They're Off! Brown-I Departs

At what point in the process can we say that the Ivy League Connection is past the point of no return?  Surely we can turn back after the interviews and even after the dinners with the alums and sponsors.  Even after our cohorts come before their city councils and the School Board we can always turn back if need be.

But once the airport shuttle leaves the parking lot at ECHS we are probably at that point and our cohorts know for sure that they’re really on their way.

Don offers a wide variety of 'loaner' items for our travelers.  From laptop
security cables, Ethernet cables, USB cables for their cameras, card readers
for their cameras, umbrellas, surge protectors, extension cords, alarm clocks
flash drives, desktop lamps and even laundry bags, Don's one stop bazaar

table offers that last minute shopping experience.

All luggage is weighed so our
intrepid travelers aren't hit by
the ridiculously high
overage charges.

Such was the case at 3:46 AM on this beautiful morning.

We had asked our cohorts to arrive in plenty of time to pick up their loaner items, get their last minute instructions, weigh their luggage and take the obligatory group photo.

If nothing else it seems that we’re getting our ILCers properly trained in showing up on time.  Every one of our students arrived plenty early—early enough so that we were finished with all of our tasks early enough so the airport shuttle could depart nearly 15 minutes ahead of schedule (because we all know how much fun waiting at the airport can be).

Even before our ILCers arrived, though, Don was paid a visit by a patrolling police officer checking to determine why this guy in the loud shirt was standing outside the local high school at three in the morning.

Excitement was in the air.

Despite the early hour and the fact that this was a time of day better suited to catching some zzz’s, our ILCers were wide awake and ready for their adventure to begin.

Why are we still here? Why aren't we moving?

Despite the early hour and the fact that this was a time of day better suited to catching some zzz’s, our ILCers were wide awake and ready for their adventure to begin.

Many thanks to Joann Miller for the use of some of her great photos.

The Hercules City Council Hosts the ILC

The evening was a beautiful climax to a typical Spring day here in West County.  The Hercules City Council opened their meeting as they have so many times in the past by welcoming the Hercules residents who are cohorts of the Ivy League Connection.

After the warm welcome from Mayor Joanne Ward, West Contra Costa Unified School Distirct School Board President Charles Ramsey explained to the gathered crowd--and those watching on TV from the comfort of their homes--about the history of the program and how the program positively affects so many of the young people from our community.

Following Mr. Ramsey, Hercules High Assistant Principal Terri Ishmael spoke on the application process and how these cohorts went from the "what's this all about" stage to the "what time does our first class start" stage.  Ms. Ishmael introduced the cohorts and invited each of them to step to the microphone to talk about their own involvement in the ILC.

Concluding the presentation, and before the traditional group photo, former ILC cohort and Hercules resident (and the big sister of current Columbia Constitutional Law cohort Eric Wang) spoke about how her own participation as a two time ILCer affected her.  Yueming Wang was a Hotelie at Cornell two years ago and last summer she attended the Presidential Powers course at Columbia University.

Yueming eloquently spoke of how she was a dyed in the wool Cal Bear fan until she saw what else was available to her.  After attending Cornell and Columbia her views towards Cal were altered-altered to the point where she will be studying engineering at Cornell starting this Fall.

What was clear this evening, as it has been since the beginning, the ILC saw once again that the Hercules community stands firmly behind their young students and if the ILC will help their young members of the community, then the Hercules community stands behind the ILC.

Guadalupe Morales is Bound for Brown

RICHMOND HIGH STUDENT GUADALUPE MORALES IS IVY LEAGUE BOUND

Richmond Confidential

Ashley Hopkinson

02/11/11

Guadalupe Morales knows what people think when they hear the words “Richmond High School.” They think of poverty, crime, low-test scores and of a horrific gang rape that still blemishes the school’s image one year later.

But despite what people think, and despite disconcerting statistics about the number of Latinas who graduate high school and college into professional careers, Morales is determined to make a life for herself after Richmond High School.

Don’t feel sorry for her, she insists: This fall she is going to college. The 17-year-old senior will attend Brown University, an Ivy League school, on a full scholarship.

As she makes her way down the hallway of RHS, Morales is the subject of stares and questions. “Hey Guadalupe, what are the cameras doing here?” And “Hey, Guadalupe are you going to be on TV?”

