Scholars & Mentors Kick Off the Year Together
December 6, 2023 in Uncategorized by Lisa Ruben
PSP scholars and mentors kicked off the school year with an excursion in downtown LA! The Lennox and El Monte communities met together at Grand Central Market, where we spent time together in workshops before sampling the variety of food stalls at the market.
We started the day with a workshop showing students how they can start building wealth now! Money & Milkshakes introduced the concept of Roth IRA’s and emphasized the importance of saving money at an early age. It was a very eye-opening presentation for scholars and mentors alike.
We followed this up with a group planning session to brainstorm outings for the rest of the year. The time
spent researching proved to be very productive and dozens of events were discovered. This led to the creation of a shared PSP calendar listing all of the great ideas that were shared. A very handy tool to use for scheduling their monthly activities! During lunch, the group had an abundance of cuisines to choose from at Grand Central Market. Everyone received Market Dollars to spend as they pleased. Scholars tried a variety of ethnic foods, from tacos and pupusas to ramen and noodles. Everything looked delicious! After lunch, the group rode the Angel’s Flight tram up the hill.
Our final stop was a guided tour of the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit at the LA Grand. The tour guides walked us through the life of Basquiat and explained his evolution as an artist. It was an immersive experience with vibrant colors, music and lights. As one student shared about the graffiti-influenced art “This art really speaks to me!”
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In early August, Partnership Scholars Program hosted the 2022 College Success Retreat at the University of Southern California. After two years of virtual retreats, we were thrilled to come together in person. Twenty-eight rising juniors and seniors from the El Monte and Lennox regions spent the weekend at the university preparing for the upcoming college application season. Students had the chance to experience college life by staying in residence halls, eating at dining halls and exploring the beautiful campus. On Sunday, we were joined by rising sophomores for workshops on mental health, financial education and to hear from PSP alumni about their college experiences.
The retreat not only focused on preparing students for the college application process but also on teaching basic financial literacy skills and promoting personal wellness. PSP partnered with The Financial Space to bring scholars an engaging session that focused on teaching students strategies to build wealth. All scholars indicated that their confidence level to build a budget increased by the end of the session. In an anonymous poll, students were asked what they learned during the presentation. One student shared, “Investing can be a good thing and passive income is something to strive for.” Another scholar expressed, “It’s possible to build generational wealth.” PSP will continue to offer opportunities throughout the year to help students acquire and strengthen their financial literacy skills.
This past school year, PSP scholars and mentors have gone above and beyond to keep in touch, grow as scholar/mentor groups, and continue preparing for college—all virtually and remotely.
PSP transformed our annual College Success Retreat into an online event this past summer and fall due to COVID 19. All rising 11th and 12th grade scholars participated in three months of weekly workshops, instead of taking part in our usual in-person intensive on a college campus. Each week they focused on a different topic to support them in their college planning.
On Sunday June 14, PSP’s class of 2020 celebrated their high school success and continuation to college with family, friends, mentors, board members, donors and staff through a virtual, live ceremony. Seeing the faces of so many people who make PSP the strong community that it is – scholars, mentors, parents, donors and friends from across California – brought home the strength of our inter-connectedness, even when we meet online instead of in real life. 
The murder of George Floyd, following the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the many other Black people going back generations, has sparked protest around the globe and in our home cities. We at PSP share your struggle with the intense feelings that these killings bring up – heartbreak, anger, fear, helplessness. My hope for our world is that this moment will be one step a path that ends in true and swift reform of our culture and institutions so that not one more life will be taken.
