What we Do
For many students at our public high schools, a college education and career often seem elusive. The dream is for someone else: someone whose family speaks English at home and has a tradition of going to college—or someone with more financial resources.
We believe we can change this.
By drawing on the skills, experiences and resources in our community, we can help our students realize their dreams. There is only one college counselor at most public high schools. We know that engaged volunteers will become advocates for students and public education as we work to bolster our schools’ college counseling.
CollegePath LA consists of three main program components: (1) We help students at critical moments in their college application process. (2) We introduce them to careers. (3) We support them in college through our alumni group.
We believe we can change this.
By drawing on the skills, experiences and resources in our community, we can help our students realize their dreams. There is only one college counselor at most public high schools. We know that engaged volunteers will become advocates for students and public education as we work to bolster our schools’ college counseling.
CollegePath LA consists of three main program components: (1) We help students at critical moments in their college application process. (2) We introduce them to careers. (3) We support them in college through our alumni group.
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College Essay Coaching
The essay is an important part of the college application, especially for first-generation immigrant students. Each fall, we hold after- school workshops for high school seniors. Students are paired one-on-one with a volunteer who helps them find and develop their personal story. What are we looking for in a volunteer? Thoughtful people who know a good story when they hear it. Good listeners who are able to work with students. Career Awareness Motivation and initiative are keys to success in high school, and for many students these come from discovering a dream career. We recruit volunteers to talk about their careers-- what they do and the education and experience it takes to get there. Career Fairs: We organize campus fairs in cooperation with high school administrators. We’re looking for professionals in a wide range of fields, including medicine, law, engineering, the arts, trades, social work, and public service. Classroom Speakers: Working with teachers, we bring speakers into their classrooms. For example, we invite health care professionals to a physiology class, or journalists to a broadcast news class. Video Interviews: A collection of short, recorded conversations with people who answer questions about their professional lives and how they found them. Job Skills: We offer workshops on resume writing, interviewing, and networking skills. What are we looking for in a volunteer? People who love their careers and want to talk about them and people with job search skills. |
Mentorship
John Marshall students, most of whom are first-generation students, are at high risk of dropping out of college. To address this, we host get-togethers where volunteers and alumni who have participated in the program can talk with current high school and college students. In these meetings, alumni candidly share their collegiate experiences, share resources, and offer advice. Volunteers provide career mentorship. What are we looking for in a volunteer? People who can help students identify internships and volunteer opportunities in the careers they hope to pursue. ACCESS ONLINE VOLUNTEER FORM
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