In a brown-colored sweatshirt lettered with the words BROWN UNIVERSITY in bold, she doesn’t stop to answer. She smiles brightly but averts her gaze.

Morales will graduate June 19 at 9 a.m. It’s a date she’s been working toward for a long time. RHS is the last school in the West Contra Costa district to graduate because of its academic performance, Morales says casually on the way to her locker.

In fact, the school’s graduation rate is only 77.1 percent—four percentage points higher than the district average—according to the California Department of Education. The dropout rate in the district is 22 percent and RHS is almost double that averaging 46 to 47 percent.

Morales plans to study neuroscience; she wants to become a doctor. “The whole aspect of being a doctor is helping other people,” she said. “I like that. I feel like it’s natural to me. It’s also a way to prove something to myself. If I can make it as a doctor then I know all my hard work that got me to this point was worth it.”

Her academic achievements are a source of pride for counselors and educators across the school. As one faculty member put it: “She is a teacher’s dream.”

Guadalupe Morales in a hallway of Richmond High School. Morales said she never dreamed four years ago that she'd be going to a prestigious Ivy League school like Brown University.

Photo by Ashley Hopkinson.

Morales doesn’t quite see it that way. She acknowledges working hard, but said she can’t imagine working any other way. “My mom has always had a high expectation of me and seeing her work all those jobs taught me never to give up and to stay persistent,” she said.

In her essays that she wrote for Brown, Morales was asked to pick something that defines her and she chose the traditional Mexican dish tamales. Her parents are both from Mexico. They immigrated to the United States 22 years ago.

For Morales the tamale is a metaphor for her life — on the outside it may seem like a typical Mexican dish, but inside there’s always something unique. She recalled a period in her childhood when she perfected the art of making tamales, helping her mother make them to sell.

Her family faced some tough circumstances, but they did not break her and she is stronger because of it, she said. Her family moved often, ten times so far, she said. And once, they were evicted, she said, smile fading.

“It’s hard to keep a house because my mom has worked so many jobs. Sometimes you get a lower-paying job and can’t make the rent,” she said. “For a couple a days I felt pitiful, but I got the realization fast not to feel sorry for myself because you can overcome obstacles and do something about it.”

It’s easy to think, “Oh I live in the ghetto, I go to a crappy place like Richmond High,” she said, “but even though it’s like that I will work hard and even though I have impediments to my success I can overcome and do better than if I was going to a richer school.”

There have been times, she admits, that she’s wanted to be somewhere else, at a school where every resource is at a student’s disposal. “I’ve thought about it at times, but I like being at Richmond High,” she said. “The people that are there genuinely care for you. The teachers that are there are really there because they want and you get a sense early on who the teachers are that care about you and how well you do.”

Guadalupe Morales will attend Brown University starting in the fall of 2011.

Photo by Ashley Hopkinson.

Jean Pierre De Oliveira is one of five counselors at Richmond High School. Each has an average caseload of 400 to 500 students, and De Oliveira says they work at their jobs because they love helping students.

Still, he said, the outside socials ills seep through the walls of the school, and sometimes that makes the job more difficult. “We serve a demanding and needy community,” he said. “A lot of our kids come from homes of violence homes on welfare tough environment. … Sometimes kids come to me and they have eight problems and you have to decide which one to help them with before you can help them academically.

Eighty percent of the RHS high school population is listed as socioeconomically disadvantaged on official school accountability reports.

De Oliveira said teachers know that a student’s life circumstances affect academic performance and it makes his job easier and more joyous when one of his students, like Morales, succeeds despite life’s challenges.

“With Guadalupe getting into Brown, this just makes my day,” he said.

Plopping down on the floor between three closed classrooms doors to take a pre-approved break in between classes, Morales relaxes. Now away from the curious glances, she is at ease. She bursts into a smile, fussing with her long dark brown hair.

Morales’ first experience with studying at Brown actually happened last summer, when she participated in the Ivy League Connection Program, a privately funded scholarship organization that works closely with the West Contra Costa Unified District to sponsor a group of students to visit and study at Ivy Leagues for the summer.

