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PSP welcomes Sara Potter to the Board of Trustees

April 20, 2017 in Alumni, Board

We are excited to welcome three new board members to our Partnership Scholars Program community: Brian Ishida, Sara Potter, and Walter Garcia. Brian has a background in finance and joins the Board hoping to provide advice and guidance on the financial health of the organization. Sara and Walter are the first of PSP’s alumni to join the Board of Trustees and both look forward to being able to give back to the organization. PSP is excited about this addition to our leadership and vision as we continue to advance our mission of providing academic and cultural enrichment to help our scholars succeed! 

Sara Potter

Sara Potter is one of two PSP alumni to join the Board of Trustees. Sara brings with her a passionate desire to give back to the organization that gave her so much when she was in middle and high school. Sara is a Partnership Scholars Program class of 2006 alumni with her BA in Art History & Sociology from UC Santa Barbara and her MA in Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs from UCLA. She now works as a Financial Wellness Coordinator at UCLA, guiding students in financing their education. Since graduating over 10 years ago, Sara has maintained a close relationship with her mentor and is excited to now be part of the organization’s leadership.

This is Sara’s first time serving on a nonprofit board, but she has had experience serving on several committees, including the UC-wide Food Security Committee, on which she worked to promote food security for students who struggle. She also served on the UCLA First Generation College Student Committee, which supports students at UCLA who are first in their family to attend college.

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PSP welcomes Walter Garcia to the Board of Trustees

April 20, 2017 in Alumni, Board

We are excited to welcome three new board members to our Partnership Scholars Program community: Brian Ishida, Sara Potter, and Walter Garcia. Brian has a background in finance and joins the Board hoping to provide advice and guidance on the financial health of the organization. Sara and Walter are the first of PSP’s alumni to join the Board of Trustees and both look forward to being able to give back to the organization. PSP is excited about this addition to our leadership and vision as we continue to advance our mission of providing academic and cultural enrichment to help our scholars succeed! 

Walter Garcia

PSP alumnus Walter Garcia graduated from the program back in 2010. He feels strongly about giving back to a program that he says provided him with some extraordinary, life-changing experiences. “I would not be where I’m at today were it not for the help of others, like the Partnership Scholars Program,” said Walter. “And so, I feel an inherent responsibility to give back.”

Walter graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Political Science and immediately went on to work in politics in Washington D.C. He has worked for Representatives Keith Ellison and Tony Cardenas, the United States Department of State, the Democratic National Committee, and recently accepted the position of Press Secretary for California State Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

This will be Walter’s first experience serving on a nonprofit board and he is very excited at the opportunity. During his time serving on the board, Walter looks forward to ensuring that the alumni perspective is alive and well. “I am not too far removed from the experience of being in the program,” says Walter. “I remember very vividly the experience I had, and I want to make sure that point of view is always a part of the conversation.” He is also looking forward to raising the program’s profile and outreach. “The program is not too well-known, but has done so much for so many people,” says Walter. He hopes to help the organization get more exposure and share its success with the world.

Walter grew up in Los Angeles and now resides in Sacramento. He enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.

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Welcome Class of 2022!

January 25, 2017 in Articles

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This year, PSP welcomes 18 new scholars to the Partnership Scholars Program class of 2022.

Our new scholars are an inspiring class; each has a personal story that speaks of hope, motivation, courage and most of all, big dreams for the future. These new students are excited at the possibilities ahead with the support PSP will provide them throughout the next six years of their educational journey.

One student says, “An education that a majority of students take for granted is what I take very seriously.” Another says “I want to be successful and be able to help my family and be a good example to my younger siblings.” At El Monte’s induction ceremony held on January 18, incoming Charles T. Kraz Intermediate School 7th grader Derek M. acknowledged that it will be hard work, but he plans on attending Harvard University and becoming a child psychologist.

Over the last couple of months, students completed a rigorous application process that included responding to essay questions, providing letters of recommendation and, and, for the small pool of finalists, sitting through a panel interview. Every year, Partnership Scholars Program receives a tremendous number of qualified applications from bright, motivated young individuals in our program sites of Lennox, El Monte, Fort Bragg, and Ukiah. In Lennox alone, there were 70 applicants who were eager to be a part of this year’s PSP class. Each 7th grader who is admitted to our program demonstrates that they are committed to the six-year journey that will culminate in their attendance at an institution of higher education. Each of our new students has a mentor who will expose them to new cultural experiences and educational opportunities, helping them along the way to achieve their dreams.

We are excited and honored to help the class of 2022 as they explore the world and pursue their dreams!

PSP sponsors make it possible for each scholar to have a six-year scholarship that supports a wide range of cultural and academic activities with their mentors.

Thank you to the sponsors of the class of 2022!

Dr. Glenn Langer
Mr. Tom Turner
Oder Family Foundation
Dr. George Ferenczi & Dr. Miki Kalpins
Mr. and Mrs. Richard & Sue Masson
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm & Sylvia Boyce

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Scholars get the ‘Inside Scoop’ on college

January 24, 2017 in Articles

Throughout their six years in PSP, scholars are offered numerous opportunities to talk with their mentors about college: How to find the right fit, what it will be like, what they should be doing to prepare. Particularly in their junior and senior years of high school, scholars spend time visiting college campuses with their mentors, getting exposure to the college experience, and often meeting with current students. As students return from college visits, they often attribute the most valuable component to these experiences to hearing from current college students about what campus life is really like.

Even more imperative is being able to talk with former PSP scholars whose struggles as first generation, low-income students they can relate to. Recognizing that this experience can be essential for students to feel more comfortable and prepared for the transition to college, PSP’s Mendocino mentor Mina Cohen came up with the idea of holding a yearly event she called Inside Scoop.

PSP senior Carla A. has been attending the Inside Scoop event since she was in the 8th grade and believes hearing from PSP alumni is an invaluable experience while preparing for college. “Since I am a senior I take any form of advice on college very seriously, so going to the Inside Scoop, I really wanted to hear about the student’s campus life – from their hardships to the living situations – and get their honest opinion,” says Carla.

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