Alumni Success Stories - University Transfer

CHOSE TO START AT WEST INSTEAD OF UC SANTA CRUZ

At Los Angeles High School, Ingrid Escober already knew she wanted a career helping developmentally disable children. Despite being accepted to UC Santa Cruz, she opted to enroll at West to complete the first two years of her Bachelor's degree. "West was a good mid-range step for me to prepare for college. In high school, I was a bit shy, but at West, all the professors were so approachable. I learned how to use the support systems that were already in place for me," she said. Escobar was active with the Puente program where she was assigned a mentor and the TRiO program which facilitated field trips to universities. From West, Ingrid transferred to UCLA with 7 West Foundation scholarships and with Summa Cum Laude honors.

TURNED WEST ON THE WAY TO A JOB INTERVIEW

When Christina graduated from high school, she went to work in retail. It was on her way to an interview for another "job" that she decided she wanted a great "career." She skipped the interview, enrolled at West and two years later, with a 3.75 GPA, transferred to USC. While at West, she worked with teachers outside of class and utilized the tutoring center. She involved herself with community service organizations on campus and was a frequent visitor to the Transfer Center. "Everything you need to take you to the next level is here for you," she said. "All you need is the drive and determination to do it." Christina is pursuing her BA in Sociology and aspires to earn a Ph.D.

COURTED BY CROSS-TOWN RIVALS

Accepted to both UCLA and USC, Brenda ultimately became a Trojan with substantial academic scholarship support from the university. But she didn't always have such a clear picture of her future. “After high school, I didn’t know what to do,” said Brenda. “Being at West made me feel like part of a community, with the teachers being able to give you a lot of time outside the classroom.”

Enrolling at USC as a Political Science major makes Brenda the first member of her family to go to college. Her mother, who is from Cameroon, beams with pride. "I never felt this could happen to me – I was so disinterested in school before I came to West," Brenda said. "Then all these opportunities opened up for me, and I turned my life around.”

REACHING ABOVE THE CEILING

After attending LA High, Iris worked for a radio station where she did well. But, Iris wanted a promotion. To do so, she needed a degree. West helped her realize she could reach even higher than she ever imagined. She transferred to UCLA with a goal of attaining a Ph.D.

“Being Latina, being young, not having a college degree – I was not getting paid what I was worth. So at age 21, I quit my job to go back to school full time at West.” At West, Iris quickly impressed her professors who referred her to Workforce and EOPS. Through those programs, she had an inspirational experience and applied to UCLA. “I was not thinking about a UC – just a Cal State and go back to my old job at a radio station and do that. Then, through Dr. Friedman, we went to a NASA conference, and it was eye-opening seeing so many people of color with Ph.D.s. That sparked my interest in a Ph.D. program," said Iris.

The eldest of 3 children, she is the first member of her family to go to college. She now brings her nieces to campus in hopes that she will inspire the same love of learning that she developed at West.

THE UNIVERSITY OF HIS DREAMS

Jonathan Johnson moved away from his hometown of Los Angeles at a young age and then later returned to attend his dream school college, USC. Although his grades were okay, he knew they were not good enough to get accepted into the highly competitive university. So Johnson enrolled at West while still in high school to spruce up his transcript. After completing general education courses at West, Johnson was accepted into USCBusinessSchool with scholarship support. About West he said, the experience and coursework helped him prepare for that of a university. “At West, no one would baby me or constantly watch. I had to do it myself. I had to be motivated.”

DISCOVERED HIS INNER SCHOLAR

After working dead-end, low wage jobs and floundering at Santa Monica College for several years, Michael Amezcua decided to start again at West. “I wanted to see if I could start fresh. Brand new.” He continued, “I guess you could say I flourished there.”

Amezcua attributed his marked improvement at West to its more intimate environment. “I felt like there was more attention given to me by faculty.” And, he recalled, “I decided my part-time job had to go.” This was possible because he was able to receive a “BOGG” (fee waiver) while at West along with a Pell Grant. From West, Amezcua transferred to UCLA and then he was accepted into Yale’s MA/PhD fellowship program. Today, Amezcua is a Professor of History and Urban Studies at NYU. His research and teaching interests include modern U.S. history and Latinx studies, along with urban, cultural, and political history. His work emphasizes race and immigration in the study of metropolitan landscapes, segregation, gentrification, and spatial contestation.

THE LONG ROAD TO VALEDICTORIAN

Kim Coffee returned to West after overcoming addiction, raising a son and being in the work place for more than a decade. At West, she had to start at pre-college math and English and often could take only one class at a time due to her job responsibilities. But her own determination and encouragement from faculty and staff moved her steadily forward. She graduated with honors then enrolled in an accelerated program at the University of Phoenix. The photo provided is of her giving her valedictorian speech before a full auditorium. From Phoenix, she entered a Masters Degree program to help her better service her clients and move up the ladder in her field of social work.

A SECOND CHANCE MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

After a year of college in Seattle, Nick dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to care for his ill mother. His Seattle experience left him with a bad taste for college. But, at his mother's insistence, he enrolled at West.

“I think going to West is such an advantage, kids really don’t appreciate it. It was horrible in Seattle. The teachers didn’t care. I had no guidance... At the university, you have students taking their GEs with 500 other people in the class. At the community college, its maybe 25 or 35," said Nick.

Nick was involved in a number of clubs including AGS and Social Justice. He enjoyed the opportunities to perform service through these clubs including helping Heal the Bay and reading for children. His mother was a social worker who used to take him along sometimes to work which helped instill in him the importance of community service. While at West, he also won a Sony Pictures summer internship. The first four weeks were spent working for an executive producer of reality shows in development. The second four weeks were spent in marketing, learning about advertising through various media.

Nick transferred to UCLA and aspires to write and direct independent and feature films.

NETWORK OPPORTUNITIES MOST VALUABLE

After graduating high school, Omari went to film school to become an artist and photographer, but soon decided that it wasn't a fit for him. He got a job, but then it dawned on him - "You can only make so much money because of your education, so I need to go back to school. That's when I came to West," he said.

Out of everything that West LA College offered, the networking opportunities were the most valuable for Omari. Through his UCLA Peer Mentor, who worked with students at the WLAC Transfer Center on a regular basis, Omari figured out exactly what he needed to do to get into UCLA.

He's now considering law school, at the same time serving as a peer mentor for other community college students.

THE ROAD WEST FROM BRAZIL

From her home just blocks from the beach, West Los Angeles College Alumna Samantha Schilling explained that she found the college by typing in “310 colleges” on an internet search. West and SMC came up. But SMC was too big. She wanted a more intimate experience where she could really move forward. “I wanted to go to a school where I could really grow.”

Schilling would absolutely recommend WLAC to others. “It’s a small school so it’s easier to get around. Teachers know you on a personal basis. You have more opportunities to move forward."

While at West, Schilling was extremely active. She served as VP of ASO and as a student representative on the balance the budget task force. She organized Rock the Vote efforts, started the International Students organization and organized a number of political rallies.
From West, she transferred to the University of Judaism where she earned her B.A. She then was accepted to the UCLA's International Business graduate program.