Spring break college tours
Instead of heading to the beach or relaxing at home this spring break, dozens of San Antonio ISD juniors dedicated their time off to visit 11 colleges and universities during this year’s West Coast Spring Break Tour. A total of 48 juniors from across the District visited five Claremont Colleges including Pomona, Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Harvey Mudd colleges as well as Azusa Pacific University, Loyola Marymount University, Occidental College, University of Southern California, University of La Verne, and University of Redlands.
“Seeing the light bulbs go off during the college visits while getting first-hand advice from first-generation college students regarding the college process was heartwarming,” said Tiffany Cook, trip chaperone and college bound advisor at Highlands High School. “You could tell their confidence was rising as each day progressed. They left knowing there was a whole world out there to experience, and their goal of one day experiencing it was achievable.”
All seven comprehensive high schools and five specialty/magnet high schools were represented on the tour. In addition to the college tours, students were given the opportunity to visit major tourist attractions, including Grauman's Chinese Theatre and Hollywood Boulevard, and to travel to Balboa Island and Newport Beach for an evening by the sea.
“It was really great, honestly one of the best experiences of my life,” said Juan Lamas, junior at Burbank High School. “I never thought about going to college out of state. But now my eyes are opened to the possibility.”
Students not only gained information on top-tier colleges and universities, they also received a glimpse of college life away from home. Much like college, they roomed with peers they did not know, ate on the college campus, walked the campus, and talked to current students.
“Each campus has a different college culture and it was awesome to see our students in a way shop around for the schools that best meets their needs and their majors,” said Arturo Martinez, trip chaperone and college bound advisor at Burbank HS. “Some of our students have never even left San Antonio, so to be able to provide this life-changing opportunity is a dream come true. As a first-generation student myself, I can identify with a lot of these rising seniors and being able to see that they can think in a much larger scale makes this so rewarding.”
As a follow up to the trip, students and college bound advisors will be meeting to review their learning from the trip and to create a presentation for their parents, families and fellow students.
“College tours are so important because of the exposure it brings to new places and opportunities,” said Cook. “If it had not been for a college tour when I was in high school, I would not have known of the endless possibilities that existed for me outside of Philadelphia. The same truth applies to our students. Their eyes were opened to a new world, and they believe they can conquer it. The college tours are a life-changing experience that all students should experience!”
Juan Pablo Davila, parent of junior Brenda Davila, attended the trip as a chaperone and says he believes the trip has an eye-opening experience for all students involved.
“This trip gave the students a realistic view on the benefits of attending these universities and the different courses, fields of study, and options that each institution brings,” Davila said. “The whole trip was exceptionally planned.”
The West Coast Spring Break Tour is part of the District’s “Pipeline for College Success” program and was made possible by a grant from the Valero Energy Foundation, with support from the SAISD Foundation. SAISD college trips happen throughout the year, and by the end of the 2018-19 school year, almost 1,500 students will have completed college visits locally, in-state and across the country.
The next SAISD-sponsored college tour, the North East Summer Break Tour, will be taking place in July. Students will be visiting a variety of institutions in Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York.
