Run it Back: College Awareness Advising Program (McClymonds High School)

Two weeks ago, I received the opportunity to be a panelist for the College Awareness Advising Program (CAAP). For the past 19 years, CAAP has worked to increase college going awareness within underserved communities by connecting youth to a variety of professionals of color. CAAP’s mission is to encourage 9th grade African-American and Latino students to attend four year colleges and universities by facilitating discussion about the college process and college life. By being present and through engagement, students are able to see themselves attending college and entering the workforce, by way of representation.

A group of us gathered together in various 9th grade classrooms (the subject of my class was biology) and talked about our college experiences, financial aid, campus life, choosing a major, the personal statement and more. It was great to see how many of the students had already figured out what they want to do in the future. It was also great to see how school has and hasn’t changed with the times, from students having individual laptops to work on in class to the “class clown” doing whatever they can to get the attention of their peers. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to participate.

We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community…Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own. – Cesar Chavez

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