The qualifications to apply are demanding: a GPA of 3.7 or above, a PSAT score of 140 or above and an SAT score of 1700 or above. The program requires an essay in addition to the academic requirements. Eighteen Richmond High Students met the qualifications to apply out of approximately 400, and seven finalists were chosen from the entire district. Of these, three Richmond High students were chosen to participate in a Brown program called 2010 Women in Leadership. With 11 AP classes under her belt and a 4.27 GPA, Guadalupe Morales was one of them.

Still, Morales didn’t know she’d been accepted to the full college program until mid-December. She recalls opening her acceptance letter in the middle of her afternoon multimedia class. “I was completely surprised and amazed,” she said. “I couldn’t really comprehend at first. It didn’t connect. But then I was really happy.”

In her blog she started keeping over the summer about her experience at Brown, Morales wrote: “I’m still amazed at what wonderful news I received just last Monday. Four years ago, I never thought that I would be attending one of the most prestigious universities in the world, much less, qualify for one. I suppose it’s the Richmond High mentality, the one where the dream school for everyone is U.C. Berkeley, and the only one. There’s nothing wrong with that—Berkeley is a great school. However, in these past couple of months, I’ve learned that there are more opportunities beyond what is here in California.”

She made the decision to attend right away.

Krista Jann, Richmond High’s college and career coordinator who has worked at the school for more than a decade, is equally happy. Jann said Morales has mastered a concept faculty needs to teach students—the ability to compartmentalize. They urge them to not forget their problems, but focus on getting an education despite them, she said.

As for Morales, “she has what it takes” to succeed, Jann said.

Jann is the RHS liaison for the Ivy League Connection Program, and she points out that even though 18 students qualified, few applied. Morales said motivation is lacking for some students. “There are supportive people here to help you but it’s really up to you to make a difference,” she said.

“You have to deal with your peers who are going down different paths and it motivates you to be an example to younger students to show them they don’t do the same thing,” she said.

Morales said that her parents are happy about her success, “but mostly I could tell they were scared that I would go so far.” Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island.

A few minutes before the bell rings Morales heads off to class.

“This is like the American dream,” she said. “I feel amazed. Even though I’ve come out of Richmond, all of us at Richmond can come through difficult circumstances and be successful.”

Our Yalies Depart

It was dark outside.  It was also chilly with a wind that helped the chill slice right through us. But then again it was 4:30 in the morning so why should we expect anything different?

Our Yale Ivy Scholars—Marisol Clemens, Brandon Amargo, Henry Hung and Connor Miller—gathered at El Cerrito High School with their chaperone Mario Miranda to board the airport shuttle that will begin their journey to New Haven, Connecticut where they will spend the next several days visiting Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University and Dartmouth University.

Accompanying them on this initial phase of the journey were ILC administrators Madeline Kronenberg and Charles Ramsey.

Before boarding the airport shuttle, our scholars went through the Gosney Bazaar where they could pick from baskets of umbrellas, laundry bags, computer cables, laptop security cables, Ethernet cables and even alarm clocks—all just to make sure they had what they needed to survive the next three weeks at Yale.

Fond farewells were said with the obligatory hugs from the parents and then the requisite group photo was taken before they headed east to seek knowledge that will turn them from mere high school students into future pillars of our community.

Studying Grand Strategy under Dr. Dr. Minh Luong, they will cram a full year’s study into just fourteen days.  Attending class from dawn to well past dusk, they will then be allowed to return to their dorm rooms to read a few hundred pages, prepare their Marshall Brief and study some more—and some more—and some more.

Our four Ivy Scholars will depart well prepared for this course having already read the 3,749 pages of material that will be studied and discussed.  Books about the Peloponnesian War, Homeland Security, Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese and Greeks, Genghis Khan as well as the inimitable Cyrus the Great will ready our adventurous students for this course.  (The book on Cyrus the Great has been said to be one of the best books ever written and one of our Yalies has already vowed to read it to his future children as bedtime reading.)

Students from previous years have written about this program. They write that our Yalies will be swamped with their studies and be given instruction from some of the greatest minds in their respective fields. From across the nation, though, previous Ivy Scholars have lamented that they would give anything for just another hour’s sleep.  I’m sure that when our Yalies return they may likely add to that chorus.

We wish our Yalies well.

Cornellians TRY to get to Ithaca

June 23^rd, 2010

Packed to the gills for their 24 day adventure in Ithaca our Cornell cohorts met at El Cerrito HS early on June 23rd where they had their baggage weighed, received their laptop security cables, took a solemn oath to blog every day and then hopped on their airport shuttle to take them on the first leg of their adventure at Cornell.

