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When she was five years old, Julie (Juliana) Villanueva first stepped into a KidWorks’ classroom as a preschool student. Now a freshman business major at Orange Coast College, Julie overflows… Continue Reading
The numbers are impressive for KidWorks’ class of 2024 high school graduates:
But numbers don’t tell the whole story, of course. The pursuit of academic excellence and meaningful careers is a seed we plant from the first day a student walks through our doors and continues for as long as they are with us.
Each of the high school grads participated in our College & Career Programs which prepares first-generation college students for higher education. Over the past year, students participated in 87 hours of college and career counseling.
Our students also attend monthly career seminars that focus on a different industry or profession each month. Many say they have chosen career paths they were not aware of beforehand.
Each high school senior is also paired with a volunteer mentor who provide guidance, encouragement and insight into the work world.We’d like to introduce you to our class of 2024 high school graduates. Please join us as we cheer them on as they continue with their education and plan for a bright future.
Estrella Moreno shared, “I’ve had so many staff and mentors support me during my time at KidWorks. I’m excited to see what the future holds and to make everyone proud!”
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
Starting KidWorks Campus Crash off with a bang, KidWorks high school students and parents met at UC Irvine on April 1st to tour their campus, connect with current college students and consider future career paths.
After being dropped off at the UCI flagpoles, students learned fun facts about the different dorms, subjects to study and food options available to students. The tour guides showed off a couple of UCI’s prestigious schools, like their schools of engineering and business. Students also got a chance to check out university merch at the campus store and take a Starbucks run before heading back to their next stop. From there, students were transported to a lunch and tour at Irvine Valley College to explore more options for future education.
Students heard from speakers about the many programs and services IVC offers for student success and learned about the IVC Basic Needs Program. The group also got the opportunity to tour some of the campus buildings such as the Computer Science building, and the career and transfer center. One student shared, “I really enjoyed learning about the campus, especially hearing about the soccer team and other sports.”
Overall, the first day of Campus Crash was a success! The tours were a great way to provide a vision for college, ignite an excitement for learning and show that learning is a lifelong pursuit.
Celebrate KidWorks Class of 2024 at our annual Night of the Stars. We will provide more details as the event draws closer.
For more information, contact:
analisa.camacho@kidworksoc.org
The path to college is ever-changing and can be challenging to navigate. Many KidWorks parents are helping their children prepare for college but may not have attended college themselves.
Thanks to our partnership with KidWorks board member Erika Sanchez and the support of Concordia University, we were able to send a group of KidWorks parents and students to attend their seventh annual Hispanic Leadership Conference, a forum focused on preparing 1st generation Latino students for higher education.
Concordia describes the no-cost event as “inspiring community college and high school students to pursue academic goals for a bright future. The purpose of this event is to help attendees navigate the path to college. The conference offers a toolkit of educational resources about college majors, financial aid, as well as inspiring first-generation speakers, industry professionals and a keynote.”
The conference included breakout sessions and an information fair. The university also provided, free transportation to and from the event for our parents and students.
Overall, 245 students and 30 parents attended from throughout Southern California. The conference was open to all high school and community college students, along with parents.
The event aligns perfect with our own College & Career Success Initiative™ (C&CSI). The initiative prepares first generation college students for higher education beyond high school.
KidWorks thanks the staff and leadership at Concordia for producing such an impactful conference. We also express our gratitude to Erika Sanchez, Project Director of Hispanic Serving Institutions at the university. She is a KidWorks alumnus and former team member.
One of the event panelists was David Benavides, KidWorks’ Chief Executive Officer. He spoke about his own journey and the important role education played in his life and career.
The event also featured a discussion that included four KidWorks parents as panelists. They shared their experiences as parents of college students/graduates. Attendees said their comments provided meaningful insight, encouragement and guidance.
Both our parents and students expressed how valuable they found the event to be.
Gloria Servin, parent: “It was helpful having a conference geared towards preparing 1st generation Latino students for college. The workshops left us thinking about our children’s future and well-being. Yasmin is my oldest daughter and I want her to attend college someday. These types of opportunities have really helped me believe that college is part of my children’s future. I thank everybody who made this conference possible.”
