Funded by the President’s Innovation Fund and in collaboration with the President’s Council, Parkway Heights Middle School, and South San Francisco High School, the Middle School Outreach Project (MSOP) was founded three years ago with the goal of exposing middle school students to college and careers beyond their scope at a young age. The project also seeks to provide information about college and financial aid to parents in order to foster and support their development as educational advocates for their child.
Throughout the 2014-2015 academic year, the MSOP Team has worked closely with forty 8th grade middle school participants from Parkway Heights Middle School in South San Francisco.
On Friday, March 20, 2015, the college hosted the Middle School Outreach Project Student Conference for the forty participating middle school students and staff. During the conference, students toured the campus and visited our various CTE labs, including Respiratory Therapy, Surgical Technology, Cosmetology, and Automotive Technology.
Students visited the field and spoke with Soccer and Baseball players about their experiences as Student Athletes. In addition, the middle schoolers attended a Financial Aid presentation by Jocelyn Vila, experienced a college class firsthand, and received their very own MSOP Student ID!
The conference concluded with a dynamic college panel comprised of current and former Skyline College students who eagerly shared their personal experiences in college and offered words of encouragements for our middle schoolers.
The conference was a tremendous success, which served to instill motivation and the desire to attend college among participants.
Thank you to Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, Mr. Carsbia Anderson, Dr. Angelica Garcia, the President’s Council, especially Mrs. Teresa Proano and Mr. Steve Martinez, our partners at Parkway Heights Middle School, and the Middle School Outreach Project Team—Nate Nevado, Lorraine DeMello, Lavinia Zanassi, Suzanne Poma, Kent Gomez, Jocelyn Vila, and Gretel Barreto for their support.
In addition, thank you to the Skyline College Faculty, the Kinesiology, Athletics and Dance Department, and the various CTE Labs for welcoming the middle school students into your classrooms, labs, and field. Many thanks to the TRiO students, Student Athletes, and TRiO Ambassadors for all your help during the event.
Lastly, thank you to Skyline College Bookstore, CIPHER, Rock the School Bells, the Office of Financial Aid, the Transfer Center, and the Center for Student Life and Leadership Development for your kind donations.
Article by Jessica Lopez | Photos by Claudia Paz
