SAN ANTONIO — Getting into college is something many San Antonio high school students struggle to do, but not because they don’t have the grades.
Many times, they lack the guidance. That is where the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), is stepping in to help.
“None of my family members have gone, and I’m a first-generation student. So, like, I was really intimidated by college,” said Thomas Edison High School junior Adrian Ortega
Ortega said he felt lost when it came to prepping for college, but programs like the LULAC’s mentoring for college success have helped him find his way.
“It helps us with scholarships, learning skills, like how to build essays,” he said.
The program is a collaboration between LULAC, the Tony Gonzalez Foundation and the Alamo Colleges. Members of San Antonio LULAC’s national educational service center were at Thomas Edison High School this week recruiting students to take part in the program.
“We are able to help shape them and cultivate them and get these high school students ready for the real working world as well as a college environment,” said program mentor Fritzi Davis.
Davis is a graduate student at UTSA. She has been mentoring with the program for a little over a month. She said the work gives her a feeling of selflessness in giving back to her community.
“I wish I was a part of a program like this in my high school, because for me, having mentors, I had to go out and find them,” she said. “And here it is -- an amazing opportunity where we already have a mentoring pool available.”
Education chair for the San Antonio district of LULAC Sonya De La Garza-Walker says that although the program is geared toward helping Hispanic and Latino students, every high school student in San Antonio is welcome to take advantage.
“We are the league of the United Latin American Citizens. However, we do accept all nationalities,” she said. “Whoever wants to join us is more than welcome,”
Lizzett Hernandez has her eyes set on Brown University.
“My goal is to go to an Ivy League,” she said. “I know I can do it. I just have to push myself to.”
She said the help she’s gotten from mentoring for college success has made the whole process less intimidating.
“I’m not as nervous about college now. I feel like I’m ready to go,” she said.
Any high school student in San Antonio can sign up for Mentoring for College Success here.
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