Post-Secondary Retreat

Post-Secondary Retreat
By Cynthia Duran

Going from high school to college is no easy feat for the average teen. Students go from being told what to do every step of the way, especially in school, to almost total freedom. All of a sudden, students get to pick what classes they want, when and if they go to those classes, and what to do while they are in those classes, and while it can be incredibly exciting to not have to ask for permission to use the restroom or eat during class, if student don’t know how to navigate their time inside and outside the college classroom, they are bound to fail. This failure is even more likely when students come from first-generation households where parents and older relatives may not know how to support a student.

In order to minimize failure and maximize success with our rising college students, every summer, we transition Future Grads high school students to the post-secondary part of our program by inviting them to Post-Secondary Retreat. This is a one week intensive program where students go through a series of workshops to learn skills and resources to better handle the independence that comes with college.

The first day of Post-Secondary Retreat, we invite caregivers to a meeting where we explain the transition students experience going from high school to post-secondary, and how they, as caregivers, can support their first-generation college students.

The next day and first day with students, the topic was social emotional learning. Students learned about culture shock and imposter syndrome. Our very own Mental Health Director, Daniela, came in to let students know all about healthy communication, such as establishing healthy boundaries since for many of them, this is the first time they constantly have to do it with friends and family. Finally, we reviewed some tips and tricks for how to navigate safety issues that may arise in college.

The third day was all about academics and on campus resources. Students learned study techniques for different types of classes. Additionally, they practiced using a few organizational systems to keep track of all their classes and assignments. Then, we broke students out into smaller groups to do a college scavenger hunt of the campus they will attend in the Fall. For example, De Anza college students identified resources with other De Anza students. In this scavenger hunt, we also had them identify many of the new college terms not used in high school.

The fourth day students reviewed finances, careers, and networking. Students went through a financial literacy workshop which showed them how to best handle finances in college. Then, they got a career workshop to learn how to use their time in college to build up their professional development. Finally, students got to ask young professionals and older college students all the questions they had in a panel which was then followed by a networking social.

On our last day, students were told more about next steps, like upcoming timelines for events, check ins, and office hours as well as how to ask for support. We wrapped up the day by playing a few fun games to close out and celebrate the week.

Throughout the week, students reported on how much they had learned and how much more prepared and excited they felt. While we know it won’t always be smooth sailing, we feel glad to know that we provided many tools and vast knowledge students need when they hit the ground running.

The Rewards of Volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula

The Rewards of Volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula
By David Jacobson

Nothing is more rewarding for a volunteer classroom teacher than a group of attentive students. That’s exactly what I experienced while leading a one-hour-plus journalism class for middle schoolers in the summer program at The Bayshore School location of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP).

Site Director Cynthia Valente graciously led me on a tour of the school, tucked in a corner of Daly City, practically in the shadow of the Cow Palace. From the playground to the gym to the hallways, youthful energy abounded.

It was no different in the classroom until Coach Arnold quieted down the dozen or so club kids in attendance. Then their energy focused on the work we were there to do together.

One of the beauties of BGCP is that the kids want to be where they are. Another is the variety of activities and enrichment opportunities offered, so that students can participate in what interests them. That combination makes life easy for a classroom volunteer!

We started with an icebreaker exercise meant to identify the students’ passions so that their excitement would rise, and I could have in mind some common ground to use in subsequent give-and-take in the classroom. My tapping into their own stated passions showed them I was listening, and that I cared about what they cared about, which showed that I cared about them.

The students listened closely to the stories I shared from my four-plus decades as a journalist, again emphasizing passion as a key to success in any endeavor. At appropriate times, they asked questions that showed a great level of engagement. Beyond making life easy for the volunteer, they made it delightful.

After getting to know the students and letting them get to know me, it was time for an exercise in getting them to know each other better while also sharpening their journalism skills. In groups of two or three, they were assigned to interview each other for three minutes, take handwritten notes, and then take 10 minutes to write an article about the passions of the classmate they had interviewed. That assignment offered students another chance to consider their passions and provided a practical experience to complement the abstract principles of journalism that I’d shared in the more lecture-y part of the class.

Roaming the room, I heard students ask open-ended questions, as a journalist should, to move the interview subject toward opening up. Some students intuitively asked follow-up questions of their interviewees.

When it came time to write their articles, the room quieted and stayed that way for the full 10 minutes. At deadline (sounded not by a phone alarm but by my vocal imitation of one of my 1980s newsroom bosses), the most skilled students submitted articles with writing of a quality that matched the sophistication of their interview techniques.

Some showed great potential for a career in journalism. Whether or not any of them take that path, I like to think the students benefited from exposure to the possibility. I like to think they benefited from time with a caring adult. And, I know I benefited from the experience, as will you when you volunteer with BGCP.

