UC Santa Cruz Field Trip

IMG_0088The day started bright and early as we rounded up our excited students and boarded the bus. Meg Ramey was in charge of our group, with me and Jayda Shuavarnnasri accompanying as chaperones. After we arrived, we had lunch in the UC Santa Cruz dining hall. We all had a tough time holding back—it was all you can eat. And the seventh graders? Well, never underestimate a growing adolescent! I remembered my first few weeks of college and how easy it was to overdo it. I’m sure they will remember their first dining hall experience (and all the ice cream!) when they get to college, and eat more responsibly than I did as a freshman.

After lunch, we had a Q&A with our 3 tour guides, and the students asked great questions about sports, campus life, and the library. UC Santa Cruz has two libraries holding a total of 1.5 million books for their students to use. That’s a lot of knowledge! Then, we toured the absolutely beautiful—and hilly—campus. We saw the dorms, the different department buildings, and the theatres. Everywhere we went, there were redwoods, birds, squirrels, and flowers—a completely different experience than an average day in San Francisco. We learned about the video game lab, countless clubs, and that somewhere on campus, you can even pet a shark!

Needless to say, the students were exhausted by the end of the day, and I can only imagine the impact the visit had on our students. I can’t wait for them to go on a few more college visits and see the amazing variety of campus environments that are out there!
IMG_0107

Stay Connected

More Updates

First Graduate’s Alumni: Beating the Odds

All of this support-driven success is only possible because of the contributions from our donors. That’s why we’re offering you the opportunity to support our generation-changing organization with donations to our end-of-fiscal year campaign. Our goal is to raise $20,000 by the end of this month to sustain the positive impact we have on our First Graduate® students in a way that changes their lives forever.
Donate here!

Cap & Gown

To Everyone Who Attended Cap & Gown 2023: Thank You!

As we celebrate our newest graduates, remember that first-generation students can move from sixth grade through college graduation and into meaningful careers because of you and your support! And we couldn’t do it without the help of our corporate supporters: Hamilton Zanze, Dodge & Cox, Accenture, Adobe, KPMG, BSSP, Millennium Career Advantage, and GoodRx.