Source: Parental Readiness Empowerment Program

  PREP is proud to have participated in the college fair that Steps for College Success, a youth-led projected founded by four students from Washington Lee High School, organized at the George Mason University campus in Arlington. With the collaboration of PREP, Edu-Futuro and Deloitte, the fair provided high school students and their parents with guidance through workshops and a college panel on their opportunities to pursue higher education, financial aid possibilities and tips to help their child succeed in college. Attendees were glad to have the opportunity to speak directly to college students, admissions officers, and education advocates.

The fair began with a panel of current college students speaking about their transition from high school life to college life. The panelists were keen to share their experiences of living in dormitories, balancing a heavy academic workload with social activities, and choosing their particular majors. Each panelist had overcome a wide-range of challenges during their transition, so the attendees were fully briefed on how to deal with similar issues. Educational Opportunities Project intern, Andres Cambronero, spoke about his challenges adjusting to American culture and living in a small town in Iowa as a freshman and sophomore at Grinnell College.  At the end of the panel, the high school students were able to ask their own questions, and voice their worries and concerns.

After the panel, PREP participated in the college fair sharing with attendees information about the FirstGen Civil Rights Fellowship, PREP and the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship Program of which FirstGEN Fellow Najaah Daniels is a recipient. Following the panel, PREP provided a workshop for Aspiring College Students. The workshop was presented by FirstGEN Fellows, Tania Chairez and Naajah Daniels; PREP Attorney, Natasha Quiroga; and Educational Opportunities Project intern, Andres Cambronero. In addition to presenting the common challenges faced by first generation college students, the workshop provided parents and students with information about the college application process for undocumented students and for American citizen students with undocumented parents. The attendees were comforted to learn about the available financial aid resources and the excellent institutions that they can attend. Students and parents thanked PREP for our advice and guidance that showed them that pursuing higher education is an attainable goal.

We congratulate Steps for College Success for organizing such a successful and informative fair!