For more information on volunteer opportunities with BGCP, please email Sisley Brewer.

Momentum Builds Behind Government Funding Efforts Under New Hire Maggie Cornejo

Momentum Builds Behind Government Funding Efforts Under New Hire Maggie Cornejo
By David Jacobson

Just three months after joining Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP) as the organization’s first-ever Director of Government and Community Relations, Maggie Cornejo has helped secure $186,200 via two separate Measure K grants from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

The first grant – for $86,200, sponsored by District 2 Supervisor Noelia Corzo – was approved at the Board’s May 23 meeting and provides for expanded learning programs in the San Mateo-Foster City School District. That includes hiring one full-time site director and eight part-time youth development leaders at San Mateo’s Sunnybrae Elementary School and LEAD Elementary School.

The second grant – for $100,000, sponsored by District 4 Supervisor Warren Slocum – will support year-round mental health services for students from District 4 neighborhoods. That includes hiring additional staff therapists to provide more clinician hours and serve more students. BGCP expects to increase the total number of students receiving therapy to 300 (a 134% growth from the previous year) and to provide 3,500 client sessions (a 213% growth from the previous year), while expanding its services to serve middle-school students for the first time.

Beyond the numbers, these initiatives offer immeasurable hope and comfort to hundreds of K-12 students suffering from learning loss due to the pandemic, the psychological strain of that situation, and stress stemming from everyday life in socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Fortunately for these families, BGCP Chief Executive Officer Jenny Obiaya and Chief Advancement Officer Tina Syer had the vision and wherewithal to hire Cornejo.

In addition to the technical expertise her position requires, honed during her six-plus years working in San Mateo County government, Cornejo brings to her role unique sensibilities, shaped by similar experiences she faced en route to becoming a first-generation college graduate. Cornejo was born and raised in North Fair Oaks and attended Garfield School, The Girls’ Middle School and later Menlo-Atherton High School. In her own childhood, she “experienced some schools with lots of resources and others with less,” she said, “so I’ve always been passionate about serving the community and closing the opportunity gap.”

When Cornejo made the change to The Girls’ Middle School, she realized how behind she was. “I was behind academically as I was going into that school, incredibly behind. I didn’t read and write in English as well as the other students, and that opened my eyes to the fact that I was always going to be playing catch-up. That starts with early education and goes all the way into professional development. Mentorship has been key in my life, and when I worked in Supervisor Slocum’s office, I received that.”

Cornejo earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Minor in Spanish Language from San Jose State University. Her background now positions her to build relationships with elected officials and community leaders, “so that when buckets of money come available – whether local, state, or federal – I’m working collaboratively with leaders to make sure that BGCP is considered for that funding.” After her first few months with BGCP, Cornejo said she “feels grateful to Tina for her empowerment of me…she’s a great team leader. And I enjoy the team for all its diversity in age, background, socioeconomics, and race. I love hanging out with the kids. Plus, the function of government is still a passion for me, and I love that I get to maintain those relationships and continue to serve my community.

In her immediate future with BGCP, Cornejo plans to meet with every city council that serves a BGCP site by the end of 2023 and to continue welcoming “more people who serve the communities to BGCP site visits, so that they know what we do, and when funds are available, we’re on top of people’s minds.”

Future Grads: A First-Generation Experience

Future Grads: A Frist-Generation Experience
By Gissell Valencia

As a high school senior there are many questions about the future you begin to ask yourself. The biggest one of them being, what’s next? When I started my senior year, I thought that there was no way I was going to be admitted to a 4-year university. My grades had significantly dropped my sophomore and junior year to where my GPA was just above a 2.5. My future at a 4-year did not look very bright.

However, at the end of freshman year, I made the decision to join a brand-new program called Future Grads. Future Grads had been described as a college readiness program who supports first generation college students in their journey to college and through college. The summer before my sophomore year, I attended a week-long Summer Academy where I learned about the value of a college education, college requirements, financial aid, and much more. After the week was over, I knew that college was more obtainable than I originally thought.

After Summer Academy was over, we were placed into “crews.” These crews were made up of 5 or 6 students who attended the same high school and will become our peer support. In my crew, I was chosen to become the crew leader. This leadership role meant that I had to attend a few additional meetings where I was given additional guidance on the ways to support my peers and make sure we were all being held accountable with our academics and the program.

Although I spent most of my high school career highly involved in Future Grads, my grades were actively dropping due to multiple health issues. As my grades dropped, so did my hopes of attending a 4-year. Future Grads offered more than just academic support, though.

The most valuable thing that Future Grad provided me was the relationship I formed with all the staff. They provided guidance beyond academics. I was a first-gen student, completely lost in what I needed to accomplish a post-secondary education. They presented me with options and walked me through all of them.