Studying under Professor Kramnick in his course: Freedom & Justice: An Introduction to Political Philosophy are Alex Elms, Andrew Gonzales, Andrew Woo and Dyana So.  Across campus Jacky Lares, Beilul and Chris Habash will study under Professors Reneta and Mark McCarthy in the course: Hotel Operations Management: Tactics for Profitability.  Both of these courses are rigorous endeavors but the education learned there has, in the past, been invaluable tools for our ILC team members.

Although their collective travel plans were well mapped out there was little they could do when Chicago's O'Hare Airport was shut down due to extreme weather conditions.  There just seems to be something about aircraft and tornados (with lightning) that aren't a good mix.

The Cornell contingent spent their first night in a variety of airport lounges as they were moved from gate to gate and had the opportunity to enjoy some of the finest cuisine available in late night airport eateries before their flight was finally cancelled.

Along for the ride, ILC Administrator Charles Ramsey had to scramble to find an alternative means of getting to Ithaca in the shortest amount of time.  Their current plans--always subject to change--now includes a flight to Hanford, CT where they may then enjoy a four hour van ride to Ithaca.

We wish them well.

From Far and Wide They Head to Columbia

June 24^th, 2010

The weather was cool, breezy and overcast but their spirits were high as our six ILC ambassadors prepared to depart for Columbia University. 

Michael Whittemore and Jamie Pines will study in Intense Seminars in Modern Chemistry while Michelle Saechao, Beulah Agbabiaka, Yueming Wang and Winston Long will study American Presidential Power at Home and Abroad: From George Washington to Barack Obama.

Guiding them through their studies will be their chaperone Ms. Terri Ishmael.

While in the area our Columbian cohorts will also be visiting other selective colleges and universities such as Penn, Vassar, Yale and Bard.

Once our team has soaked up all there is to learn they will be returning to the Bay Area on July 17th where they will prepare to share their newfound wealth of knowledge with students, parents and instructors throughout the community.

A Mother's Perspective

Melissa Arciniega

Now that Matt is beginning to pack up and head for Columbia University, I often find myself reflecting on the past eighteen years. There are so very many incredible memories in this young man's life already and I'm feeling very blessed and thankful for the person Matt has become and the direction his life is taking.

The Ivy League Connection has played a huge role in sending Matt in the direction of Columbia University. His two weeks at Yale last summer gave him the chance to prove to himself and others that he, indeed, can compete among some of the best and the brightest students in the world! 

Often times, students from the WCCUSD are afraid to dream big or don't know how big, big can be. Because of you, Ms. Kronenberg, Mr. Gosney, and the many individuals who run and fund the Ivy League Connection, Matt is about to attend a world-class university in preparation for a career in public policy and politics.

From a very special place in my heart, I thank you and the ILC for showing these kids how big dreams can be.  The world WILL be changed because of your mark on their lives!

A Father's Perspective

Felix Pelayo

The Ivy League Connection has greatly benefited my daughter, Cristina Pelayo. Before her trip to the East Coast, I only knew about various universities throughout California, and I only thought that was where she would apply. Sending her off to Columbia University, she experienced a setting different from public universities on the West Coast. While she was in Columbia, one weekend she visited the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. I had never heard of the school, and when she told me her impression of it, I myself realized that I didn't know about this great institution with so many different class choices in smaller classroom settings. When she came back from New York, I was surprised to see that she applied to more private universities than public universities, and four of them were out of state. I encouraged her to apply wherever she wanted because I knew it would ultimately be her choice to choose where to go.

When Spring rolled around and acceptance decisions came out, I was kind of surprised to hear that she got accepted into most of the places she applied. She couldn't make a choice but she narrowed it down to two choices, the University of Pennsylvania and UC Berkeley. The Ivy League Connection was nice enough to fly us out to Philadelphia for a preview weekend to get a final impression of the school, and I think that is what sealed the deal. Cristina submitted her intent to register to Penn, and I knew I ultimately had to support her. Even though it is far away, being far from home will allow her to grow up and experience new things.

