An early college experience

Amy R. Spurgeon

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE -- As far as Wilson Elementary School fifth-graders

are concerned, their occupational goals are limitless.

Doctors, artists, engineers. You name it. They want to be it.

And OCC’s student leadership brainchild, the “Passport to College”

program, is designed to help them reach those goals.

Last year’s experimental weeklong project of introducing elementary

students to college has blossomed into a structured annual event. The

program is based on the idea that children start showing an interest in

college and career by the fifth grade.

This year’s event introduced 90 elementary school students to the campus.

Thursday, they mingled with faculty, clicked on computers and observed

aquarium life in a 1,200-gallon saltwater tank in the Lewis Center for

Applied Sciences.

“I am already saving money for college,” said 10-year-old Teodora

Barajas, of Costa Mesa. “I have about $200.”

OCC students involved with this year’s program visited Wilson Elementary

School earlier this week to brainstorm with the fifth-graders about

hobbies and interests. The college students suggested translating those

interests into a college experience.

The reciprocal visit Thursday by Wilson Elementary students capped the

program.

“The overall purpose of our program is to tell fifth-graders that they

are talented and that there is a place for each of them in college,” said

Greg Clark, advisor to OCC’s Leadership Program.

Clark said success with Wilson Elementary has prompted his team to

consider branching out to other schools. He would like the program to

ultimately incorporate parental involvement.

For the majority of the fifth-graders, the visit to OCC marked their

first time on a college campus.

Wilson fifth-grade teacher Heidi Gralow said many of her students’

parents assume college is too expensive.

“When OCC does this outreach, the parents see that there is an affordable

local college that offers a wide array of classes,” Gralow said. “This

helps parents and teachers get excited.”

The children, however, were already very excited about the prospect of a

college education.

“My mom and dad didn’t go to college,” said 11-year-old Marco Torres, of

Costa Mesa. “I will be the first one.”

Torres’ classmate, 11-year-old Diego Martil, is already mapping courses

for his first year.

“I like computers and I would like to study them,” Diego said. “It’s good

to learn more things at college. That way you can have a better life.”