Shambhu Sharan
Issue date: 10/30/07
The Keys to Success combined with the Community Service Day attracted about 1000 people, including 200 volunteers from the community and area colleges, including Eastfield students.
The attendees, who were mostly pre-college students and their parents, participated in the seminars and college fair offered at the Performance Hall on Oct. 27.
The Keys to Success, also known by its Spanish term, Las Llaves del Exito, is a Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) event that encourages high school students to attend college. Donnine Balance, director of Student Programs and Resources, and Maria Arocha of the Enrollment Management Department, organized the event.
As part of the program, ten seminars dealt with topics ranging from financial aid and scholarship opportunities to educating parents.
Ro Castillo, Director of Upward Bound, provided information and statistics in a seminar regarding the importance of an education and the benefits students will gain after completing it.
“College graduates earn more money than those who have only a high school degree,” Castillo said. “If you want to earn more, learn more”.
In another seminar, Raul Magdaleno Director of Diversity in Community Outreach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) spoke to the audience about his personal experience. He attended Mountain View College and graduated with 3.9 points average of GPA in May 2006. Growing up poor and living homeless, he finally graduated from SMU last year.
“I knew my greatest weapon that I had to fight poverty was education,” Magdaleno said. “I got to do something in my life. I needed to stop making excuses to myself and stop blaming the world for me not succeeding.”
At the age of 13, Magdaleno earned a U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award for volunteer service to the community, after 29,000 hours of community service
“I am not going to let where I live determine who I am,” Magdaleno said and asked the crowd to repeat this solemn pledge along with him.
Magdaleno’s words proved to be inspiration for at least one attendee, as they helped him change and define his goals.
“Before, I did not want to go to college,” middle school student Qualon Sweat said. “Since this experience, I want to go to college to improve my life.”
Colleges and universities from Dallas, Houston, and Austin were present along with the DCCCD and the Dallas independent School District. The Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and other non-profit agencies also participated and presented the keys to success to students and parents.
“I came here and got information what colleges I would like to attend,” Kimball High School student Mariela Cervantes said. Her mother learned how to apply for financial aids and scholarships for her daughter.
Some proprietary schools were also present to provide information about their programs. One of the 25 vendors, Ayesha Hawkins, Coordinator community outreach Devry University, said twenty students filled out the application form and 150 students received the brochures.
But the event served a dual purpose in that it also taught the benefits of community service.
“Community Service is an eye-opening opportunity,”Omar Martinez of the University of Texas at Dallas said. “You can become humble and kind to other people after doing volunteer service.”
Another volunteer and Eastfield student, Godofredo Ortiz, said, “It helps people who would otherwise not know the opportunity to go to schools.”
The Service Learning Program is offered to help students learn practical skills while studying in colleges, and can also help students in different ways to achieve success.
“Participation in service opportunities allows students to connect their classroom learning to the experiences of living in our world,” Courtney Carter, the service learning program co-coordinator, said.
Carter said most students who have participated in the Service Learning Program have said that they have learned more about themselves and others. They also learn about possible career options, communication skills and other important lessons that can be transferred into a variety of areas within their lives.
The Service Learning Program has worked with more than 100 different agencies. Currently, 120 students are enrolled in the program.
“Students should become knowledgeable, skilled, contributing members of our society,” Carter said.
Useful college statistics:
College Degree Wages/year (USD) Wages/hour (USD)
High School drop out 21,359 10.77
High School graduate 23,231 14.81
Associate Degree 31,684 17.82
Bachelor’s degree 45,648 26.85
Master’s degree 61,541 30.76
Doctorate degree 91,725 45.87
Professional degree 115,950 57.98
http://media.www.eastfieldnews.com/media/storage/paper1070/news/2007/10/30/OnCampus/Community.Service.Day-3066446-page2.shtml