LONG BEACH YMCA YOUTH INSTITUTE

The YMCA Youth Institute’s “College Readiness Program” has been in full effect since the beginning of the 2011-2012 academic school year. College Readiness includes two staff members, Eddie Gardiner and Ben Falealili, who assist the students with homework, school projects, scholarships, SAT/ACT testing, financial aid, college applications and act as another support system for Youth Institute Alumni. College Readiness has been busy this past month, assisting high school seniors with college applications and SAT registration. We plan to make college visits to many of the Universities and Community Colleges all around southern California.

The College Readiness Program went on a college visit to California State University of Dominguez Hills. This is the first college visit for the College Readiness Program, but definitely not the last. The students visited the entire campus—from the classrooms to the dorm rooms, the student union to the administrative offices. The eight students who attended are juniors and seniors in high school and have hopes and dreams to attend a four-year university along their journey to pursue higher education. One of the students who attended the college visit, Leo, was recently accepted to CSUDH. Leo gave some insight on his college visit experience, “It was nice to get to know the campus. The tour benefitted me by allowing me to get answers to all the questions I had towards CSUDH.”