NICOLE MILLER/ Daily Bruin Genein
Jefferson, a fourth-year psychology student, gives a tour
promoting college to students from Hollydale Middle School.
By Lily Jamali
Daily Bruin Contributor
For many students at UCLA, the idea of college was nothing new
by the time high school came around.
By planting the idea of higher education in a child at an early
age, they will be more likely to pursue college, according to the
philosophy behind UCLA’s Student Recruiters program.
But college remains a mystery to many young students in
elementary and junior high school who may not be expected to pursue
higher education.
The Student Recruiters program has made its goal to dispel this
mystery.
“I think it’s really important just to get kids
starting to think about it early so that come high school
they’re prepared,” said Matthew Cardona, student
coordinator of Student Recruiters, a mostly student-run
organization.
“No one really expected me to go to college,” added
Cardona, now a fifth-year chemical engineering student. “I
would have appreciated it if someone had told me that “˜This
is college ““ this is what its like’ at an early
age.”
With more than 50 student volunteers, the program exposed about
8,000 children from first through eighth grade to the college
experience in the last year.
Unlike Campus Tours, which gives tours to prospective high
school students to draw students specifically to UCLA, Student
Recruiters places more of an emphasis on pursuing a college
education in general.
“When we do programs, it’s more about higher
education and college life than about coming to UCLA,” said
Puya Partow, a fourth-year computer science student and assistant
student coordinator for Student Recruiters.
“Student Recruiters is a program designed to outreach to
junior high and elementary school students to just let them know
that they can get to higher education and that financial aid is
there and available for them,” Cardona said.
Student Recruiters is one of many campus groups at UCLA that
reach out to children in the surrounding community through
visiting, tutoring, and talking with those who lack many of the
resources available to other young students.
The Student Recruiters program has achieved this goal primarily
through giving tours of the UCLA campus ““ complete with the
myths every incoming undergraduate student learns at
orientation.
A question and answer session between the visiting children and
a panel of volunteers in the program often follows the tour.
“By having the panel, the kids can ask students questions
that they are unsure of and that they want to know more
about,” said Jennifer Yudell, counselor at Hollydale School,
who organized a visit for eighth graders from her school.
Student Recruiters also reach out to students through college
fairs at junior high schools and with their participation in
on-campus events like Scholar’s Day, the Transfer Conference
and Bruin Day.
Started in 1987, Student Recruiters began as a way to reach out
to kids in the Los Angeles community.
“Initially, the reason the program was started was to
reach underprivileged kids ““ kids who don’t usually go
to college,” Partow said.
But political issues have changed the program’s ability to
target particular groups.
“After Proposition 209, we can’t specifically target
any minority groups,” said Ellen Gruber, an administrative
adviser to Student Recruiters. “Now, they just want to reach
a wide audience.”
Proposition 209 was the California voter initiative that ended
the use of affirmative action throughout the state.
Now in its 14th year, the program has grown to the point where
they now give tours to children from San Diego and as far north as
Fresno. But maintaining the program isn’t always easy.
“Even though its painful and stressful keeping the program
together, it’s all about the kids,” Cardona said.
“You got to give it that.”
For more information on Student Recruiters, call (310)-206-7776
or e-mail [email protected].