Liliana Flores: parent: “I’m very glad I had the opportunity to attend the conference because I learned about ways I can support my children as they get ready to go off to college or a university. These types of talks and opportunities make going to college more attainable and reachable for our children. Thank you very much for these types of events and opportunities.”
KidWorks 10th grader Santiago gave the event high marks: “Attending the Concordia conference helped me see that Latinos can change the world.”
We are confident that many successful higher education careers will be launched thanks to Concordia University’s Hispanic Leadership Conference. KidWorks congratulate them on such a successful and meaningful event.
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
Jesse Torres may be one of KidWorks busiest high school seniors. In addition to honors classes, he plays varsity lacrosse, serves on his school’s color guard, and is active in KidWorks leadership.
“Jesse maintains the most positive attitude despite being extremely busy and at times exhausted. He’s always fully engaged.” says Clarisa Vargas, our College & Career Readiness Coordinator.
KidWorks has always been a part of Jesse’s world. In addition to music programs, Jesse has been involved in after-school programs and youth leadership teams where he has volunteered in the classroom, attended summer camp and advocated for the building of skate parks in Santa Ana.
“Many of my KidWorks’ experiences—such as playing the flute in front of a crowd during a concert and presenting to elected officials—helped me gain confidence in public speaking and being a leader,” Jesse says.
“I’ve seen Jesse grow into a very caring and confident young man; he is a natural-born leader,” says Maria Ruvalcaba, our Youth Leadership Development Coordinator.
She adds, “His faith and self-confidence have grown over the years. He’s always looking out for others and is not afraid to speak and voice his concerns. He embodies a humble leadership style that is very admirable for someone his age.”
Now that college is on the horizon, Maria, Clarisa, and other KidWorks staff have worked alongside Jesse to help him complete college applications, apply for scholarships, and prepare for college life.
Jesse plans to major in computer science and has already received several acceptances including Cal Poly and Vanguard University.
He credits KidWorks with giving him the confidence—and the motivation—to pursue higher education.
“In my elementary and middle school years, I thought college was out of reach because it would be too expensive and also that I didn’t have what it takes,” Jesse says.
All that changed when Jesse attended Campus Crash, visiting UCLA, USC, UC Irvine and others.
“KidWorks opened my eyes that if I tried hard enough, I’d have what it takes to attend college,” Jesse says.
“Math was one subject that was not my strong suit during my elementary school years,” Jesse recalls.
KidWorks’ tutors helped him gain confidence and proficiency in math, so much so that he’s been enrolled in honors math classes in the areas of algebra and pre-calculus since his sophomore year in high school.
Another big influence is Lance Lew, 26, an incoming medical student and future doctor, who is part of KidWorks’ mentor program. Like other KidWorks’ mentors, Lance meets with Jesse at least once a month. But they connect whenever Jesse needs advice.
“The world needs more people like Jesse, who are positive, passionate and kind to the core,” Lance says. “When I sit down with Jesse, I’m immediately in a brighter mood. His strong sense of self and ability to enliven others is inspiring.”
When you support students like Jesse you are making a significant impact on future generations who will be tomorrow’s respected leaders.
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
Since 2016, this FREE event has been inspiring community college and high school students to pursue academic goals for a bright future. The purpose of this event is to help attendees navigate the path to college. Students will discover that college is not a dream, it’s a plan. The conference offers a toolkit of educational resources about college majors, financial aid, as well as inspiring first-generation speakers, industry professionals, and a keynote. Parents can also join their own breakout session—in Spanish/en español—that offers valuable resources on what to expect as their child begins their college journey. The conference ends with a free lunch and a college Information Fair.
KidWorks will provide transportation to the conference.
Questions:
E-Mail sonia.rios@kidworksoc.org
Campus Crash is designed to expose students to a real-life college experience that instills in them the belief and motivation that college can be their reality. Many KidWorks youth are the first in their families to graduate high school and continue on to college. Learn more at kidworksoc.org
To learn more: e-mail brenda.trujillo@kidworksoc.org
To sponsor: email abigail.moore@kidworksoc.org
From an early age Melisa Castillo had a passion for learning and her sights set on college. She joined KidWorks in seventh grade along with her brothers.
