2018 End of the Year Campaign – Thank You from FG!

Here is what you will make happen in 2019

You put us over the top! We surpassed our goal of $190,000 and because of you raised $322,000 including the generous challenge grant from our co-founder, Anaflor Graham.

These funds will make a difference in 2019:

High school students can visit colleges in Southern California—their first exploration of college campuses!

60 – 65 new students will join First Graduate’s cohort program (currently 469 students) and begin 12-years of after school study and coaching to get into and graduate from college – the first in their families to do so.

Our “Exploring the Possibilities” event will bring professionals and students together so the students can learn about different businesses and occupations they can pursue with a college degree.

Almost 200 more students (beyond the FG cohort) and their parents in San Francisco will gain understanding of how to access high school and college resources because of workshops that you have made possible.

Your generosity and kindness made 2018 memorable for First Graduate® students and families:

Our All-Access College Fair (the only one in SF especially for first generation students) had 19 colleges present, three scholarship organizations, and 92 students and parents.

We took 29 high school students on a 1200 mile journey to visit 10 colleges in Southern California (University of Pacific, UC Merced, CSU Fresno, Cal Poly SLO, UC Santa Barbara, Loyola Marymount University, UCLA, UC Riverside, CSU Fullerton, Occidental College).

High School Seniors applied to college; here are the numbers:

Number of College Applications Submitted:

Class of 2018: Class of 2019:
37 students submitted 490 applications with 132 hours of volunteer help. 26 of 29 students have submitted 213 applications so far, and counting, with 75 hours of volunteer help.

Number of College Acceptances:

Class of 2018: Class of 2019:
201 Acceptances … coming soon!

Middle School students completed a total of 179 high school applications (public, charter, and private) and 133 high school visits.

We launched a Middle School Summer Program and Partnership with Aim High that provided our middle school students with a comprehensive academic and career enrichment summer program.

Coach 3.0 paired one volunteer mentor with each of 37 entering college freshman. They provide ongoing social, emotional, and academic support throughout the academic year.

210 volunteers were trained to be personal statement coaches, Coach 3.0 mentors, mock interviewers for high school and college admissions and internship applications, resume coaches, and so much more.

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More Updates

Black History Month 2023

First Graduate® has helped more than 600 students in San Francisco to access college, with 75% of applicants graduating within six years.

Alumni Spotlight: Alex Lazo

Alex grew up in a struggling San Francisco community. His school had poor test scores, and Alex and the other students had to deal with racism even within the school community.