LA Alliance for College-Ready
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Getting the Jump on College
When high school students from across Los Angeles converged at UCLA as Riordan Scholars, the teens from the Alliance College-Ready Academy High School were the only ninth graders invited to participate.
The Riordan Program offers guidance on college preparation, business as a career, and the development of leadership skills. One Saturday a month, nine College-Ready Academy High School students joined nearly 100 other high school students for a full day at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. The unique experience features a combination of seminars, conversations, mentoring, and motivation designed to encourage students to prepare for college and career and to network with peers, mentors, and corporate leaders. The Riordan Programs, founded by former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan in 1987, usually select students in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades.
The Riordan Scholars from College-Ready Academy High School shared their experiences with schoolmates and parents in June. The three boys and six girls explained with poise and enthusiasm the activities and opportunities they had at UCLA. The CRAHS team also talked about their personal feelings. “I loved being on the campus and going to the library," said Sandy Aguilar. Getting to know teens from other schools was important to several Riordan Scholars. “They asked a lot of questions about our school,” said Sandra Garduño proudly. Darnell Bruce gained new ideas for his future. “I’m interested in mechanical engineering now,” he explained. The entire group nodded when Isabella Carillo added what she liked best about her term as a Riordan Scholar. “Everything!” she exclaimed.
“Riordan Scholars are usually the first in their families to even consider college,” explains Alex Lawrence, the Program Director. “Talking with experts about business management, feeling at home on campus, and getting guidance on college admission not only prepare our Scholars. It inspires them, too.”
