Partnership Scholars Program

Thanks to a partnership with the L.A. Dodgers Foundation, 100 Partnership Scholars, mentors and family spent Friday, June 3 watching the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves!

We were there for Dre Dayz, an event that L.A. Dodger Andre Ethier supports. Another benefit of this partnership, PSP scholars got to be featured on the big screen over the ballpark!

The Foundation provided a special treat to some of PSP’s highest achieving students. Students who earned a 4.0 or better on their report cards were invited for a special evening in a VIP suite at the stadium. The L.A. Dodgers Foundation gave these students new sneakers and Dodger gear and they got to tour the stadium and go down on the field!

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Five years ago, Giovanni Pantoja (scholar) and Noel Velasco (mentor) met for the first time. The two connected right away and began exploring the world together, first taking stock of the culture in the Los Angeles area. During one of their monthly cultural enrichment trips, Giovanni and Noel were humbled by the dire conditions on the streets of LA’s Skid Row neighborhood. The trip struck such a chord in both Giovanni and Noel that rather than allowing their concern to fade, the two set out to create “a sustainable plan to help one of the largest homeless populations in the nation and motivate others to seek answers to community problems,” says Noel. “After months of hard work, a wishful thought transformed into Alleviate Skid Row.”

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These are exciting times for seniors! We have been hearing about the great schools that you’ve been accepted to and want to congratulate you on your accomplishments thus far. Please continue to keep us up to date as you hear from the schools you applied to.

Shortly after acceptance decisions, you will be receiving your Financial Aid Award letter from schools. It is important that you understand what each school is offering you in order to make the best decision for enrollment. These letters can be difficult to understand, so we are providing you with a tool that can help you. uAspire, an organization that prepares students  with financial information and resources for college, has developed the “Award Letter Analyzer”.  This tool will help you to compare multiple award letters and understand the total cost associated with each school.

Click here to download the uAspire Award Letter Analyzer . You can also download the uAspire Analyzer Guide which provides notes that are helpful when filling out the Analyzer.

On February 5, 2016 two Fort Bragg scholars got to show off their photography in a a show organized by their mentor Denise DeLuise. Last summer, Partnerships Scholars Program was able to send Fort Bragg scholars Celeste (15) and Esme (17) to attend the 2015 Photography Summer Camp course for a week in Brooklyn, New York at the SOCAPA (School Of Creative And Performing Arts). During their time at the camp, Esme and Celeste stayed in the dorms at Poly-Tech University for one week. They spent their second week spent exploring NYC with their mentor, Denise. Both scholars described their experience in New York as completely life changing. This February, they got to share their new-found passion for photography at a gallery show!

You can read short essays by Esme and Celeste about this experience. Below are a few excerpts from essays the scholars wrote about their experiences.

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PSP founder Dr. Glenn Langer was honored by the UCLA Faculty Women’s Club on February 2, 2016 for creating Partnership Scholars Program. You can see more about Glenn, and about PSP, in the UCLA FWC announcement! PSP Board Chair Meg Sanchez spoke about all the organization has accomplished over the past 20 years. Two of PSP’s most recent alumni, who are now Bruins themselves, spoke at the ceremony as well. Ivan Garcia and Sandra Estrada spoke movingly of the role that PSP, their mentors, and Dr. Langer had in shaping their lives.

As Sandra said in her speech, “As a 7^th grader, I did not know much about what Dr. Langer and the Partnership Scholars Program had in store for us, but as a first year UCLA student, I can testify that it was one heck of a ride. A ride that I will forever be grateful for.” You can read Sandra’s full speech here. And here she is enjoying a game with Josephine Bruin!

Dr. Langer and his late wife, Marianne, made experiences like Sandra’s possible for hundreds of California students when he founded PSP. With the help of our many mentors, donors and supporters, he has helped transform the lives of so many children and families though his vision of educational and cultural opportunity for all.