My name is Gina Aragon and I am currently a senior at San Francisco State University majoring in psychology. In the near future, I plan to obtain a masters degree either in developmental or clinical psychology working with at-risk youth. When I was in high school, I was considered an “at-risk youth” because of the choices I made. In my junior year, my high school was introduced to educational advisers from the San Francisco College Access Center (SFCAC). In my senior year, I wanted to change my life and go to college so I began to take advantage of the college center and what the educational advisers had to offer. I can honestly say if it was not for the advisers, I do not know how I would have made it to college. SFCAC has been in my life since high school, and continues to be in my life through college. Because SFCAC has helped me so much, I felt it was only right to give back. That is why I am working with SFCAC today intensively serving first-generation, low-income youth and preparing them for college. Working with students at Thurgood Marshall Academic High School is a pleasure, and it is wonderful to see that so many youth are motivated to further their education. If there is a will, there is a way.
My name is Joelle Fernandez and I am currently a senior at San Francisco State University. I will be graduating from SFSU in Spring 2010 with a Bachelors of Arts in history with a special education minor, holistic health minor, and holistic health certificate. For the last three years, I have been an active member of a club and program dedicated to peer academic advising through the SFSU Advising Center and New Student Programs and Retention. For the last two years, I gained experience working with pre-school children of low-income families through the Jumpstart club and program, an Americorps non-profit program whose mission is to work towards the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. I took the lead in a pre-school classroom for low-income families for an entire school year, leading my team of college students at a Headstart pre-school working on developing language and literacy skills with children ages three to five years old. I wanted to work for the SFCAC because I enjoy working with youth. In addition, I believe that every person has the opportunity to succeed and go onto higher education; however, not everyone has the same access to information and aid in the college process. With my personal experience of being the first-generation in America and coming from a low-income family, I can connect with many of the students. I enjoy seeing each and every student grow as we go through the school year. In the near future, I intend to go on to get my masters in education or counseling, and work in some capacity with urban youth.
