You are browsing the Blog for first generation.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

June 12, 2024 in Uncategorized

The PSP Class of 2024 is off to college! On Saturday, June 8 we held a graduation celebration for our Lennox and El Monte graduates and their families.  Board Members, donors, staff, mentors and alumni gathered at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s graduates and their mentors, who together spent six years working toward this day.  This year’s graduating scholars will attend 15 colleges and universities. Among them are Stanford, UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley and more!

PSP Class of 2024

Board President Terryl Martin welcomed everyone to the celebration, along with founding board member Meg Sanchez. In English and Spanish, they commended scholars on the completion of their six years in PSP, noting that despite trying times (COVID!), they culminated in success as they graduated high school and enrolled in college.

PSP Alum Mason Woolfolk

Scholars and mentors had the opportunity to hear from PSP alum Mason Woolfolk. He just concluded his first year at Pepperdine University as an Engineering and Physics double major. Mason reminded scholars that college is a time to explore and grow.  He encouraged them to challenge themselves and “make [their] presence known on campus”. 

Board members Meg Sanchez and Gretchen Ondrozeck presented scholars and mentors with certificates. Each group reflected on their time in PSP. Scholars shared their most memorable PSP outings, highlighted the special bond they formed with their mentors and their plans after high school. You can read their PSP reflections here.

We also had the pleasure of hearing from one of our very own parents. Mrs. Daysi Moreno, proud mother of a Lennox scholar, addressed graduates and parents. She expressed her gratitude to PSP for the support her son received through the past six years and acknowledged the sacrifice and dedication that parents contribute to their children.

Partnership Scholars is grateful for the generosity of our board members, mentors and donors. Their continued support helps us to carry out our mission so that scholars can achieve their college dreams.  

Class of 2024 Scholars through the years.

Tags: , , , ,
Comments Off on Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

Another one for the books: the 2023 College Success Retreat!

August 22, 2023 in Uncategorized

PSP hosted its 11th annual College Success Retreat! This year, 24 scholars gathered at Scripps College in Claremont to attend a multitude of workshops in preparation for college application season as well as experience residential life as college students.  Scholars had the opportunity to hear from various experts in the fields of financial aid and college admissions.  Through partnerships with First Gen Empower and Financial Space, scholars now know what to expect on a college application, the different  types of higher education institutions, all about the FAFSA and the most favorable types of financial aid, how to search for scholarships and so much more! In addition, scholars attended session that explained college fit, helped them create their college list and started drafting their college essay. Mentors also participated in a workshop on how to support their college bound scholars.

The Lennox and El Monte PSP communities enjoyed getting to know each other through various activities, including an improv class led by WE Improv, which created comradery and had everyone laughing!  Scholars and mentors also toured the five Claremont Colleges and learned about their history and areas of focus. The scholars that attended last year’s retreat, which took place at USC, had the chance to compare the ambience of a small college versus that of a big research institution.

Attendees left knowing that they have a big support group within the PSP community. A scholar shared, “I loved this retreat, so sad it’s my last, but it I’m very grateful to have been able to have the experience of getting to know other scholars while learning important lesson of challenges up ahead…I feel more excited for what lies ahead whatever the challenge may be.” Check out a snapshot of our event in this video!

Tags: , , , ,
Comments Off on Another one for the books: the 2023 College Success Retreat!

Meet the PSP Class of 2021!

July 19, 2021 in Uncategorized

On Sunday, June 13, 2021 students, families, mentors, and supporters of Partnership Scholars came together virtually to celebrate the accomplishments and milestones of the graduating PSP Class of 2021.

PSP Grads from 7th Grade to Today (Slideshow):

The celebration included opening remarks by Lisa Ruben, PSP’s Executive Director, and Meg Sanchez, PSP’s Board Chair. They congratulated the graduating scholars and their families. Meg told scholars that it is because of their parents’ and caregivers’ encouragement and support that they as 7th graders were in a position to be eligible for PSP. “And it’s because of them that you now have a foundation to jump to the next chapter of your life,” shared Meg.

Click here to read what scholars from all four PSP regions shared about their time in PSP. 

One of the highlights of the virtual celebration was the mentor and scholar videos. Mentors gave a few words of wisdom to their scholars they’ve mentored for nearly six years. One mentor, Cathy Rodriguez, shared to her two scholars Anthony and Eduardo, “Over the last few years, it has been a pleasure watching you both take on the many challenges and adventures and at the same time keeping an open heart and mind. Remember to never quit before you try, continue to keep your dreams big, continue to climb, and continue to aspire to excellence.”

Mentor Reflections on the Class of 2021:

Another special moment during the celebration was when students themselves spoke on their PSP experiences and shared their future endeavors.  Three scholars were selected to represent their regions and shared their own experiences and hopes for the future during the graduation:

Karla from El Monte, “It is a rewarding feeling knowing that whether we know what we want to do or not, we’re all rooting for each other and proud of each other. It’s been honor to have been surrounded by really great friends and students like them.”

Class of 2021 Reflections on their PSP Experience: 

This year, across all the regions PSP serves, 25 students graduated from the program, with scholars attending a variety of colleges, including as Colgate University, our founder’s Glenn Langer’s alma mater, UCLA, Cal Poly Pomona, and many more!

You can watch the full graduation ceremony here. 
Congratulations to the class of 2021, their families and their mentors!!

Tags: , , , ,
Comments Off on Meet the PSP Class of 2021!