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Red Robin
vows
est. 1939
CATERERS
A matter of Degrees Program helps low-income students cross Marin’s college-bound divide Call fo No-Oblig r ati Estimate on !
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Storewide MAMA Jan 4-10 Grads 10% OFF Dads, mommie Jan 11-17 15% OFF OFF 15% Jan &11-17 Weddings, Jan 18-20 20% OFF OFF Mumsy 20% Jan 18-20 OH, MY! Mumsy
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924-0956
489 Magnolia Avenue ¡ Larkspur www.REDROBINCATERING.com
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Sale excludes all consignment items Providing safety information and assisting families in bringing kids home safely
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ive acre site with beautifully manicured lawn surrounded by the rolling hills of Nicasio Valley just “25 minutes from everywhere.â€? We take great pride in offering ďŹ ne American Cuisine to accompany our unique setting, from casual BBQs to Elegant Dining. Indoor & Outdoor facilities including dance oor. On-site Event Coordinator and on-site Music Coordinator for assistance with musical entertainment and bands.
On the Town Square, Nicasio {ÂŁxÂ‡ĂˆĂˆĂ“Â‡Ă“Ă“ÂŁÂ™UĂŠĂœĂœĂœÂ°Ă€>˜V…œ˜ˆV>ĂƒÂˆÂœÂ°Vœ“ 14 PACIFIC SUN JUNE 4 - JUNE 10, 2010
by Ronnie Co he n
G
aby Perez’s parents dropped out of middle school. Her mother works at Taco Bell, and her father does manual labor. Anxious to break her family’s cycle of poverty, the Terra Linda High School senior planned to do what no one in her family has ever done before—go to college. But she could not imagine raising the nearly $30,000 a year it costs to attend her dream University of California school. Given her family’s limited ďŹ nancial resources, she ďŹ gured her only option would be the local community college. So, in her ďŹ rst two years of high school, she did not sign up for honors or “advanced placementâ€? classes, and she did not push herself to work as hard as she could. Why bother, she ďŹ gured, when she could get into College of Marin regardless of the rigor of her classes or her grades? Then she began participating in the AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination, program. It targets capable collegebound students who are falling short of their potential, helps them develop organizational and study skills and puts them on a college track. Through AVID, Gaby learned about the Marin Education Fund. Now called 10,000 Degrees, the San Rafael nonproďŹ t provided Gaby with conďŹ dence and resources as well as information about ďŹ nancial aid and scholarships so she could apply to four-year schools and contemplate a way to pay for them. In the fall, she’s going to her ďŹ rst-choice college—the University of California at Davis. “It’s my dream school because I want to become a vet. I thought I would apply, but I didn’t think I would get accepted,â€? she says, smiling so widely that every tooth in her mouth shows. She hesitates and, underscoring how she still cannot believe her good luck, she adds, “It’s amazing.â€? Gaby is one of 100 high school seniors 10,000 Degrees helped get into colleges and secure ďŹ nancial aid and scholarships to pay for them this year. The graduating seniors, most from Marin County, will go to schools across the state and the nation— from UCLA to the University of Oregon to Boston University. Last month, Marin Education Fund changed its name to 10,000 Degrees to clarify its mission of not only sending kids to college but helping them graduate. Kim Mazzuca, president of 10,000 Degrees, says 54 percent of American students who begin college graduate within six years, while only 24 percent of low-income students graduate. All
RONNIE COHEN
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Gaby isn’t merely one in 10,000—she’s one in a million!
10,000 Degrees’ students are low-income, yet 84 percent of them graduate within six years, she says. “The data shows that once you get the kids to college, that’s only half the hurdle,� Mazzuca says. “Our work is not just about getting them there but providing them the longitudinal support. We are focused on access and success.� A major piece of succeeding in earning a college degree for students like Gaby is being able to pay tuition and living expenses. Although she has been taking three AP classes (calculus, environmental science and Spanish), throughout this school year, Gaby has been working three seven-hour days a week at a San Rafael movie theater. The job has allowed her to save $2,000—which she will use to pay tuition and living expenses not covered by grants and scholarships. Through a 10,000 Degrees program, Angela Lusk served as a mentor to Gaby, guiding her through the college-application process. A San Rafael human-resources consultant, Lusk went through the same process two years ago with her daughter, now a sophomore at UCLA. Lusk was struck by the differences between the resources lavished upon most Marin County students and students like Gaby. “There’s a real inequity in Marin, and often it’s not visible to the naked eye,� she says. “Most of us aren’t exposed to this kind of poverty in Marin. “The kids in Marin at the local high school have had so much that we take for granted until you meet a child like Gaby. They haven’t had any of the advantages of Marin kids— lessons, driving to all the events, vacations. These kids don’t have any private SAT tutors,