Partnership Scholars Program

Today, on National Thank Your Mentor Day, we want to thank the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, past and present, who have mentored PSP scholars.

PSP mentors help their scholars in immeasurable ways. They encourage them to dream big, help them see the world in new ways, and help them through challenges. PSP mentors instill the belief in each of our scholars that they belong in college, and they help their scholars achieve that goal.

Having a mentor empowers young people to make smart choices that put them on a path to making better life decisions. Mentoring is linked to improved academic, social and economic prospects. We see that in the outcomes of our alumni: 90% of PSP graduates have gone directly to a four-year college!

As Dr. Langer has stated many times, “Our program is only as good as our mentors.” Thank you from scholars, past, present and future, and from the PSP Board of Directors, for taking time to provide students with opportunities they would otherwise miss out on. We are very appreciative of the work you do.  

– Meg Sanchez, Board Chair

Partnership Scholars Program is seeking to hire a contract bookkeeper who will work under the supervision of the Executive Director and a CPA. The position is ideal for someone excited to learn about non-profit financial administration or anyone looking to supplement their school or work schedule. This person will work 5-10 hours a week at the PSP office in Lennox/Inglewood.

Click here for the full job description. To apply, email a cover letter and resume to partner@partnershipscholars.org.

PSP held its 4^th annual College Retreat on August 1 and 2, 2015.  Fifty rising juniors and seniors and nine mentors attended this two-day event on the beautiful campus of Claremont McKenna College.  They participated in an array of workshops, ranging from learning about college entrance exams to understanding how to write an effective personal statement. Scholars also had the opportunity to hear from PSP alumni from UC Berkeley, UCLA, CSU Bakersfield, UC Riverside and Northwestern about their experience as first generation college students.  The Claremont Colleges contributed to our event by hosting an information session with Admissions Directors from Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College and Pomona College. The Financial Aid Director from Claremont McKenna was also present to offer resources and answer questions for students. Scholars left the retreat prepared to navigate the college application process over the next two years. PSP staff and mentors will continue to support the scholars on their path to college, armed with new information and resources.

Here are some resources from this year’s retreat:

1. College List

2. Brag Sheet

3. Test Dates

4. Community Service Options

5. College Board-Junior Year Timeline

6. College Board-Senior Year Timeline

7. Anatomy of a College Application

8. College Entrance Exams

9. Tips for Writing the College Application Essay

10. Financial Aid-Senior Year Calendar

Congratulations to Partnership Scholars’ Graduates!

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Six years ago, you embarked on this journey as Partnership Scholars.  You were selected because we saw you possessed the motivation to get the most out of this program and succeed in achieving your goals. During your time as Partnership Scholars, you learned much and had many new eye-opening experiences with your mentor. Activities ranging from ballets, sporting events and museum visits, to the test prep, college and financial aid applications that are necessary to secure your academic future –  These experiences helped shape who you are today.

Please click here to read what each member of the PSP Class of 2015 said about their experience as a Scholar: 2015 Graduate Essays

Over these six years, we have seen you grow tremendously and we are confident that you are ready for your next challenge in life: college!

College will be another new, exciting and challenging experience. This will be yet another period of discovery, as you hone your interests and prepare for your future. We know that you will succeed in college because you have been taught to believe in yourself by your parents, mentors, teachers and sponsors. Graduation is the time to celebrate your educational success. Take some time to ponder on how far you’ve come and know that the best is yet to be seen.

As Dr. Seuss said, “You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so…get on your way!”

PSP Board of Trustees and Staff

PSP is proud to introduce our newest class of scholars! The PSP Class of 2020 is made up of 36 seventh grade students from four regions across California. Each of these students participated in a rigorous application process that included writing essays about their personal histories and goals, a review of their grades to ensure academic excellence, and in-person interviews with a panel of community and school leaders. As Partnership Scholars, they will receive six years of academic support, exposure to new cultural opportunities and consistent guidance toward the college of their choice from 7^th grade through high school graduation.

These students represent the core value of PSP: that every student who dreams of college and a successful future, no matter their socio-economic status, deserves the opportunity to achieve that dream.