Without the Ivy League Connection making her visit other colleges and helping her with applications and financial aid, she would not have found the school she will be attending in the fall. The Ivy League Connection is really about connecting. Sometimes students and parents like myself aren't aware of the many opportunities that are available for them. The ILC has gotten many more students talking about different universities outside of California, and it's important to let them know they have choices. I'm grateful for the ILC because it has helped my daughter attend her dream school she didn't know existed before.

Bulldog Pursuits

This fall, our daughter Yohanna is set to embark on a rigorous collegiate “bulldog” pursuit in gothic spires at Yale.

There’s absolutely no doubt that the ILC paved the way. It came to fruition because she did her part as an enthusiastic WCCUSD student since kindergarten, but her ILC Yale experience in her junior year stoked her will and intellectual curiosity to brave new and challenging frontiers. A good education is the most important gift children can have as they take the steps into adulthood. Needless to say, parents are the natural advocates for children to attain that. Luckily, our district has the ILC that nurtures and supports motivated students’ educational aspirations. The ILC consists of the benevolence of the esteemed sponsors, support of the WCCUSD staff and the unceasing labors of Charles Ramsey, Madeline Kronenberg and Don Gosney.

 Stationary Engineers Local 39 Scholarship Awards Dinner

The ILC participants are fortunate students put to the test and awarded full ride summer courses to experience academic rigor, and as a result aspire an Ivy League education to be with the best and the brightest. The required activities (often scrumptious), accouterments, and experiences teach them ethics in the professional world and in being mindful that no one makes it on his/her own. They carry with them the pride and hopes of their family and community.

The ILC opens excellent academic opportunities for eager students, such as to be on equal footing with the more affluent communities in vying for spots at prestigious universities. With the ILC creating a college landscape is such a blessing to our school district. Encouraging students in our high schools to be the best they can be, will send ripples of successes. If allowed to flourish, those ripples become waves which powerfully help to transform and build a brighter future for the community.

We are in awe that from our little known community, our daughter will be a smidgen part of something big and special as Yale. Thank you to everyone involved in her journey and for your confidence in her. We are forever grateful for the amazing opportunity.

Our heartfelt wishes for the continued success of ILC,

Eric and Youra Pepa

From Brown University

From Kiana Ward

El Cerrito High School '09

Brown University
Women and Leadership '08

After a year in college I've realized that I have unknowingly begun to make the transition into adulthood. It's scary and hard but also liberating. I have learned a lot this year and although the academics were part of that, the most valuable lessons were ones I learned simply because I am now IN college. Things like networking, handling school fees, and arranging travel plans were frustrating at times but invaluable for the future.

The transition from high school to college classes was drastic... especially at Brown where there are no GE requirements. It was odd to be in a class and know that the only reason I was there was because I had chosen to be. There was no one to complain to when I was struggling with calculus problem sets because I knew that I had brought it on myself. If I didn't go to class, the professors didn't care but I knew that I was wasting my own money. I had to learn a new type of self-motivation, the kind where if I wasn't working my hardest, the only person I was letting down was myself. There were no teachers or parents to watch over me. So I powered through economics and the plus-que-parfait form of the French subjunctive and realized that when you study that hard...when you learn simply because you want to and you are interested in the subject... you can actually learn a language. You can actually see tangible improvement. There were times when, as I was studying for a final or reading a textbook, I swore that I could actually feel my brain growing.

I, like Jennifer, was extremely intimidated by the intellect and drive of the student body on my campus. Everyone I spoke to had done something amazing or seemed like an absolute genius. After awhile however, I began to realize that I could keep up with these students. Yes, I may have had to work harder than my roommate who was writing 20 page research papers in high school, but I was raising my hand in lectures and actually answering correctly. I would talk to people and say, "I have absolutely no idea how I got in here" and almost always got the response, "me either!" It became apparent that everyone was in the same boat: no one really understood how they got in and everyone had their doubts about their own intelligence, but everyone was ready to make the most of it.

I finished my year feeling the need to have done more. College is all about new experiences and there are so many options to choose from, it can get overwhelming at times. I kept telling myself that I just needed to get adjusted to college life before I would be able to handle a job AND extracurriculars. The fact was that, although classes were very challenging, it is those sort of things that expose you to campus life the most and, in my opinion, allow you to get the most out of your college experience. So my advice is, do too much first and then decide what works best for you.

GOOD LUCK ALL YOU RISING FRESHMEN!!