Citrus Valley brings new horizons to high school students during College and Career Week

By CITRUS VALLEY ETHIC STAFF

College Career Week was initiated by Redlands Unified School District during the week of Oct. 8 resulting in several Citrus Valley High School seniors earning on-the-spot college admissions and scholarships. Many initiatives were taken to encourage students and the community to participate and acknowledge the importance of life after high school.

Throughout the week, there were multiple spirit days to encourage college and career events. On Monday, students celebrated by wearing college gear or Greek life attire. On Tuesday, during lunch, an educational presentation displayed a variety of colleges and majors. On Thursday, several classes participated in a door decoration contest. On Friday, students dressed in professional apparel, and collegiate music from various institutions was played during lunchtime.

On Monday, the military’s ASVAB test was administered to students who signed up. A field trip to CBU and UCR was also given to kick off the week.

Also, students had a great opportunity of taking the PSAT/SAT free Wednesday, Oct. 10. That day, 7th through 11th graders in the district were able to take the PSAT while seniors took the SAT. The goal is for all students, regardless of economic background, to have the opportunity to utilize the testing and test prep provided, which can help students move closer towards a future college education.

An important event occurred later that night, as the college fair at Redlands High School Terrier gym bustled with students and colleges from Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Hawaii, Michigan, and London. Many UC and local colleges also attended, and many students got on-site admission.

o09i8uy — A display of decorated class doors promoting colleges and career tracks. (ALYSSA MARTIN/ Ethic Photo)

On Thursday, Oct. 11, several visiting colleges gave on-the-spot admissions, and a workshop for applying to UC schools was led by the counselors.

Citrus Valley featured on-the-spot admissions to the University of La Verne; many student applicants were given acceptances and scholarships worth a minimum of $40,000 dollars.

Photo recognizing the applicants who were granted a scholarship along with attendance to the University of La Verne was tweeted out by the Citrus Valley Career Center. (courtesy of Kari Hill)

Several Citrus Valley seniors felt that the University of LaVerne’s on-the-spot admissions will influence their college decision. “What attracted me to La Verne was how to offered on the spot admissions, because my goal is to get a wider array of options to choose from,” said Citrus Valley senior and football player Joshua Venegas. Other seniors also cited the scholarship offers as a strong factor. “What La Verne has offered has definitely influenced my decision on what college to go to because it makes college much more affordable,” said Citrus Valley senior Delanie Howes. Senior Citrus Valley football player Perry Amador agrees, “I think that their scholarship offer of $10,000 each year is a big deal because it costs a lot of money, and they have a nice campus as well. The money is definitely a big factor in my decision.” Many of the seniors agreed that the minimum scholarship amount was hard to resist. “Since they have offered 40,000 minimum even without all of the scholarships you can get, it makes me more willing to go to La Verne, ” said Citrus Valley senior and ASB vice president Carlee Brandt.

Senior Jalen Campos said, “I plan on majoring in biochemistry at La Verne.” (courtesy of Kari Hill)

Several students were asked what major they would apply to at the University of La Verne. “I intend to major in business and management because I’m also looking to continue in football, and business will help get to the criminal management, which is what I want to do after college, ” said Gavin Martinez senior and offensive lineman on the Citrus Valley football team. Overall, biology was the most popular decision amongst the applicants. For example, varsity cheerleader and ASB student service commissioner Jalen Campos said, “I plan on majoring in biochemistry at La Verne.”

rftgyhuj — Delanie Howes displays her acceptance form and scholarship plan. (courtesy Kari Hill)

However, most of the student applicants plan on using their science degree for other career paths. “I plan on majoring in biology so I can get a prereq to go to dental school,” said Leilani Wilson, Citrus Valley senior varsity goalkeeper for the girl’s soccer team. Other students were also interested in a nursing career. “I would major in nursing so I can get my Ph.D. in nursing so I can teach it as a college professor, and La Verne has a masters program where they connect students to their sister school to continue their education,” said Jyoti Joy. Lili Morales also shared similar aspirations, stating, “When I apply to La Verne I will be applying to their biology major so that later I can get into their partner campus that offers a nursing program”.

Capture.PNGby — Brent Baier, an admissions counselor from the University of La Verne, speaks with Citrus Valley senior and ASB vice president Carlee Brandt. “Since they have offered 40,000 minimum even without all of the scholarships you can get, it makes me more willing to go to La Verne, ” said Brandt when asked about the scholarship.

College and career week had many useful opportunities for students and is a great convenience for students to plan for their immediate futures to come. As Redlands Unified School District continues this tradition each year, it will certainly guide students through the tasks of extended education and career advancement beyond high school.