Open Minds: College Prep Mentors

College Applications

2005-11-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

A lot of universities offer applications online. This is an easy way to print one out and practice filling it in or starting some rough drafts of your application. Does anyone have other questions about application proccess.

here is an example of the Cal State application:
http://www.calstate.edu/admission/application.shtml

You go Sharmain!

2005-11-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

You go Sharmain! UCLA is my alma mater. You will LOVE that school, just be sure to keep working and studying hard to get there! :)

-Eddie

SAT preperations

2005-11-21T23:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you planing on taking the SATs check out this link. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/prep_one.html

Remember that it is important to prepare for the SATs, they can mean a great deal in your future. This link has some practice questions and steps to register. The link is also in our resource column on the side of the page as well as more interesting links.

Hope to hear from you

Meet our Students

2005-11-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

Greetings Mentors! Meet the FABULOUS students of "Break Out," A Los Angeles based non-profit college prep program. Check your profile for questions & comments and feel free to leave comments for the students on their profiles below! Or, email openmindsusc@gmail.com if you'd like to submit a new post.

Thanks for all your contributions!

Hsu Wei
Open Minds USC

Student Profile: Jenaye

2005-11-20T13:14:00.000-08:00

School/City/ Grade
El Segundo High, El Segundo CA, grade 10

Hobbies/ Interests
Music, Sleeping In

Dream College, Program
USC (Sorry Andre!) Pharmacy

Contact Info
Ms. Dnamite125@aol.com

Student Profile: Sharmain

2005-11-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

School/ City/ Grade
Willow Brook Middle School, Compton Ca, grade 8

Hobbies/ Interests
Basketball

Dream College & Major
UCLA Teaching

Student Profile: Taylor

2005-11-20T13:01:00.000-08:00

Middle School / City/ Grade
Samuel Gompers/ Los Angeles CA, Grade 8

Hobbies/ Interests
Dancing and being funny

Dream College/ Program/ Career
Lawyer, Harbor College, Law, Dancer

Contact Info
Tahylord@yahoo.com

Student Profile: Rosaki

2005-11-20T12:58:00.000-08:00

Highschool/ City/ Grade
Leuzinger High, Lawndale CA, 10th Grade

Hobbies/ Interests
Football, girls, and God

Dream College/ Program/ Career
Texas Tech, Mathematics

Contact Info
rosakihilt@aol.com

Student Profile: Rachal

2005-11-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

Highschool/City/ Grade
Lakewood High, Lakewood CA, 11th grade

Hobbies/ Interests
Traveling, Dancing

Dream College/ Program/ Career
Stanford University, Psychology or Chemistry

Contact Info rachaldb@yahoo.com

Student Profile: Chucky

2005-11-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Highschool/ City/ Grade
Lakewood High, Lakewood, CA 10th Grade

Hobbies/ Interests
Basket Ball

Dream College/Program/ Career
Michigan, Mathematics & Business, Owner of youth social club

Contact Info
chucky112690@yahoo.com

Student Profile: Shameika

2005-11-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

Middle School/City/Grade
Willowbrook Middle School/ 6th Grade

Hobbies/ Interests
Singing, Dancing

Dream College/ Program
Harvard Law

Student Profile: Christian

2005-11-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

Highschool/ City/ Grade
Bell Highschool- Long Beach, 12th grade

Hobbies/ Interests
Basketball & Learning

Dream College/ Career
USC Law, Language Studies, Pro Basketball

Student Profile: Carolyn

2005-11-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

Highschool/ City/ Grade
Leuzinger/ Hawthrone, CA
9th grade

Hobbies/ Interests
Likes to read, likes to teach others

Dream College/ Major/ Career
USC Law or Teaching

Contact Info
queen90061@yahoo.com

Student Profile: Tussy

2005-11-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

Highschool/ City
Leuzinger - Lawndale, CA
9th grade

Hobbies/ Interests
Singing, Basketball, curiosity for Law, Poetry

Dream College/ Major/ Career
Harvard Law, UCLA, Math & English Double Major, Poet

Contact Info
sheritussyshawkes@yahoo.com

Student Profile: Renier J.

2005-11-20T12:16:00.000-08:00

Highschool/ City
Maxien Waters - Los Angeles
11th grade

Hobbies/Interests
Football, Cooking

Dream College/ Career:
Wants to be a chef or something that involves football & cooking
Has invented some very unique recipes...

Contact Info:
Swipelong@yahoo.com

Student Profile: Jace S.

