Volunteer Story: Rafaelito Sy

Volunteering for First Graduate® has given me an avenue to impart my passion for writing and storytelling to today’s youth. As an essay coach, I was paired with a young woman from the Philippines, who had turned financial struggles and a dysfunctional relationship with her paternal grandmother into fuel for growth and success. The happiness she expressed because of my help in articulating her story was personally rewarding; I brought her that much closer to her goal of higher education.

As a volunteer in the marketing department, I presently edit profiles of FG alumni for the Alumni Spotlight Project. The journey of every alumni – the will and determination each one possesses despite the odds – is impressive. They all have stories worth telling, stories that instill in us faith in the future, no matter our age. Being a conduit for their voices validates my purpose as a writer.           

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Alumni Spotlight: Leandro Guerrero

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.

Another trauma inflicted on young people

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