As my senior year rolled around, prepping for college applications was a dauntless and exhausting task. At the end of the process, I applied to 5 universities, and I was accepted into 4. Ultimately, I committed to Sonoma State University and Future Grads followed.

I started my first year at SSU as sophomore standing due to receiving a 5 in my Spanish AP Exam and taking a few college classes prior to starting. Alongside Jaime, a Future Grads staff member, I diligently planned out every single one of my breaks to take at least one class at a community college. A little more than halfway through my freshman year, though, COVID-19 would force me out of my dorm and back into my parents’ home and everything would be moved online.

COVID changed the way I viewed education. I found that I thrived in the remote environment where things were done at my own pace. I took advantage of accessing everything from one place, my computer. In Winter of 2020, I enrolled in multiple classes at a community college close by and at the same time enrolled in two classes at SSU. Jaime and Cynthia, another Future Grad staff that I had quarterly check-ins with, continued to support me as I navigated the college system. Ultimately, I graduated from SSU in December 2021, 2.5 years after graduating from high school, with a bachelor’s degree in communications and media Studies with Cum Laude honors and a minor in Film. I was also completely debt-free.

As I reflect on my time with Future Grads, the support system I found was the biggest blessing in disguise. Every time I felt lost or confused someone was there to help me through it. They gave me guidance on important decisions and cheered me on in all my successes. Future Grads gave me the tools and knowledge to navigate in unknown water and come out succeeding.

SMFC Partners Luncheon

SMFC Partners Luncheon
By David Jacobson

At its annual Partners Luncheon, San Mateo-Foster City School District named Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula as Non-Profit of the Year.

In his presentation, SMFCSD Superintendent Diego Ochoa (right with BGCP's Maggie Cornejo, Andrew Aitchison, and Ruby Fong) hailed BGCP for expanding services at San Mateo Park Elementary School.

"BGCP came to us wanting to make a difference in North Central San Mateo," Ochoa said. "Soon, they were providing after-school services for 130 students, five days a week from 3 to 6 p.m."

Back to the Future: Future Launch Celebration Includes First Cohort of College Grads

Back to the Future: Future Launch Celebration Includes First Cohort of College Grads
By David Jacobson

Eighty-six high school seniors from throughout San Mateo County walked the stage in a graduation style ceremony for BGCP’s annual Future Launch Celebration, May 18 at the organization’s Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse in Redwood City.

But this was no mere procession. It was more a progression…for students from humble beginnings on their way to limitless futures. Each student stopped to speak, some choking up with gratitude for the friends, family, and second family, in the form of the BGCP community that helped them make it to that moment.

The shout outs from those students to program leaders, staff, and mentors were innumerable. Each speech ended with a student’s declaration of destination for post-secondary education.

Perhaps as proud as the parents of these Future Grads program participants were their mentor “coaches.” These tireless volunteers support the students in academics, life skills, and college applications throughout high school and provide additional years of consulting to ensure that students make it to college and through college.

None of those mentors could have been prouder than Tony and Denise Lautmann, the Future Grads program founders, who have continued to provide direct mentorship service to students since starting the program in 2015.

A separate stage-walk featured 16 transfer graduates (many who attended community college) announcing their next steps. All applied to four-year institutions:

• All eight who applied to UC Santa Barbara were admitted.
• Five of 16 who applied to UCLA gained admission.
• Four of 16 who applied to Cal Berkeley were admitted.

Another progression spotlighted the original cohort of 32 Future Grads from 2015, who this spring completed their undergraduate four-year degrees and announced plans for grad school or professional employment.

The plethora of potential on display included outstanding work by Masters of Ceremony and Future Grads alums Maria Casique Leon and Nicole Cruz Mariche.

Future Grads leader Dr. Esmeralda Ortiz, BGCP’s Vice President, High School & Postsecondary Programs, summed up Future Grads’ impact: “My dissertation focused on this program, and the number-one differentiator students reported was the individualized attention they got in Future Grads to complement the services they received from their high schools.”

Dr. Ortiz would have included that information and other findings in a longer speech she had prepared for the evening but decided to keep her remarks brief, “because everyone else who crossed the stage expressed that so well in their own ways.”

The embodiment of that expression came from graduating high school senior Sophia Bai. At the start of her remarks, Sophia said she had planned to skip the ceremony due to discomfort from believing herself to be a poor public speaker, and by the end of her remarks she proved that belief wrong.

In an unusual show of vulnerability and self-awareness, Sophia shared she knew she might regret not speaking from the stage. Her getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is a simple definition of the courage it takes to rise from humble beginnings to a limitless future.

Watch the Future Launch Celebration Recap Video.