2005-11-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

Highschool
Y.O.U., Los Angeles
11th grade

Hobbies/ Interests:
Sports and Money Making Dream College & Major
UCLA/ Law

Contact info: CEOof papez@hotmail.com

Meet Alison

2005-11-16T21:45:00.000-08:00

What I enjoy…

I absolutely ADORE my parents, my younger brother, my baby dog Cagney (see photo, please, and ooh/aah all you want!). I love serving my church, attending graduate school and volunteering with a great creative writing mentoring program in L.A. for teenaged girls called WriteGirl. I like hanging out with my friends watching old movies, singing, listening to (almost) all types of music; reading; playing volleyball; traveling; eating good food and drinking great wine (but not until I was 21, of course).

I want to work in public relations, but I’m not sure in which industry yet.

Who I am?

I am a quarter-of-a-century OLD these days. I was born in New Orleans, LA, but grew up in a small, rural town outside of Jacksonville, FL. My family is of English and Dutch heritage (but way up in the branches of our family tree).

What I learned?

I studied public relations and creative writing at the Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. I took two years ‘off’ from school and returned last year for a master’s in Global Media and Communication at the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom. Currently, I am completing a second master’s degree in Global Communication at the University of Southern California.

What College is all about?

College is a time to explore new things that will impact all areas of your life. But, be sure to do what you really like and what makes you happy. Don’t settle for the Greek life just because you think it will be a built-in family away from home (like I initially thought). Find campus groups that do the things you enjoy – whether it be campus ministries, service organizations, intramural sports teams, honor societies or sororities/fraternities – and you’ll find a collegiate family where you fit perfectly!

What life is all about…

Life is about living! Take advantage of opportunities personally, academically and professionally that come your way. But don’t sit back and wait for them to find you – seek out these opportunities. If you try and fail, remember that you were at least brave enough to try!

Best wishes on your college experience.

Hey Jenaye F.

2005-11-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

"Did you ever feel like leaving colege and just getting a job that didn't need the requirements you were studying?" - Jenaye F.

Great question. Getting a job and dropping out of college is a common thought for many college students. However the simple truth is having a college degree makes finding a well paying job a lot easier. I was able to stay focused on finishing college because school is honestly a lot more fun than working full-time. In fact, full time college enrollment was so much better for me that I rushed back into grad school after working full-time for about 1 year. What are everyone else's thoughts?

Hsu Wei
USC Annenberg School of Communication
Communication Management
M.A. Candidate
hsuchow@usc.edu

Meet David Kirtman

2005-11-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

Interests:

I love to play video games, as I'm sure many of you do. I also enjoy playing poker with friends and watching movies.

Goals for the future:

As a grduate student I have already recieved my degree from the business school at USC while playing football. As a first year graduate student and a redshirt senoir in football, I am left with yet another choice. I am plannning on entering the NFL draft in the spring while finishing up my graduate degree. Entering in the NFL is never a sure thing for any college football player so my future is up in the air for the next 6 months. Like all of you my future is unsure but what I do know is that I will weigh all my options like all of yhou should.

Please make a comment if you would like

Meet Eddie

2005-10-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

My Interests:I love to travel overseas, to read (I’m just about to start on a wild-sounding book called Freakonomics - http://www.freakonomics.com/) and just finished The World is Flat - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0374292884/102-1452981-7480155?v=glance , watching movies (in the theater and at home), basketball and eating!

Background:I grew up in a couple of small towns in New Jersey, just outside of Manhattan. Anyone heard of Ridgefield Park or Bergenfield? No, didn’t think so! :) I moved to L.A. when I was 16, when my mom remarried my then new stepdad (he was living in L.A., having moved out from The Bronx.) After graduating from university I moved to Japan, and lived in Osaka and Kyoto for about 4 years. I loved it there. Now I’m back in L.A. and loving that too.

College Program:UCLA, B.A. in EnglishUSC, going for my M.A. in Communication Management (secret: most of my heart is still with UCLA!)

What I like About College:This sounds ridiculously cliché, but it is still so true: college opened my mind in a very big way. In class and out I got to meet so many new people, make many great friends, get exposed to so many new ideas….I can honestly say that going to university changed my life for the MUCH better. Case in point: I probably never would have dared to experiment with living overseas in Japan had I not been exposed to that culture, thanks to a random part-time job I landed on campus. I guess it was fate….

General Advice:Whatever you do, go. Whatever your background - whether you would be the first from your family to attend, whether you don’t think you have the grades, or the money, or… Where there is a will, there is most definitely a way. I think it is awesome that Open Minds has been created to let everyone know just how accessible college/university can be. Hope I can be of further help with that… Cheers, Eddie

Meet Alyssa

2005-10-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Interest:
Running, Foreign and Independent films, Eastern European Literature, Checking out new music of all kinds (attending live shows)-, traveling domestically and abroad-preferably visiting friends in cool places, meeting new people and trying new things, volunteering, appreciating good food and wine and most recently, learning to cook.

