For Jasmine Jiménez, an eighth grader from Salem, her first trip to the University was a learning experience. But she wasn’t the only one in her family who took something from the day.
Jiménez and her father Manuel attended the 21st annual Reach For Success program, an event organized by the University’s Office of Multicultural Academic Support, or OMAS. The program is designed to motivate young students of color for college and teach parents how to get them there.
Saturday’s event drew 300 middle school students and 91 of their parents, teachers and counselors (the majority of whom were parents) to campus.
Brenda Tuomi, the program coordinator, said that the program invites 300 self-identified middle school aged students of color for a day of workshops and motivational speeches, all designed to get them excited about attending college and help their parents understand their role in helping their children get to a university.
The students, who came from middle schools all over the state, attended three workshops throughout the day. There were 24 workshops overall, given by 24 to 30 faculty members, community members, graduate students and alumni who volunteer time, said Tuomi.
“The students took a lot from all the workshops,” said freshman volunteer Tiffany Loanzon.
Marcel Brooks, a counselor at Conestoga Middle School in Beaverton, has been bringing students to the event for the past four years.
“Every year they come back excited about college. They talk about it the whole bus ride home. A lot of them have never been to a university before so for them it is huge, big and grand,” said Brooks.
Jasmine Jiménez, a student from Houck Middle School in Salem, was visibly excited leaving the University at the end of the day.
“I think (the workshops) were tight. They was cool,” Jiménez said. She said she is very eager to come to the University to study pre-med.
“I want to do pediatrics. I like being with kids and with their families,” Jiménez said.
Jeffrey Boyce, a University alumnus, flew from San Bruno, California to teach an art workshop. He has been involved with OMAS since he was a freshman at the University.
“It’s such a great organization; I love to be able to give back to them… OMAS has given so much to me,” Boyce said. “They have such a great staff who helped me throughout college.”
Peter O’Day, a University professor of neuroscience, taught a new workshop in neuroscience. He took the students through several hands-on experiments that demonstrated how the human eye works. Many of the experiments met with gasps and “wows” from the students.
Michael Copperman, an instructor from the English department, taught a workshop in creative writing by having the student write fictional stories based solely on information they got off a handwritten grocery list that he provided them.
“I’m really glad they have this for the kids so they can directly see what it’s all about,” said Nancy Lentz, who accompanied her eighth grade daughter to the event.
While the students attended the educational workshops, their parents and counselors listened to several presentations given by University students, faculty and staff to help them better understand how to prepare their students both academically and financially for college.
The parent workshop began with presentations given by University students who shared their college-bound experiences. Afterward, several presenters from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, the Office of Admissions, the Office of Student Life and the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity discussed the academic and financial aspects of attending college.
“I hope the message that you take away from this is that we are here for you,” Charles Martinez, vice provost of the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, told the parents.
“If education is the goal, finances should not get in the way. Period. And if (the students) need help, an advocate inside of the system like this, they can call me directly,” said Martinez.
The parents who attended the event were very serious and impassioned this year, said Martinez. They were both trying to understand how to get their children to college and discussing the obstacles and difficulties.
“I just kept thinking about my own experience growing up. My father never dreamed of being able to attend an institution like this,” said Martinez.
Manuel Jiménez, Jasmine Jiménez’s father, attended the parents’ program. He was inspired by the presentations to begin getting prepared to help his three children.
“I don’t know how to help my children,” Manuel Jiménez said. “Now I know I need to start saving money for them, and they gave us handouts telling us different things we can do.”
Tuomi said this year, 80 University students volunteered their Saturdays to help with the program.
Loanzon said the volunteers’ job was to give the middle school students a direct insight into university life by answering questions and showing them around.
“It’s important to help kids who have so much ahead of them… I’m definitely going to be doing this next year and the year after and the year after,” Loanzon said.
The event concluded with a presentation by Lyllye Parker, the OMAS advising coordinator.
“I want you to know, it has been a pleasure having you on campus today. I hope that in four to five years, we’ll welcome you back again as freshman students, as Oregon Ducks.”
This year OMAS turned away around 100 middle school students from the event because of lack of space.
“More people are coming than can get in,” Tuomi said, “and the number of people coming is constantly increasing.”
OMAS invites students from middle schools all over the state. Each school can bring up to 20 self-identified students of color.
[email protected]