2019 Student Journey Book

The Student Journey

College Track San Francisco in Bayview Hunters Point

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe that every student has the potential to change the world.

While talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not. Today, only one in five first-generation and low-income students who enroll in college will graduate. The inequality this creates prevents entire communities from achieving social mobility.

At College Track, we make a 10-year commitment to students, from ninth grade through college graduation. Our comprehensive program equips students with the skills and resources they need to become competitive college applicants, thrive on a college campus, and experience professional success post-graduation.

Today, our students graduate from college at a rate more than double that of their peers, and outpace the national average for all students.

Our alumni dream big, and follow their passions to a future of their own design.

THEIR 10-YEAR JOURNEY BEGINS IN NINTH GRADE

SUMMER BEFORE NINTH GRADE

Intro to College Track

YEARS 1-4

It doesn’t end until they graduate from college. Through their talent, hard work, and perseverance, our students ignite change and own their destinies.

High School

YEARS 5-10

College & Beyond

OUR APPROACH

We support students through every crucial step of high school and college until they graduate.

During high school, our students participate in three program areas at our stand-alone College Track centers. The first four years focus on academic readiness, experiential learning, dream exploration, and college access. Once accepted to college, our students continue to receive one-on-one support through graduation. We ensure they have the resources necessary to navigate the academic, financial, and social-emotional challenges to become the first in their family to earn a four-year degree.

SUMMER BEFORE NINTH GRADE

New Student Orientation

Academic Assessment

Dream Exploration

HIGH SCHOOL

Academic Tutoring

ACT Preparation

Community Service

Experiential Learning

Social-Emotional Wellness

College and Career Advising

Financial Aid Literacy

College Tours

COLLEGE

College Partnerships

Academic Advising

1:1 Mentoring

Financial Aid Review

Scholarships

Professional Internships

THE STUDENT JOURNEY

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Alex lives in the Los Angeles community of Watts and is a student at Jordan High School. He dreams of attending Boston College and majoring in computer science.

Alex had a vision for his future and he and his parents knew that if they could access the necessary guidance and support, he could achieve his dreams. In eighth grade, Alex discovered College Track. In the first five months, he could see a transformation in himself. He learned to step out of his comfort zone and increased his college math readiness score by 20 points. Now in his third year of our program, Alex talks to his friends about how proud his parents will be when he receives his college degree, and how successful he will be in his career.

Alex Junior Jordan High School

A WEEK IN THE LIFE

High school programming is offered up to six days per week, designed around three core areas of focus:

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS STUDENT LIFE COLLEGE COMPLETION

Our staff work with each student to customize their schedule based on their individual needs. To the right is Jennifer's weekly schedule.

MONDAY

4:00-5:00PM

COLLEGE ADVISORY

5:00-5:15PM

UNITY CIRCLE AND SNACK

5:15-6:00PM

1:1 TUTORING

6:15-7:00PM

SISTERHOOD

TUESDAY

4:00-5:00PM

ACT PREP

5:00-5:15PM

UNITY CIRCLE AND SNACK

5:15-6:00PM

STUDENT-LED A CAPPELLA

6:15-7:00PM

FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOP

THURSDAY

4:00-5:00PM

STUDY SQUAD

5:00-5:15PM

UNITY CIRCLE AND SNACK

5:15-6:00PM

1:1 TUTORING

6:15-7:00PM

FILMMAKING

UNITY CIRCLE provides the time and space for our students and staff to connect and appreciate one another, fostering an environment of clear expectations and encouragement. In the simplest terms, Unity Circle creates community.

THE STUDENT JOURNEY

With his brother’s condition and the emotional stress he carried through college, Marcus struggled with his own depression. He no longer felt compelled to attend his classes and lost his motivation to graduate.

Marcus' circle of friends, family, and the College Track community stepped in to support him. Through regular counseling and mentoring, Marcus rediscovered his purpose for earning a college degree. He redefined his college experience by joining new activities on campus, mentoring students, and helping them access college scholarships. After overcoming hardship at this pivotal time in his life, Marcus proved to himself that struggle can be the precursor to opportunity. He stayed the course and went on to earn a bachelor’s and master's degree in economics.

IT'S ALWAYS POSSIBLE

Marcus was playing football and doing well as an economics major at Howard University. Midway through college, his older brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Marcus B.A. Howard University

M.A. Johns Hopkins University

STUDENT Highlights

1

Joshua Member of prestigious Dean’s Student Advisory Council at Loyola University

2

Cynthia Competed in First Robotics Competition and won Dean’s List Award

Sara

3

Traveled to East Africa to cultivate her understanding of international development and define what it means to be part of a global community

4

Jose

Completed Hack the Hood program and now codes and develops mobile apps

5

Kelsey

Attended FAFSA Workshop to ensure she was eligible for government funding to pay for college

6

Alonzo

Improved writing skills at Aspen Summer Words Conference

7

Jesus Led Calculus study group

9 Troy

Introduced First Lady at White House forum focused on college completion

10

Jazmine

Interned in supply chain management department at Fiat Chrysler

11

Efrata

Applied to eight colleges and selected CU Boulder because it was a College Track Best Fit college partner

8

Vanessa

Raised ACT score by 12 points

12 Regan

Attended summer program at Cape Eleuthera Island School in the Bahamas where she worked to discover sustainable solutions to real world problems

FROM COLLEGE GRADUATION TO CAREER

Mayra emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico in 1992 and was raised by an undocumented immigrant mother. Her dream of lifting her family out of poverty motivated her to be the first in her family to graduate from college.

With support from College Track throughout high school and college, Mayra earned a bachelor's degree in Health Sciences from the University of California Santa Cruz as well as a master's degree in Public Health from San Francisco State University. College Track also connected Mayra to a youth wellness center, which offered her a paid internship and helped to fund her graduate school education. This invaluable work experience launched her career. Today, Mayra is a Nutrition Program Specialist at the San Mateo County Family Services.

B.A.

UC Santa Cruz

M.A.

San Francisco State University

Mayra

WHERE are they now?

College Track students leave their campuses no simply as college graduates, but as role models for generations to come. Our close to 600 alumni nationwide are creating lasting and visible change as educators, doctors, entrepreneurs, lawyers and more.

MONICA ALCANTAR

Spanish Teacher

Fresno Unified School District

B.A., Spanish Studies

University of San Francisco 2012

M.A., Education Stanford University 2014

JOSE AVILA

Media Buying Consultant

AdColony

B.A., Applied Mathematics

University of California, Berkeley 2012

EDDIE ASHLEY

Environmental Outreach Associate

San Francisco Department of the Environment

B.S., Environmental Science

University of California, Riverside 2014

RAKIM JOHNSON

Litigator

Latham & Watkins, LLP

B.A., Economics

University of San Diego 2010

Juris Doctor

Stanford University 2013

DR. FAZILA MALIK

Optometrist

Crossover Health

B.S., Psychology

University of California, Davis 2008

Doctor of Optometry

University of California, Berkeley 2013

CAROLINA HERNANDEZ

EOP Counselor

California State University, East Bay

B.A., Education

University of California, Santa Cruz 2011

DARWIN PHAM Associate

SKDKnickerbocker

B.A., Political Science

University of California, Los Angeles 2013

DONZAHNIYA PITRE

Administrative Assistant

East Bay Community Law Center

B.A., Sociology

Guilford College 2018

CURTIS MONETTE

Project Manager

The Allen Group, LLC.

B.Arch., Architecture Southern University and A&M College 2009

ANASTASIA WOODS

Public Health Researcher

Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking

B.A., Public Health Franklin and Marshall College 2018

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