Goals: Attending Graduate school---obtaining a joint Masters in Public Administration (MPA) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree. Picking up a second language-probably a Slavic one. Reaching Senior Management status at an International Organization or in a Government Agency. Developing and maintaining a close group of friends and family.

Background: I am 3rd generation American from Italian and Ukrainian decent. I grew up in the Midwest-in Michigan in the metro Detroit area. My father works for the automotive industry. I have a twin sister. I am 25 years old and I am currently living Washington DC where I work for the US Department of State in the Bureau of Administration doing Business Analysis.

College and Degree Program: I attended Michigan State University and graduated with a joint degree in Political Theory Constitutional Democracy and Supply Chain Management from the James Madison College of Public Affairs and the Eli Broad School of Business respectively. I participated in several study abroad programs (in England, Czech Republic and Helsinki) and did an internship with a marketing company in Istanbul.

What I liked about college: meeting new people, being exposed to new things-having my whole world get larger. Having the ability to take advantage of a whole bunch of resources and opportunities. Studying abroad, being challenged, learning and growing-learning more about myself and what I want

Advice about reaching life goals: Take advice from people you respect--chances are they have been there before and learned a few things. Think big picture and strategically----what do you want and what do you think you need to get there, always be professional, be open minded and respectful, don't get discouraged by small detours---focus on the things you can control,.

Meet Anuja - story to come...

2005-10-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Meet David S.

2005-10-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

My interests:
Travelling (been all over US, London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Istanbul, Tel Aviv & Jerusalem), studying God/Jesus/The Bible, playing beach volleyball, trying new food and wines.

Background:
Born in Canada as a "cashew", half Catholic half Jewish. 31 year old white dude who manages online marketing & financial systems for a real estate company.

College Program:
Undergrad - University of Florida, Decision and Info SciencesAnnenberg - pursuing MA in Communication Management

What did you like about college:
Partying, meeting lots of fun people. Learning new things.

Advice:
Put God first in your life, follow your heart, never give up and live life to the fullest.

Meet Celine:

2005-10-20T15:31:00.000-07:00

I Love:
watching movies. Independent, foreign, big studio - I try to give all movies a chance! Music is also something I enjoy, especially going to see live music. In the past year, I've gotten more involved with yoga, which has been a great challenge and stress reliever.

Background:
I definitely was raised in a bi-cultural environment: my parents taught me a lot about being from India and how much I should appreciate my heritage, but they also recognized that I am also an American. I grew up proud of both sides of my cultural heritage. I'm 24 years old, and I work at a health care research firm in Washington, D.C.

College Program:
I went to UCLA, where I double-majored in International Economics and Political Science.

What I like about College:
What I liked most about college was learning to be my own person. While your family and friends can influence your decisions, ultimately it is up to you on how you choose your life. College was a time where a I really came to understand what were my likes/dislikes, what really interested me.

General Advice:
About reaching life goals: be patient with yourself, but also be willing to take risks. Everyone moves at their own pace, but don't let fear get in the way of taking definitive steps towards meeting your goals.

Meet Peggy:

2005-10-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

I Love:
people-watching, conversation, community outreach, journalism, travel, languages, food , film , short fiction, poetry, digital video production, piracy, used bookstores, and excuses to sleep in. I run poetry class every Friday at a local substance-abuse healing center which has been of the most challenging, frustrating, and startlingly amazing experiences.
Background:
I work on a health study for UCSF/Center for AIDS Prevention studies as a health educator, which means I conduct social health research on topics that are traditionally taboo in the Asian and Pacific Community. It's an unconventional job that requires a high level of trust between strangers. The work's purpose is to help dispell myths and taboos, as well as, break the silence and stigma that prevent people from feeling empowered to protect and affirm themselves.

My family is middle-class and I grew up in a pretty closed-off, isolated sort of town. Although we were about an hour from the city, Fremont could not have been more culturally distant from San Francisco.

College Program:
I studied Social Welfare at UC Berkeley with a concentration in Sociology. I went into school planning on going into social work.

What I like about College:
Berkeley was difficult and noverwhelming and sometimes even miserable, but really pushed me to confront what I really wanted from myself. People like the poet June Jordan, writer Ishmael Reed, and filmmaker Loni Ding, invested so much into their students and cultivated a real safe community of creativity and activism. I learned that I could incorporate politics, personal to global, into my art. I also learned the importance of a community of writers, filmmakers, friends are to fulfilling your goals. College was also just plain fun and a truly freeing experience. I realized how this time was truly mine to figure out whatever I wanted and test my boundaries.

