the Possibilities 2010 by clicking here.

First Graduate high school seniors at CAP & GOWN 2010

On Friday, May 7, First Graduate hosted the 5th Annual CAP & GOWN: A Celebration of the First in Family to Graduate From College. The festive event took place at San Francisco City Hall from 6-10 p.m. Supporters, staff and students honored college achievement by toasting the accomplishments of our high school seniors and by recognizing community leaders who were the first in their families to graduate from college. Nearly 300 guests RSVPed and we raised more than $350,000 for our program!

View photos of the event on our Flickr page by clicking here.

After an elegant and engaging reception in the City Hall Rotunda — which featured live jazz, hearty hors d’ouervres, and a slide show presentation — guests moved to North Light Court for the event program. Emcee Scott Shafer opened the program, inviting First Graduate Founder Ann-Eve Hazen to the stage to accept proclamations for our students from Reese Isbell, who represented California State Senator Mark Leno’s office. First Graduate Board President Colin Lacon pumped up the crowd with a rousing reminder of why we were all there — to see First Graduate’s mission realized in the lives of our students.

The event’s Honorary Chair, Sara Martinez Tucker — a winner of the First in Family Award in 2009 — introduced the honorees. First in Family Award Recipient Steve Miller shared his experiences growing up in Chicago and utilizing his education to become the leader of Global Sports Marketing at Nike, and now CEO of Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, which has plans to build hundreds of schools. Longtime First Graduate champion and First in Family Award Recipient Larry Stupski talked about teachers who influenced him on his journey to not only become first in his family to graduate college, but to lead Charles Schwab Corporation and eventually found the Stupski Foundation.

Student speaker Sandra, a senior at Gateway High School, described her introduction to First Graduate by staff who came to her middle school years ago. The question, “Who wants their life to change now?” prompted her to raise her hand that day and become “hooked” on the program. Sandra, a multi-year YouthSpeaks finalist, included a spoken-word piece in her presentation.

The evening concluded with a fund-a-need auction, live auction, and raffle — all for the purpose of supporting First Graduate programming for the more than 200 youth we serve from middle school through college graduation.

High school senior Guillermo posts the flag of his latest college acceptance in First Graduate's offices.

Guillermo, a senior at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, first started to hear back from the 12 colleges he applied to in late February. But it wasn’t until the last week of March that he got the news he’d been waiting for—an acceptance letter from Tufts University. At Tufts, Guillermo can pursue his interest in biology as a major, as well as creative writing, another passion that he plans to explore either as a second major or minor. Having traveled out of state before with Summer Search, he’s not worried about moving thousands of miles to Medford, Massachusetts, where the campus is located. “Those trips gave me the enthusiasm for going somewhere far and unknown,” he says.

He’s one of 13 in his First Graduate class, FG4, who will receive their high school diplomas in a matter of weeks and start planning the transition to college. In addition to Tufts, the names of institutions that have sent our students acceptance letters is impressive. They include five UCs and seven CSUs, among other schools:

Cal Poly Pomona
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Northridge
California State University, San Bernardino
Mount St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles
Pitzer College
Saint Mary’s College of California
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
Sonoma State University
Tufts University
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Merced
University of California, Riverside
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of San Francisco
Whittier College

Now that the hard work of applying to college is behind them, First Graduate’s high school seniors will be able to toast themselves and their achievements at CAP & GOWN, our annual charity event at San Francisco City Hall on May 7. First Graduate students, staff, and supporters will come together for the fifth year in a row to also celebrate notable members of the community who were the first in their families to graduate from college. Read about our First in Family Award winners here. CAP & GOWN will feature live jazz, gourmet food, inspiring speeches, a fund-a-need auction, raffle, dessert and fun. Join us in cheering Guillermo and his First Graduate classmates by purchasing a ticket to the event or by making a donation to support First Graduate’s scholarship program.