Noli Indian School at the Soboba Indian Reservation has a strong AVID program that helps students learn about and prepare for their futures. Co-coordinators Andrea Duran and Sabrina Smith hosted an AVID Family Night on Sept. 24 for parents to hear more about the importance of college and career readiness. Games, dinner, and an opportunity raffle made it a fun evening for all.
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a comprehensive program for grades 6–12 that bridges the gap between students’ aspirations and their readiness for college and careers. Its mission is to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society.
At Noli’s recent event, four of the current 29 AVID students shared the impact that this program has had on their future goals. Sophomore Victoria Boiso was joined by three seniors who were chosen to attend College Horizons’ Summer Workshops for High School Students this past summer—Eric Hampton, Jeffrey Arres, and Nevaeh Ochoa.
College Horizons is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and facilitate the education of Native American young people. Each summer, it hosts 200-300 college-bound Native high school students from around the country to attend a five-day pre-college program that aligns perfectly with the goals of AVID.
Workshops are held at different university host sites. The Noli seniors were joined by Duran, who also teaches Spanish, to visit the UC, Berkeley campus in June. They learned about a variety of colleges and universities by connecting with College Horizons’ partner colleges.
Eric, who is also in the GATE program and was recently honored as a Hemet-San Jacinto Student of the Month, said his favorite part of the summer event was getting to know people from across the country.
“It was an absolute delight to walk through the city and get to experience the campus in person, giving a better insight on college life,” he said. “I gained a better understanding on how college operates, mostly with how busy I am going to be. It also gave me an idea on how college life should be.” Eric wants to be a writer or work in the entertainment industry as a career and said attending College Horizons helped him understand the process.
After meeting with the counselors and advisors, he is confident navigating his senior year as it is now easier for him to understand what he should and shouldn’t do. He is excited to apply for college and further his education. “I never took into consideration the various opportunities and programs I am given as a Native American, so going to College Horizons and being shown what I can have really opened my eyes,” Eric said. “I really don’t think I would be as ambitious as I am right now if I had not attended.”
Jeffrey is also in the GATE program as well as a member of the basketball team. His favorite part of the College Horizons program was interacting with other people, especially the group he was assigned to. “It gave me a glimpse of the possible relationships I can make,” he said. “It was pretty much a big family with the advisors. For someone like me, I highly value being social and it was an amazing fit for me.”
The program allowed him to explore college/career goals. His first choice for colleges would be within the University of California or California State University systems. He is hoping to major in business administration, environmental management, or environmental/political science. He learned what he needs to know to complete the different applications, especially the one for FAFSA, adding, “They definitely showed me what I should be expecting throughout the year.”
Jeffrey said his first trip to Northern California was “nothing short of great.” He said the weather was amazing. “The scenery was perfect as the coast was right there as well as the Berkeley trees surrounding us,” he said. “Then being in a college town was fun; all sorts of things to do, great places to eat, going to the beach. It pretty much was a vacation, outside of the work part.”
Nevaeh is serving as ASB president this year and is a member of the volleyball team and Beading Club. She enjoyed her College Horizons experience because it pushed her out of her comfort zone and allowed her to try something new. “I learned so much about what colleges are looking for when it comes to picking students for their schools,” she said. “Aside from what I learned about college, I believe the program helped me learn a lot about myself.”
She said the program was helpful in providing her with the opportunity to explore different career paths and has decided on psychology and Native American Studies. Nevaeh said the experience was a huge help in getting over being nervous about completing the college application process.
“I had never been to Northern California before; it was even my first time on a plane, and it was so great. I loved the weather out there and I would definitely love to go back,” she said. “I believe that this program is such a good motivation and helping hand for my senior year and something I definitely recommend to my underclassmen.”
Sabrina Smith, who also teaches science at Noli, said the AVID Family Night went well for being the first one and despite an unexpected thunderstorm that hampered some of the planned activities. She said the current AVID students who participated in a question-and-answer panel also shared what they love about AVID, how they feel it has prepared them for college, and the opportunities that AVID has provided them with.
“We gave families information about upcoming AVID college trips and things that are happening in the classroom, such as tutorials, college research, and focused notetaking,” Smith said. “We also explained to families the higher expectations we have for AVID students regarding their GPA and the expectation to take more challenging classes.”
For more information, https://collegehorizons.org/about and www.avid.org.