Advice:
These days, when I look back at the nfailures/bad judgements, they seem less and less like missteps and more and more like a means of the person I was at the time to figure out what was and wasn't for me. All this is to say that growth and change are both such risky endeavors, but not to worry, they also signify the potential for real meaningful life experiences."

Meet Johanna

2005-10-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

My Interests
Hobbies include: expoloring Southern California, reading, drawing, film, outdoor pursuits such as hiking/biking/swimming After I finish my master's I want to try living in NYC or East Coast

My Background
Live in Orange County, grew up in the SF Bay Area, working parents, 27, graphic designer

My college and major
San Francisco State: Journalism/Graphic Design USC: Comm Management

What do you like about college
I was a swimmer, so I loved that it allowed me to be involved in sports, also loved the diversity and energy of going to school in the city

General Advice
Establish your goals, write them down, always keep them in mind as you make decisions in life, make them a concious part of the actions you take.

Meet Suniti

2005-10-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

I'm the woman not eating the eyeball.

My Interests:
I like animals and volunteering with an animal rescueorganization, I like television, exploring historical sites inLos Angeles, reading books, and listening to open mike nights atlocal cafes.

Background:
From Fremont, CA near San Francisco. Indian immigrant parents,one younger brother, I hung out with some kids in theneighborhood but there weren't many so I didn't have many goodfriends growing up. 23 yrs old, working in television.

College Program:
USC, BA in Cinema-Television

What I like About College:
New friends, fresh start, social education, professors who Icould actually go up and talk to and who cared about me, lastingfriendships, living in a place different from where I grew upwith other people far from home taught me about how people livein other parts of the country.

General Advice:
Patience, Observe those around you and see how they arebettering themselves, surround yourself with people who aregoal-oriented and motivated, it really makes a difference.Changing your mind about what you want to do is ok.

Adam Carstens

2005-10-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

My Interests
Politics: Used to work in it, still fascinated by it, but more as an observer than an active participant. Of course I vote, but I really just enjoy reading about it more than anything else. Maps: Wanted to be a cartographer when I was three. Still get the chills looking at any map. Could spend hours poring over atlases.
Music: Boast almost 6,000 songs in the old iPod. And yet I still consider it vastly short of incomplete. Fave band/album: Saint Etienne's "Foxbase Alpha." Loved it so much I named my website after it.

My background
Geo: Portland, OR
Ethnic background: Combo of Macedonian, English, French and German
Age: 31
Occupation: Consultant

College and Major
Hofstra University: Bachelor of Arts, Political Science major, Philosophy minor
Thunderbird: MBA in International Business

What do you Like about College
The freedom to succeed or fail
The new experiences (i.e., going to new York City on a regular basis)
The different socio-economic patterns of East Coast living v. West Coast living
Working on the college newspaper

General Advice
"You know nothing, but neither does anyone else. So fake it better than everyone else and you're golden.
"Sometimes, be contrarian for contrarian's sake and see what happens. You never know, it might lead to greatness. What's the worst that could really happen?
"Trying to predict the future is a fool's game, but it can get you noticed (in either good or bad ways). Your mileage may vary.

Nathalie Stevens

2005-10-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

My Interests
My life goal is to ultimately be happy, but I really have no idea at thispoint how I am going to achieve that. I am definitely too addicted to reality television and read a ton of “chick lit” – my favorite book of thelast few years are Bridget Jones’ Diary. I also hate to cook and am way too dependent on Lean Cuisine frozen entrees for my meals. I spend a great deal of time spoiling my two-year-old nephew.

My Background
Born and raised in Virginia, outside of Washington, DC. I am 25 and workfor the US Department of State, in the field of logistics. I have worked for the Federal Government for four years. Both of my parents were federal employees their entire careers and are now retired.

My college & major
I attended the College of William and Mary, which is in Williamsburg,Virginia. It is a public university. I majored in Business and minored inPsychology.

What did you like about college
College is great. You get to make a ton of new friends, take classes in abunch of different topics, and have ultimate control over your time. I liked being able to take classes in subjects that interested me and not that were just mandatory. I liked hanging out with friends, watching television until late at night. It allowed me to try something new, but still be around other college students, so it wasn’t too overwhelming. I also liked the fact that college forced me to changeand grow as a person.

General advice
Try your hardest, know yourself and your own limits. . When you get your first job after college you will probably be very disappointed by the level of the work you have to do, but hard work and earning a good reputation will take you far and will get you noticed. Remember what is important in life, and even if college or your career doesn’t go as well as you planned, you always have your friends and family to depend on. Life doesn’t have to go in a straight line and everyone’spath will be different.

