Tony is an upbeat sophomore in our program who possesses a natural ability to learn and remember things quickly. In spite of how bright he is, Tony has had a habit of working below his capacity since junior high school, earning below a 2.0 academic gpa during his 7th, 8th and 9th grade year.

Now, three months into his sophomore year, Tony is maintaining a 3.2 academic gpa. He is applying himself in his classes and caring about his grades more than ever before.  Tony's academic progress serves as an example of the difference a mentor and accountability can make in the life of a struggling student who is full of potential. We recently sat down to talk with Tony about his experience being in our Mentoring Program.

Can you tell me about what it's like to have a mentor?

It's great. If you get to know them really good and you have a stronger relationship with them you feel like you've known them for really long, even if it's only been a year. It's like having something you can rely on when you need it - a person that gives you a push and gives great advice because they've been through what I'm going through.

How has being a part of JOYA helped you do better in school?

Because it teaches us about how to get into college. Once you start talking about college you realize all the work you have to do to get into college. So that makes you set goals for where you want to go and makes you try harder because you want to succeed.

What do you hope to do after graduating from high school?

Start a college education, probably start working, and have the college experience. I want to study Kinesiology and exercise science because I have an injury right now and know how it is to see everyone playing and have to be on the sidelines. So I want to help people recover from their injuries.

Before being a part of JOYA Scholars how interested were you in going
to college?

It didn't even pass my mind. I didn't even think about it. All I cared about was getting through school.

How has being involved in JOYA made a difference in your life?

It's a motivation to do better in school and get better grades, and I've built new relationships with other people. It's a big influence in my life right now.

In the spirit of the holidays, JOYA Scholars is giving away a new iPad2 to a lucky someone. It could be you!

Here’s the story:
An angel delivered a brand new iPad2 to JOYA Scholars with a message to use this gift to further college access for students in the Garnet Neighborhood of Fullerton. So we’re giving it away for the holidays in appreciation for your support in any amount. All donations will directly benefit our students and their preparation for college.

Any person, business, or organization making a financial contribution to JOYA Scholars between November 13 and December 11, 2011 will be entered to win.

From all of us in the JOYA Family,
thank you, and a very Happy Joyadays!

Only one donation per person, business, or organization qualifies. JOYA board members, advisory team, staff, and their immediate families are ineligible. The winner will be selected through random drawing on December 12, 2011.

Prize is the 32 GB, Wi-Fi, Black iPad2.

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This April was an especially significant month for senior Valeria Sosa, who will be the first student from the Garnet Neighborhood to go straight from high school to a 4-year university in at least 10 years.

After receiving her letters of acceptance from UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and Chapman University, Valeria has spent the month considering the various opportunities that each of these schools have to offer and trying to determine which school would be the best match for her personality and her goals. In order to aid her decision-making process, Valeria’s mentor Bethany took her to visit UC San Diego and JOYA staff accompanied her on a trip to Chapman University.

After touring both campuses and weighing the pros and cons of each with the JOYA team, Valeria has decided to be a student at Chapman University! We are so proud of Valeria for this tremendous achievement and are truly glad that we could be a part of this significant time in her life!  We look forward to seeing the great things she accomplishes as she studies at Chapman and pursues her dream of studying law and becoming a District Attorney.

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Viviana just completed her first semester at Fullerton College.  Last year, Viviana was one of three inaugural high school seniors in the JOYA Scholars mentoring program.  All three enrolled as college students this fall; All three are the first in the their families to attend college.  We caught up with Viviana earlier in the year.

How did it feel to graduate from high school?

It feels really good.  Excited, because I’m the first person to graduate from my family.  And I’m the oldest, so I can make my parents proud.  It feels good.  I have 3 sisters, and I do want them to follow in my footsteps.  I don’t want them to take the wrong path.  I want to set an example, that you can keep going and not give up, to do your best.

How do your parents feel about you going to college?

They’re happy.  The advice they give me is to never give up.  They tell me they didn’t get the chance to go to college, but they want me to go. They want me to have a future.

How long have you lived in the Garnet Neighborhood?  What’s it like?

