On Monday morning, April 4th, 11 NGS Juniors boarded a van and embarked on a 400 mile road trip to Southern California, led by NGS Director of High School Counseling, Andrew Chong, and Director of Social Services, Maria Gramajo. For many, it was their first time being out of Marin County, and this 5 day trip expanded their horizons as they took yet another step towards becoming first generation college students.
More than just a road trip, this adventure provided a once in a lifetime opportunity for our Scholars to get out of their normal routines, expand their geographic experiences and to transition their theoretical concept of college into a tangible reality. There is simply no substitute for the experience our Scholars get when walking onto a university campus, seeing faces of students who look like them, feeling the collegiate vibe and imagining the campus as their home for four years.
The whirlwind week consisted of 6 campuses tours, allowing them to experience college life first-hand while getting their questions answered, visiting student unions and pausing to take in the reality that college is, in fact, in their future. Public and private colleges from Los Angeles to San Diego were visited, including: University of Redlands, San Diego State University, UC San Diego, Claremont McKenna College, Pomona College and Occidental College.
While 6 colleges in 5 days would be enough for many, the group made the most of their time by also visiting cultural sites in the Los Angeles area including The Getty Center, Grand Central Market, Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, La Jolla Cove and the Griffith Observatory.
As Andrew and Maria supported the students through college tour after tour, they enjoyed overhearing these first impressions shared by our wide-eyed Juniors, including:
“Oh, I love the Student Union Here!”
“Wow, this campus is gorgeous!”
“I could see myself studying in this library.”
“I definitely want to attend a busier college, like this one!”
NGS Scholar and Junior at Redwood High School, Angel, summed up the trip in this way:
“Thanks to Next Generation Scholars for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip to LA, I was able to visit colleges, spend time with friends, and make stronger bonds with the people on the trip. I am really glad I went on this trip because it gave me the in-person experience of how college life is, and what campuses look like. This trip was amazing and It changed me forever. I am grateful because we created memories on this trip that will last a lifetime.”