Meet Hsu Wei

2005-10-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

My Interests:
I'm always striving for the perfect balance between work and play. Aside from studying, I love cooking, reading, music, being outdoors, film, theater, drawing, art, traveling, shopping, learning, hanging out with my 6 younger siblings, and exploring my enviroment.

Background:
Being Chinese American and growing up in a diverse community has instilled a great appreciation for cultural identity, both for mine and others. In the future, I plan on traveling as much as possible.
I lived primarily in the South/ East Bay, with a stint in Austin, Texas. I spent the last 5 years of my life in San Francisco. Food in SF is the best! Graduate School brings me to L.A.

College Programs:
I earned my undergraduate degree for Broadcast Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) at San Francisco State University(SFSU). It was an awesome dynamic program where I learned about the business and art of electronic mass media. I took classes in television production, social theory, media easthetics, economics and law. I am now pursuing my Masters of Arts at University of Southern California (USC) in Communication Managment.

What I like About College:
I loved having the opportunity to explore a diverse cutlures. Being in a very tolerant and diverse city such as SF, I was able to feel comfortable being myself. SFSU's offered an unique range of curriculum and the resources for having living a rich and dynamic life.

General Advice:
It's important to realize that it's a time for growth and that comes with many challenges. Although it maybe difficult, please don't ever hesitate to ask questions and to seek help. Don't narrow your choices to only what you are comfortable with, go outside the comfort zone and let yourself be surprised. Experiment! There aren't many other times in your life where so much is within reaching distance.

Meet Sarah

2005-10-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a small town on the east coast near New York City. I had always wondered what I would do following my 4 years in high school. I would dream up all kinds of interesting things I could do with my life but in the back of my head I assumed these dreams would never become reality. My father owns a small sporting goods store in my town where my sister and I had always worked while we were growing up. This is how I got interested in the sport of rowing. I was a tall kid and rowing was a big sport in my town. As I worked people would as me if I was going out for the team, so I did. After 4 years of high school competition and schoolwork, I was not sure if college was for me. I was getting a lot of pressure from my parents to work at my dad’s store. My parents thought that rowing in college was a waste of my time because there was not a professional career in that sport. I knew that colleges offered scholarships but I needed more information on my chances to apply for college and a scholarship. It was going to take a lot of work but I wanted to give it a try. I wanted to continue rowing and also really needed an education so I could have more opportunities that working at my family store...

Meet Helen

2005-10-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Helen, and here's a little bit about me and my college experience:

My interests: Well, I'm currently in the Communication Management program at USC, so I'm obviously quite interested in mass media, especially as it relates to entertainment. Outside of school, I like going to concerts around LA, shopping (esp. flea markets and thrift stores!), exploring new neighborhoods, watching movies, reading, and eating at all the restaurants on Sawtelle Blvd, to name a few things.

My background: I grew up in Falls Church, VA (a suburb of Washington, DC), and went to a public high school. Although only one of my parents had a college degree, I definitely knew growing up that I wanted to attend college, and hopefully one that was out-of-state.

My college and major: I attended New York University and double-majored in Marketing and International Business. I loved NYU and living in New York City!

What I liked about college: Aside from the awesomeness of living right in the middle of Manhattan during college, I also got to make lots of new friends (since no one from my high school went to NYU), find interesting internship opportunities, learn my way around New York City (as well as soak up the culture of the city), take a wide variety of classes, and just have a really great time in general.

General advice: My main advice would be to stay on top of financial aid opportunities and be sure to fill out your FAFSA form early. At first I thought that I wouldn't be able to attend NYU because it's an expensive private school, but through various forms of aid I was able to finally get out of Virginia. :)

Please feel free to ask me any questions under the "comments" section below!

Meet David

2005-10-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is story about a USC football player, David Kirtman, and his struggles to attend a college and receive his diploma and become more than just a football player. The first semester of my high school senior year is upon me. As I am turning 18 years old, life choices are beginning to make me very anxious. My two older brothers have already left for school out of state and I am the last one in the house. My parents tell me that a four-year university is the choice for me, but I am hesitant to go because I have many questions about the process of attending. Is money going to be a problem? Are my grades going to hold me back as an African American student? Luckily I have been playing football during my four years of high school and I am determined to use my ability to play football to get my education at a four year college. The University of Southern California football coaches call me and tell me that they would like to offer me a full scholarship to play football for them. This call changes my life; Immediately, my dreams are beginning to unfold and life as a college student seems prosperous. It’s just around the corner, and I am looking forward to it. TO BE CONTINUED...