LIVING THE COLLEGE LIFE
|
For more than a decade, CFEP’s Parent Residential Experience Program (PREP) provided the parents of aspiring college students– a majority of whom did not attend college themselves, speak English, or attend school in the United States – the opportunity to gain exposure to higher education.
In PREP, parents of Santa Ana Unified School District middle and high school students spent a weekend on the campus of UCI. They lived in the dormitories, ate in the freshmen dining halls, attended classes in lecture halls, and even completed and presented a final project. The immersive experience educated parents on both the nitty gritty details of applying to and enrolling in higher education, as well as the overall culture of college. As a result, parents were able to better support their children in the college-going process, understood that their income level did not have to prevent their child from going to college, and sometimes went as far as changing their minds completely about the desirability of a student leaving home to live on a college campus. |
A group of Padres Promotores working with Santa Ana College and the Santa Ana Partnership
|
On average, PREP hosted approximately 50 parents per summer. In a typical year, less than 10 percent of the parents had a college degree, more than half had not completed high school, and more than 90 percent completed their highest level of education outside of the U.S.
“PREP helped CFEP target an often-overlooked population when it comes to supporting first generation college students – their parents,” said Stephanie Reyes-Tuccio, assistant vice chancellor, educational partnerships. “The work we do with teachers, administrators, counselors and even students themselves can pale in comparison to the influence parents have on college going. We know anecdotally and from years of research that immigrant parents in particular have college-going aspirations for their children. Learning how to guide and support their children on that journey is something we can help with.”
CFEP partnered with Padres Promotores, a Santa Ana College-based organization, to host PREP. Composed at the time entirely of parent volunteers, Padres Promotores demystified the college experience for parents, hosting workshops on financial aid requirements, how to calculate a GPA, admissions requirements and more in various areas across Orange County, including schools, community centers, parks and churches.
“We worked for parents on their time – afternoons, evenings, Saturdays – any time the parents could meet,” said Rosa Harrizon, former student service specialist at Padres Promotores.
PREP took the work one step further, combining the Padres Promotores workshops into a weekend-long experience for parents, who were recruited from partner schools in CFEP’s Santa Ana Partnership (learn more about SAP).
PREP opened parents’ eyes to the many nuances of preparing their children for college. For example, many parents reported not knowing that there exists a difference between completing high school and having the requirements to enroll in a four-year university such as UCI. This is not the case in many other countries and the range of paths to high school graduation without college eligibility often creates an unintentional disadvantage for the children of immigrant parents, who often learn about the distinction when it is too late for their child to take the requisite classes.
“PREP helped CFEP target an often-overlooked population when it comes to supporting first generation college students – their parents,” said Stephanie Reyes-Tuccio, assistant vice chancellor, educational partnerships. “The work we do with teachers, administrators, counselors and even students themselves can pale in comparison to the influence parents have on college going. We know anecdotally and from years of research that immigrant parents in particular have college-going aspirations for their children. Learning how to guide and support their children on that journey is something we can help with.”
CFEP partnered with Padres Promotores, a Santa Ana College-based organization, to host PREP. Composed at the time entirely of parent volunteers, Padres Promotores demystified the college experience for parents, hosting workshops on financial aid requirements, how to calculate a GPA, admissions requirements and more in various areas across Orange County, including schools, community centers, parks and churches.
“We worked for parents on their time – afternoons, evenings, Saturdays – any time the parents could meet,” said Rosa Harrizon, former student service specialist at Padres Promotores.
PREP took the work one step further, combining the Padres Promotores workshops into a weekend-long experience for parents, who were recruited from partner schools in CFEP’s Santa Ana Partnership (learn more about SAP).
PREP opened parents’ eyes to the many nuances of preparing their children for college. For example, many parents reported not knowing that there exists a difference between completing high school and having the requirements to enroll in a four-year university such as UCI. This is not the case in many other countries and the range of paths to high school graduation without college eligibility often creates an unintentional disadvantage for the children of immigrant parents, who often learn about the distinction when it is too late for their child to take the requisite classes.
|
On a more intangible scale, experiencing the UCI campus and all its offerings affected many parents’ willingness to allow their child to accept an offer of admission or live on a university campus.
“I remember clearly one parent, many years ago, whose child had a scholarship to go to university. He didn’t believe the scholarship was going to be free – he was adamant that the family would be indebted,” Harrizon recalls. “He attended the workshops and heard all the presentations and he changed his perspective." “Many parents believe that they cannot afford college, or think their child needs to go to work immediately after high school,” Harrizon added. “After working with us, they realized their kids could go to college. They changed their perspective completely.” As a bonus, PREP also inspired some parents to take additional classes or resume college themselves. Harrizon recalls a few parents who completed their college degree, while many more took classes at Santa Ana College. Additionally, many parents who went through PREP ended up volunteering for Padres Promotores and PREP. To become a volunteer for Padres Promotores, parents needed to go through an intensive four-day training, culminating with a daylong visit to UCI. At the end, parents were presented a certificate, signed by the Santa Ana College dean and Santana Ruiz, deputy director, CFEP. |
Rosa Harrizon, former student service specialist, Padres Promotores
|
/
Many parents believe that they cannot afford college, or think their child needs to go to work immediately after high school. After working with us, they realized their kids could go to college. They changed their perspective completely.
Former Student Service Specialist, Padres Promotores |
“Some parents would remark that it was the first diploma they ever received in their entire life,” Harrizon said. “Their children were in attendance, cheering them on. Those are the emotional moments where the parent says ‘I want my child to attend university, because I want them to have the opportunities I never had.’”
The training is emblematic of a major tenet of PREP: providing leadership opportunities and empowering parents, regardless of education, to help both their children and other families. “Parents learn best from other parents,” Reyes-Tuccio said. “They speak the same language and understand the hopes and fears we all have for our children and their futures. It’s most powerful when a parent can tell another parent that they were in the same situation not too long ago and their child is now at a university or has graduated.” The last PREP was held in 2018. Originally funded by a U.S. Department of Education Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant, CFEP is seeking funding to bring the program back. |
“Schools offer parent workshops on financial aid, scholarships or college applications, but those can be challenging to attend for a parent who is working or taking care of children and do not recreate the experience of living on campus for a weekend like PREP does,” Reyes-Tuccio said. “There are many off-the-shelf parent education programs, but PREP moved beyond answering questions to build relationships, build leadership capacity in the community, and truly expand the horizons of what parents thought was possible for their child. It is a transformative program, and in the wake of the devastating economic impact of COVID on the families of first-generation students, it’s needed more now than ever.”
The preceding story is part of the "CFEP: 25 Years of Impact" series, honoring the people, programs and partnerships that have helped impact millions of students, teachers and families over the past quarter century. View the entire series here.