The Lennox Scholars:
Marcos Alarcon
Osvaldo Barba
Jennifer Corrales
Anthony Gaxiola
Valeria Gonzalez
Jennifer Hernandez
Darwin Perez de Pablo
Jessica Porras
Nayeli Salgado
Angel Santos
Katherine Solis
Lizeth Valdovinos

The El Monte Scholars:
Steven Aguilar
Joseph Almaraz
Alexis Cobos
Sergio Gonzalez
Magdiel Iribe
Rita Kuang
Cindy Lee
Angelina Lopez-Mendez
Andy Pena
Rachel Perez
Juan Rico
Denisse Tafolla

Fort Bragg/Mendocino Scholars
Fernanda Varelas Ramirez
Alexander Renteria
Kenly Reyes
Liliana Duran
Blair Byrd
Raina Harbour
Vienna Westcott

Ukiah Scholars:
Emma Capri
Joseph Goodwin
Jonathan Regalado
Cecilia Sandoval

These are truly impressive students and we know they will go far!

Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez wrote a moving tribute to a retiring reporter who made a big difference in the life of PSP. You can read the full column online using the link at the bottom of this post. Check out the references to the ‘retired UCLA cardiologist’ who founded Partnership Scholars Program – that’s our own Dr. Langer! PSP owes so much to this wonderful, thoughtful reporter, who indirectly changed hundreds of lives. Learn more about him here:

PSP Scholars from Lennox, El Monte and Wiseburn got to experience a full day of USC’s homecoming extravaganza on November 18! PSP alum Jesus Herrera, who is now working toward his Master’s Degree at USC, started the day with a tour of the USC campus. The scholars and mentors were then treated to something few members of the public get to experience: a private tour of the McKay Center, USC’s new  $70 million athletic facility that is closed to the public. Everyone then headed over to the L.A. Coliseum where we watched the USC Trojans trounce the Colorado team.

We are so thankful for the commitment of our two volunteer mentors who arranged this whole day for us. Mark and Barbara Lurie are wonderful mentors with an inside line to USC: Mark is a cardiologist for the USC athletic department!

About the Job

Partnership Scholars Program is a non-profit educational organization that provides six years of educational and cultural experiences to academically motivated, but economically disadvantaged students, starting in the 7th grade, to promote college access and a lifetime of success.

We are seeking a regular, part-time staff bookkeeper/accountant who will work under the supervision of the Executive Director to maintain the organization’s financial records. This person will work out of our office at Lennox Middle School for 8 – 10 hours a week. Please click on the link  to see the full job description and how to apply: PSPJobDescription_PTBookkeeper

PSP hosted our 3rd annual College Access Retreat. Juniors and Seniors from Fort Bragg, Lennox, El Monte and Ukiah attended our two-day session at Loyola Marymount University. They obtained essential resources to prepare for college entrance exams, the college application process and learned about Financial Aid. They also had the opportunity to spend the night in a college dorm and hear about the college experience from PSP alumni!

Click on the links below to see the presentations from the retreat.

College Is Power

FAFSA Maximize Your Financial Aid

Juniors-College Entrance Exams

Seniors-Anatomy of a College App

College Application Checklist

Scholarship Search

On May 31, PSP celebrated the graduation of 41 scholars who graduated from high school college-ready and headed for college. We are so proud of our scholars, each of whom was brave enough to take risks, confident enough to believe in their abilities and dedicated enough to consistently excel in school, year after year. Each graduate was matched with a mentor who supported their growth through middle and high school, and a sponsor who ensured that every student had the same opportunities to succeed that all young people should have, regardless of income.

Next fall, 100% of PSP graduates are entering an institution of higher learning, with 95% of them heading off to a four-year college. Click on the PSP Grad Book to read about the PSP graduates’ experiences in their own words!

Thank you to all of our partners who helped make this achievement possible.

Thank you to the sponsors of the class of 2014 for making sure every scholar had the opportunity to build a meaningful mentoring relationship that supported their college aspirations and to our partners for making this work possible :

PSP SPONSORS:
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm and Sylvia Boyce
Mr. and Mrs. George and Muriel DeRoy, in honor of Paul Spindler
Oder Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. David and Martha Ho
Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Leslie LeBeau
Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Sue Masson
Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon and Cindy Stone
Mr. George ‘Buddy’ Moss
Mr. David Morales, DJM Construction
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.
Wells Fargo Foundation
Mr. Steven Wood and Mrs. Christine Kang

PSP PARTNERS
Brotman Foundation
The Gilbert & Jacki Cisneros Foundation
Joseph Drown Foundation
Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Foundation
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, 2nd District