Higher Education Mentoring Program - Overview

Developed in 2001, the Higher Education Mentoring Program is a six-year program that provides low-income Latino high school students from Santa Ana with the academic, social, and financial support needed to graduate from high school and succeed in college.

The program is unique in matching each junior or senior high school student participant with a university student or young professional who is familiar with Latino culture, has overcome traditional barriers, and knows firsthand what it takes to succeed in an institution of higher learning.

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Participants are provided with individual and group mentoring geared towards academic growth and development. The after school program works with approximately 50 students each year, providing needed skills through monthly workshops, guest speakers, and local college campus tours, all designed to build upon one another.

To date, there are over 200 students who have completed the program. 86 students have graduated college with a B.A./B.S. degree, and 13 of those also received an M.A./M.S. degree. Another 107 students are currently in college working towards their undergraduate degrees while 3 students are pursuing their M.A./M.S. degree.

Many past program graduates serve as mentors or volunteer speakers in the Higher Education Mentoring Program, giving their time to enhance the college experience of younger Latinos who share the same goal of higher education. Each mentor is screened and provided with training and guidance. He/she arranges to meet with his/her mentee individually or in a small group to assist with researching colleges and majors, completing admissions applications, and researching scholarships and financial aid, while offering their motivation and encouragement.

Parent involvement is key. Parents are invited to attend all monthly workshops, as well as quarterly “platicas” given in Spanish. Bilingual/bicultural program staff is available to provide parental support, which motivates and assists parents as they navigate the educational system in support of their sons and daughters. Parents of past participants have formed a support group, speaking at workshops and providing Q&A sessions for new parents.

The Higher Education Mentoring Program has had tremendous success in guiding young students to pursue their dreams of attending institutions of higher learning. Upon completion of the program, graduates are recognized at a congratulatory celebration and receive “college-starter kits” and backpacks filled with educational supplies, provided by Project Youth OCBF Board members and sponsoring firms, to start them on their journey to becoming tomorrow’s leaders.

View the Higher Education Mentoring Program brochure

Participants are Latino junior and senior students attending high school in the city of Santa Ana. The Higher Education Mentoring Program serves 50 Latino high school students and 50 parents from Santa Ana each year. We also work with approximately 100 college students annually. Last year, 93% of our youth were low-income and 87% were first-generation college-bound students. In addition, we have 40 professional/college-student mentors who gain valuable leadership and volunteer experience by giving their time to the program.

To date, over 175 students have completed the program. 72 students have graduated college with a B.A./B.S degree and 12 of those also received an M.A/M.S degree. Another 97 students are currently in college, working towards their undergraduate degrees.

Why We Offer This Program

Orange County has become iconic for its wealth and upscale beach communities. And yet at its heart is the city of Santa Ana—a city crippled by high poverty rates, crime, and gang activity. A city where 80% of the residents are Latino and only 60% of adults have a high school diploma. Life in Santa Ana is undoubtedly difficult. So difficult, that the Rockefeller Institute has named it the nation’s toughest city in which to live, both economically and socially.

Living in poverty, our students have experienced firsthand how challenging life can be without a college education. In fact, 85% of our youth are the first in their family to go to college, and, for many, the first to even graduate high school. But their struggles don’t end there. While Latinos represent 42% of Orange County’s youth, they account for 61% of the county’s juvenile probationers, 93% of the youth gang members, 85% of teen mothers and 63% of all high school dropouts.

Education is an obvious solution. The Higher Education Mentoring Program works to effectively meet the needs of Latino youth in Santa Ana by providing them with intensive academic, social, and financial support during high school and throughout their undergraduate studies. Our goal is not only help youth get in to college, but to provide the support and resources they need to beat the odds and graduate.

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Get Started!

If you would like to apply for the Higher Education Mentoring Program, you must be a high school student entering the 11th grade in the fall at a local Santa Ana high school. You can contact the Higher Education Counselor at your high school for an application or you may contact Noemi Cardenas at Project Youth at (714) 480-1925, ext. 100 or ncardenas@pyocbf.org.

Testimonials and Success Stories

“I am a third-year student at UC Merced, double majoring in political science and economics. I have been vice president of Students Empowering Dreams, an organization that supports and brings awareness of the CA and Federal DREAM Act to the student body and community. I had the opportunity to lobby at the State Capitol with senators from all of California, meet the governor and Dolores Huerta, and represent my campus at the Students of Color Conference, held at the University of California, Davis. I am a member of the Democrats Club on campus and Occupy UC Merced. Additionally, I am involved with UC Merced Pre-Law Society, a club for students who want to attend law school. As a member, I have been able to travel with the club to tour law schools and learn about the application process. Though many stereotype Merced to be boring because it’s in the middle of nowhere, it is an amazing place. I am most definitely nowhere near bored and am having a blast!”

-Higher Education Mentoring Program graduate and college student

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“Growing up in a single-parent household was difficult because money was scarce. I wanted to not only be the first in my family to graduate high school, but the first to attend college. But I wasn’t sure how to get there or what steps I would need to take. The Higher Education Mentoring Program took me step-by-step through the college application and preparation process. It pushed me to strive for a better future that includes a college degree and well-paying career.”

-Higher Education Mentoring Program graduate and college student

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“The program taught me how to use a credit card, how to manage my time, and how to study better. By attending the workshops every month, I learned how to become a more responsible adult.”

-Higher Education Mentoring Program graduate and college student

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“When my daughter first told me that the Higher Education Mentoring Program was helping her to attend college, I was surprised; as an immigrant to the United States, my focus was working long hours to support the basic needs of my family, and I assumed my children would do the same. As it turns out, a college education was the best thing for my daughter and our family. She graduated in June of 2013 with dual bachelor’s in psychology and Chicano studies. She now works with special needs children and is applying for her master’s degree. I eagerly share my family’s story to promote the value of youth obtaining higher education. Thanks to the support of OCBF and its investment in my daughter, she now has a standard of living that is different and better than I ever had. I am truly grateful to OCBF for helping to build a new generation of educated young people.”

-Higher Education Mentoring Program father

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