I’ve lived here for six years, having moved from Anaheim.  At first I didn’t know anybody, but everyone is close here and really nice.  And there’s the Community Center and Solidarity [a non-profit which collaborates with JOYA), so there’s a lot of people here helping kids make good decisions.

How did you feel about going to college?

To be honest, I felt scared, because I wasn’t sure what was next, how different it would be from high school, just scared about going out into the real world.  In high school, everyone’s together, but in college everyone is separate.  Right now I’m interested in CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), but I know I have to take a lot of science classes, which is scary!  My plan is to transfer to Cal State Fullerton.

Were you interested in college before JOYA Scholars?

I was interested, but nearly not as much.  But now I can see how much difference I can make in myself, in my family, and in other people’s lives.  Without JOYA I would have been lost.  I wouldn’t have known anything about college except what my high school had informed us.  Now I’m better informed, and I feel blessed that JOYA chose me to be in this program.  The financial aid workshop was especially helpful.  Before that, I didn’t know how to fill out a financial aid form, had never even seen one before. 

What’s your mentoring relationship like?

Patience [Viviana’s mentor] is really nice and really sweet.  It’s like talking to a friend.  We connected the very first time we met.  She asks me questions about school and my life, just like my friends.  I’m glad she’s my mentor.

Is there anything you would you want to say our donors? 

Please help support JOYA because the program helps kids who are interested in going to college, and with your help we are able to do more and more kids can be inspired.  Some of them didn’t think of going to college before, but the program has made a dramatic change.

Anything you want to add?

Yes, I want to thank JOYA Scholars for giving me that extra little push in high school and for wanting me to go to college.  I hope when I finish college I can be a mentor myself to another kid.  That’s one of my goals.

The personal story of our Program Director, Bianca Pena, gives a glimpse into just why our mission as JOYA Scholars is so important to the lives of our students and why we believe so deeply in our mentoring program.

A native of Southern California, Bianca was born in Torrance and grew up in Santa Ana. Throughout her years in school, Bianca was a high achieving student, ranking in the top 1% of her class as a senior in high school. Yet Bianca had no awareness of college leading up to graduation. Because of this, as she puts it, “I was not planning to apply and enroll…anywhere.”

Fortunately for her, Bianca had a friend who frequented the high school’s counseling center. One afternoon, Bianca met a college student at the center who was doing outreach on campus. He attended a local university and encouraged Bianca to think about applying for college. This was the first college student she had ever met and the first adult she conversed with about college. Interested, Bianca learned she was eligible to apply to four UC schools without charge, and in the end was accepted to two of them, being awarded several scholarships and a significant amount of financial aid on top of that.

“Interacting with an adult about college made all the difference for me. For one, I learned that college was the next step after high school – I wasn’t aware of that before. Secondly, I learned what to do to apply and get admitted to college. Once I understood college was an option for me and that there were ways I could afford to go, it was something I wanted to pursue. Attending college has made an enormous difference in my life.”

Students in the Garnet Neighborhood are a lot like Bianca growing up. A vast majority of them have never had an adult talk to them about college, and many are resigned that they could never afford to go even if they wanted. But our program is changing all that.

As Bianca describes, “Through relationship building with our mentors and by participating in our workshops and college visits, our students become interested, motivated, and spurred on toward college. As they gain knowledge, experience and relational support through our program, their mindsets are changed and their pursuit of higher education is strengthened.”

The ultimate hope of JOYA Scholars is that inspired and prepared for college life, our students will attend and graduate from the best universities, pursue great futures for themselves and their families, and return to impact other kids in the community.

“I enjoy many, many things about my role as Program Director. The list is very long. Yet I would say that I find the most satisfaction in two main things: the relationships and the mission. JOYA Scholars grew out of relationship – and we are sustained by them. Each time I connect to an advisory team member, board member, donor, intern, student, parent, partner, or volunteer, I am reminded of all the people who make our program possible. And our mission is deeply meaningful to me as well. From experience, I know what it’s like to lack support as a high school student and, as a consequence, to not have a vision for one’s future. But I also know, from my life, the difference just one individual can make in the life of a student.”