Los Angeles, CA —High school juniors from Metropolitan Los Angeles gathered at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for the Higher Education Program (HEP) this past Saturday, March 28th, 2009.

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HEP is a year long program designed to aid high school juniors obtain admission into a university or college of their choice through a series of workshops that encourage development of writing and test taking skills, while preparing students for the college application process. To date, HEP is largely made up of Latino students who are the first in their families to attempt to gain admission to a university or college.

Students gathered on Saturday morning at the steps of Ackerman Union, the student center at UCLA, to begin their first college campus tour. As they walked through Moore Hall, Powell Library, and the famed Royce Hall, students listened eagerly to stories of UCLA’s rivalry with USC, the 23 imperfections built into Royce Hall and the long walks from campus dormitories to classes.

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After a brief lunch, students attended a “How to Get into a UC” workshop taught by Connecting Communities Director Shaun-Teka Joiner, a former Morningside High School student, whose workshop mainly focused on how minorities can gain an advantage in the admissions process by showcasing their strengths in spite of their weaknesses.

Following the workshop, Ms. Joiner moderated a student panel consisting of 4 current UCLA students: Cesia K. Minemann, UCLA School of Law ’09, Ana Rodriguez, UCLA ’09, Elizabeth Minemann, UCLA ’09, and Devon Rios, UCLA School of Law ’09. Students asked panelists questions such as: how they chose their majors, why they chose to attend UCLA and how to choose a minor.

To end the day, HEP students were given the task of creating a banner for HEP and APS using banner paper and poster paints. There was a lot of commotion and jeers as students competed to make the best banner on the law school courtyard. The day ended happily with a group photograph on the steps of Royce Hall.