This year’s College Success Retreat drew on the knowledge of our very own alumni, volunteers & staff along with a wonderful community partners to prepare PSP scholars for college success! We spent three days together at Occidental College, and for the first time ever, our rising College Scholars were part of the retreat along with PSP’s rising 12^th graders and mentors.

The theme that was repeated throughout was how important it is to be true to our own values on the college journey, wherever it takes us. This came up in discussions across categories, from college fit, to how we make financial decisions to the groups we are part of in college and the path we follow after graduation. This was integrated into an overall focus on creating a smooth path to college for each scholar.

The weekend kicked off with a presentation from three PSP alumni who just completed their first year of college. It ended with a panel of alumni who generously shared about the highs, lows and surprises of their college experiences. In between, students participated in sessions led by our partners at College Access Plan, SoCalCAN and our own volunteers and staff. 

Top left: Mason, Jaylen & Alondra, PSP Class of ’23, Kick off the Retreat Friday Night
Top Right: Alumni Ivan (’14), Sandy (’14), Miki (’23) and Rachel (’20) Close Out the Retreat on Sunday
Bottom: Mentors & Scholars at the PSP Retreat 2024

We had so many incredible sessions led by alumni, PSP mentors, community partners and our staff! Along with the workshop sessions, we did networking activities, planned skits and of course, experienced dorm life and cafeteria meals. We’re thankful to everyone who attended to make this such a fantastic weekend!

You can find many of the presentations in the Retreat Google Drive here and keep reading to learn more about each session and our wonderful guest speakers.

The Freshman College Journey led by PSP Alumni Mason (Pepperdine), Jaylen (Dickinson) and Alondra (UCLA)  These grads from the PSP class of 2023 created a session to guide students through what to really expect in their first year of college. They led students in thinking about class selection & scheduling, knowing where you might find surprise expenses (dorm décor, plane tix/ ubers & food delivery were big!) and adjusting to life away from home.

Applying to Your Best Fit College presented by Silkea Aktar Islam of College Access Plan: Seniors kicked off day two learning about their options after high school. Silkea provided students with an overview of the different higher education institutions and their application requirements. Scholars also learned about the factors to consider when deciding which schools they’ll apply to in the fall.

Student Leadership presented by Marcos Montes of SoCalCAN: Marcos lead rising college students who just completed high school in conversation to help them discover their own leadership style and narrative. Through the lens of the Represent All report, he also provided data on the composition, representation, and diversity of student government at public institutions in California and engaged students in how they can fully activate the power of student government to address needs.

Writing Your Personal Statement led by Lisa Ruben: In this session students focused on reflecting on their own experiences, values and interests to develop personal narratives that they can share with advisors. They also drafted responses to Common Application essay prompts and practiced giving and receiving feedback.

Coping with Change led by PSP alum Quisi Rodrguez, mentor Christian Diaz and Maria Hernandez: Quisi, Christian and Maria collaborated on a session focused on coping with change during college. Being first generation college students can be tough, and knowing about the various mental health resources on campus that are available to students is valuable. Scholars had a chance to reflect on how life will be different once they begin their college journey.  They also learned techniques that they can implement when they start to feel overwhelmed and anxious; these included breathing exercises, muscle relaxation and visualizations. 

College Next Steps led by PSP alum Sandra Estrada: Sandra Estrada graduated from PSP in YEAR and has since gone on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA and a Master’s Degree from Stanford. She’s currently a teacher in the Lennox community where she grew up. Drawing on her own experience, Sandy led students in exercises to consider their own futures beyond college. They discussed graduate school, career paths and the concept of ‘gap years’ in between steps.

Financial Aid, Scholarships & Managing $$ in College sessions led by PSP staff: These three sessions prepared students to take on the task of managing their financial lives. This starts with understanding the financial aid process and options for covering the cost of a college education. In a session on Financial Aid, scholars learned about the FAFSA, grants, loans and how to calculate the liely cost of their education. In a session on scholarships, they learned where to find scholarships and spent time putting together their own list of scholarships to pursue. A third session focused on some of the key tenets of financial management, including budgeting, credit scores and managing debt.