The 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.
Born in Peru, Leandro moved to San Francisco as a child and attended Horace Mann Middle School and Lowell High School.
Leandro credits First Graduate® with teaching him valuable life skills, such as time management. He has fond memories of spending hours in the First Graduate® office, working with peers and staff to complete college applications ahead of school deadlines.
Children and their families need to believe that school is a safe haven. We deplore the violence that has become all too commonplace in schools, and our hearts ache for the young people and adults targeted at Rudsdale Newcomer High School in Oakland. Violence anywhere is abhorrent. The prevalence of guns as a means to
Take the example of Kara, a First Graduate® alumna who is the daughter of immigrant parents. She worked hard throughout middle and high school to make her parents proud and achieve her dream. Her goal was to get into a good college and pursue a prosperous professional career.
