I am Yessica Barrientos and one of the first seven
recipients of the 1996 UCLA/Hughes Scholarship at
Lennox Middle School. I am now twenty-one years old
and am still on my way to becoming an attorney
for the state of California.
It has now been almost ten years since I received
my scholarship through Lennox Middle School
and Dr. Glenn Langer in1996. In that time
I have been fortunate to graduate in 2002 from a great
high school: St. Bernard in Playa del Rey, CA. I am
currently attending Cal State Dominguez Hills pursuing
a degree in Criminal Justice that will hopefully lead
me into law school in the next year or so. I am a
Junior in college and am facing what all college
students face, is this is major with which I want to
graduate?
So far I think so I have always had a passion
for debate and law and I could see myself succeeding
in this field one day. Nonetheless I am open to the
possibilities that maybe somewhere down the line a new
passion for a different career might arise and never
being a shy person I would try to pursue it to the
best of my ability. In the meanwhile I pride myself
on being an independent woman who came from very
little to achieve a whole lot in a small amount of
time.
Thank you to all those who believed in me when I
was younger, I will try not to let you down
Reflections
from the Executive Director,
Meg Sanchez
I feel very privileged to have been part of the
Partnership Scholars’ Program since its inception in Lennox in
1996. We started with just one site and seven students and currently
there are over 300 students at more than twenty five sites.
The mentoring that children receive throughout the six years impacts their lives
in many powerful ways. When scholars’ experiences include visits to the
L.A. County Museum of Art, The Museum of Tolerance, the Pantages Theatre, the
Mark Taper Forum, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, San Diego, Santa Barbara, (and in some
cases Boston, NYC and Washington D.C.) their world literally opens up. New environments,
when experienced with a mentor, are no longer frightening or “off limits”,
and these experiences gradually result in confidence and independence.
Partnership scholars come to fully realize that there is no limit to what they
can do with their lives when education is a focus. Glory is so often given to
the athlete; here we give a strong message that being a scholar merits glory
and much more.
One of the most compelling results of the program is that our students become
increasingly more curious and see themselves as capable of satisfying that curiosity.
It becomes apparent that the college experience is essential and that it is clearly
within their reach.
