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Career Academies Update
January 2010 |
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Currently, LAEP directs and coordinates 12
academies at eight high-need schools, serving more than 3,500 students.
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We would like to celebrate the new year with you by sharing the story of four Career Academy alumni. As they look back on their experiences, we look forward to impacting more high school students in our program.
Sincerely,
Mark Karaptian & Marilyn Alvarez
Program Director Program Manager | |
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Alma Guerrero - Academy of Finance ('09)
Manual Arts HS
Freshman at Lewis & Clark
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 When I started my first semester at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, I needed a job to provide for my survival as an independent person 1,000 miles away from my family. I was granted work-study, and was called for a job interview. Career Academies had me ready from the start. When I interviewed for the position, I dressed professionally, had five copies of my full resume, and had the best interview I have had so far. The next day, I was hired as the student assistant for the Office of Multicultural Affairs. I was so excited when I got the call because a number of students applied and I made the biggest impression. I was asked if a senior on campus helped me with my resume. Of course they didn't! I explained what the Academy of Finance was all about and how Career Academies prepared me. They were really impressed.
I am planning on double
majoring in Economics and Theater, go abroad to Spain, and later attend graduate school
at USC for their business and film programs. I still have a long way to go but I am excited and ready to take
on challenges coming my way.
Sometimes I wish I could go back and participate in the Academy of Finance all over
again because it was so rewarding and really shaped my perspectives
about life, the workforce, and college. Thank you for being a great support for me in high school and now in college. I am so proud of myself and of this program because it has gotten me so far. |
Jesus Quiroz - Academy of Finance ('09)
Downtown Magnets HS
Freshman at UC Berkeley
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I grew up in a low-income Los Angeles neighborhood where I watched my childhood friends drop out of school and get involved in drugs and violence. In fact, the bullets of a random shooting hit me in my thigh last summer but that didn't stop me from starting my freshman year at college, and I'm now fully recovered.
I think I was able to choose a different path from many of my neighborhood friends because of my parents and because of the opportunities in the Academy of Finance. My internship between 11th and 12th grade with the Southern California Law Libraries opened my eyes to pro bono work of law firms. I plan to pursue business or law, but whatever I do, I want to help people who are less fortunate.
Career Academies helped me get in touch with academically bound students who cared about their future and their studies, and it also provided me resources like the USC course and the internship. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA and completed five AP courses. Today, I attend UC Berkeley with the assistance of their undergraduate scholarship and some federal scholarships.
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Rubi Torres - Academy of Business and Tourism ('09)
Miguel Contreras Learning Complex
Freshman at UC Riverside
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 During my high school graduation, I recall a feeling of triumph, while crossing the stage in an all-black gown, receiving high honors for my dedication, diligence, and ambitious attitude towards my studies. Here I am seven months later, attending the University of California Riverside, majoring in English in hopes of pursuing a career as a Writer/Journalist.
My high school, Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, along with the Academy of Business and Tourism granted me the opportunity to test my skills beyond the ordinary, challenge myself in several AP courses and grow with a small learning community. With the help from passionate teachers and the Academy's partnership with LAEP, I was equipped with a greater understanding of the business world and provided the opportunity to intern at the University of Southern California's Law Library.
While working for the department of Collections and Technical Services, I was able to meet wonderful and zealous people who taught me the meaning of hard work and consistence. It was not until recently, that I was able to put my skills into practice once again. I was chosen, among sixty-five applicants to take on the one position, as a reference librarian at UC Riverside's Rivera Library. Because the competition for the job was tight, I took more pride in the accomplishment. Clearly, the internship provided through LAEP's and USC's efforts was the main reason I was considered adequate for the position.
Career Academies helped create an individual out of me, one who possesses the confidence, integrity, and desire to succeed in her world of hopes and dreams. |
Marco Rodriguez - Academy of Finance ('09)
Manual Arts HS
Freshman at Spartan College
of Aeronautics and Technology
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 As I write this, the holidays are coming and I'm headed home for Christmas and New Year's. I haven't had a good home cooked meal in so long. And I didn't expect that Oklahoma would get this cold or hot when I drove here in July!
Tulsa, Oklahoma is a long way from my home in Los Angeles. But I'm excited about this program that will certify me as an Aviation Maintenance Technician. I hope to get my A&P license and with that I'll be able to get hired by any big airline company as an aircraft mechanic. I still have a long way to go until I get to that point but then I plan to enroll in the professional pilot program where then I will be able to obtain my pilot's license and go on to get my commercial pilot's license. These steps will lead me to a high paying career. Career Academies has been an important part of this career "flight path". | |
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