Program provides support to first generation students going to college
Published on page 1 of the Sept. 18 issue of Morgan Hill Life:
By Jennifer Gonzalez
What other communities lack, Morgan Hill definitely has in abundance. In this small town of Morgan Hill, there exists a variety of opportunities along with a team of dedicated individuals who work day to day to provide the youth with resources and a better future.
Jennifer Gonzalez
You can be a part of this by becoming a part of Project Roadmap. Project Roadmap is a community organization that began more than two years ago, with the intention of providing support to first generation students going to college, as well as their parents.
Throughout the years, Project Roadmap has had annual conferences in both Spanish and English. For three years now, these have been known as the “No Excuses” conferences because we believe that we must continue to move forward with the idea that there is no bigger obstacle than ourselves, and that with proper guidance and resources, every dream is possible.
These conferences consist of workshops for parents and students; the students attend four workshops in English where they learn about the steps to take to prepare for college as well as listen to testimonials from other students. Meanwhile, the parents attend workshops in Spanish that provide them with guidance and encourage them to support the education of their children.
Although the parent workshops are in Spanish, we encourage all parents who are interested to join us and attend the English workshops with their child. In addition to the workshops filled with information by expert presenters, we provide a light breakfast, as well as Lee’s Sandwiches and Jamba Juice for lunch.
With the participation of MHUSD Trustee Claudia Rossi, educators George Flores and Irene Macias-Morris, active community member Mario Banuelos, and many student leaders of this community, the Project Roadmap organization team is on board with its third conference which will be held Oct. 5.
Our organization does not exist only to put on the conference. Members are active year round as they have teamed up with Extreme Learning Center to offer preparation courses for college-bound tests such as CAHSEE, SAT, and ACT. In addition, they offer career nights to expose the youth to careers and to motivate them with inspiring stories.
Project Roadmap invites the community of Morgan Hill to be engaged in the education of the youth and to invest in the future. Please join us at our third No Excuses conference on Oct. 5, at El Toro Elementary School. (For more information contact Jennifer Gonzalez by emailing her [email protected])
Jennifer Gonzalez is a 2013 graduate of Sobrato High School and is now attending Santa Clara University where she is majoring in political science and communication. She is the 2013 Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Student of the Year. She has been involved with Project Roadmap since its beginning.
