By Christina Rodriguez
The Transfer Center hosted “Transfer Student Success Conference and University Fair” on Saturday to prepare students for a higher education path.
Each program had speakers to help guide all Elans in attendance in the direction of a higher education program suited for their personal needs, goals and wants.
The First to Transfer Workshop was presented by Chely Gonzalez. In her presentation, she discussed her theory of “The Hidden Curriculum,” which first generation students in the United States struggle with in college.
First generation students may have family members who don’t know about college, transfer requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum.
“First generation students must adapt to and learn the three capital skills in, ‘The Hidden Curriculum’: Social Capital, Cultural Capital and College Skills,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said students should find an organization to network, make friends and build relationships with that will encourage their college and transfer experience.
“It is important to make friends,” she said, “as hard as that may be.”
Gonzalez also finds importance in being positive and resilient. She says to not be a deficit thinker nor allow deficit comments to discourage transfer goals.
She presented a quote from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said in 2011. “…because some families come from different cultures where education is not prioritized, this country can suffer the consequences.”
Students were greeted with complimentary breakfast and welcomed by keynote speaker, Pedro Navarro.
He encouraged students to persevere, stay focused and network in community college.
This is college and students should begin to enjoy the college experience now. Students attended different workshops during two sessions in different classrooms.
Also part of the transfer fair, a concurrent university fair was held in the cafeteria throughout the sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
As ELAC students entered the event they were given a survey to fill out and to help guide them in the direction of a school they are interested in.
Session A held ten different open workshops that took place at the same time of each other to Elans in the E3 building.
The workshops consisted of: Next Steps for UC Transfer, CSU Transfer Preparation, Apply To A Private University, UCLA Center for Community College program info, UC Berkeley TAP, Students with Dependents Transfer Experience, Get Free Money for College, Undocu-Centers and Resources, First to Transfer, and Majors & Career: Planning for Success.
The second session B offered eight workshops, where the workshops happened within the same time as each other. The workshops offered were: TAG To A UC, Next Steps for Fall 2017 CSU Applicants, Transfer 101 for STEM, Pathway to become a Teacher, Transfer Pipeline for Nursing Students, Undocumented Transfer Students Experience, LGBTQ Transfer Experience, and ELAC Transfer Programs. Both Navarro and Gonzalez were transfer students from ELAC to UCLA, who can relate to current students in the ELAC community.
They have overcome the struggle and want to keep motivating students to transfer and to make transfer dreams into reality