“While I always did well academically, KidWorks played a big role in my social and emotional growth,” Melisa says. “They also taught me to be a leader and to have a servant’s heart.”
KidWorks also helped Melisa develop confidence and a sense of self. Those are skills she needed while attending Duke University, where she graduated in 2020 with a double major in classical civilizations and history.
Our KidWorks alumni is now on a path to becoming an attorney specializing in trademark and intellectual property law. She’s subsequently taken law classes at Santa Ana college and has applied to law schools, planning to start at one of them next Fall.
“Melisa is unstoppable,” says Noemi Juarez, our Director of K-12 Programs. “She’s a determined and spirited young lady. There are no limits to her success in life and career.”
Melisa recently shared the story of her KidWorks’ journey with attendees at our recent fourth annual Rose’ on the Bay event led by our KidWorks Women (KWW) auxiliary service group.
“KidWorks believed in me and that I would go far in life,” Melisa told the attendees. “They’ve been such a big part of my life. During those years, more of my waking hours were probably spent at KidWorks than anywhere else, except home and school.”
Always an excellent student, Melisa thanks her parents and KidWorks for giving her the solid foundation upon which to build not only academically, but also spiritually, creatively and as a leader.
“From a very young age, my parents, Maria and Abel, told both me and my brothers, ‘You’re going to college; it’s just a matter of where,’” Melisa recalls.
Melisa says KidWorks’ faith-based approach helped her develop the desire to serve others that Jesus teaches.
“At KidWorks, I was part of the youth service club during my middle and high school years that focused on making Santa Ana better and serving members of the community,” Melisa said.
What was then known at KidWorks as the Youth Empowerment Network, focused on issues such as safe bike lanes, a community garden, healthy nutritional choices in school cafeterias, bike safety advocacy, the KidWorks’ Christmas toy drive and more.
“While our youth program operated under KidWorks’ umbrella, they really made sure it was youth-led in order to develop our leadership skills,” Melisa says.
That meant she and her youth colleagues participated in such activities as speaking before the Santa Ana City Council, legislators in Sacramento and other key influencers.
The youth also helped organize, promote and fundraise for local street fairs where valuable information was shared with neighborhood residents.
“We connected existing services and resources to people who did not know where to find them,” Melisa says.
“When the opportunity to attend Duke became available, I doubted myself and wondered if I really belonged there,” Melisa recalls. “Maybe one in 30 students looked like me.”
But KidWorks walked alongside Melisa and helped dispel that self-doubt.
Years before, Melisa was also encouraged to attend Mater Dei high school by Xitlaly Sanchez, another successful KidWorks and Mater Dei graduate, who is now a middle school history teacher in Anaheim.
“I met Xitlaly when I was in middle school and we both attended KidWorks summer camp in Yosemite,” Melisa says. “Xitlaly was older than me and saw that I was very uncertain about applying to Mater Dei. ‘It’s not a mistake; you are supposed to attend that high school; God is sending you there,’ Xitlally told me. I was motivated and graduated in 2016.”
As she awaits acceptance to law school, Melisa works 35 hours a week at PTS Marketing, a full-service printing and marketing group located in Tustin, California. They are a longtime KidWorks partner, who also employ two other KidWorks grads and founder Pat Merrell sits on our board.
Melisa says she’s attracted to a career in law because to succeed in that profession, a person must use skills such as creativity, intelligence, problem-solving, persuasion and understanding nuance.
She is particularly focused on the risks Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses to creative people and others if left unchecked.
“The law is not just black and white; I like the fact that you use persuasion and logical arguments within the context of rules,” she says. “KidWorks helped me develop a wide range of skills that I can apply to my chosen profession.”
At PTS Marketing, Melisa is an administrative assistant to Elizabeth Carroll, the company’s Director of Operations, and also helps support the finance team.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, acrylic painting, jigsaw puzzles and video games.
As KidWorks celebrates our 30-year anniversary, we are inspired that our vision—“We unleash youth potential”—is being realized in such inspiring examples as Melisa Castillo.
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
KidWorks students can learn about a variety of career fields from industry professionals and the path to achieve their career goals
