This is the first year that the College Avenue Compact program is expanding to accommodate Hoover High School grads who are now in community college. It gives them the option to transfer into San Diego State University with guaranteed admission 2 to 3 years postgrad.
“My hope is that one day you have this platform to speak, that you have a microphone, that you are a chancellor, that you come back and also continue to support and give to the community that that helped raise you," San Diego Unified School District Deputy Superintendent Fabiola Bagula said.
Osciris Chino, a Hoover High grad, is on her way to SDSU in the fall. She has plans to major in biology so that she can become a veterinarian.
“I've always liked animals,” Chino said. “One time, like during quarantine, I had, like, five pets, including birds and fish and hamster and a dog."
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
College Avenue Compact works with Hoover High specifically because it’s right down the street. The program wants to help local students.
“My family feels really proud since they're also immigrants, and I'm the first generation,” Chino said.
To join the program, students need to keep a 3.0 GPA and take some college-prep courses.
Local
“The demographics of Hoover High School tend to, I think, lead more students from lower socioeconomic status families to be taking advantage of this initiative,” Stefan Hyman, SDSU associate vice president for enrollment management, said. “But it's not explicit, in terms of this is only open for students from who meet certain income criteria to open to all Hoover High School graduates.”
This year, there are about 60 grads in the program — one of the largest classes yet.
Next year, the university is aiming even higher.
“Muchas gracias,” Bagula said. “I’m very proud of you. Godspeed. Thank you.”
Hoover High students hoping to get into the program will see program directors around campus this fall for recruitment.
