LOS ANGELES — California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, and East Los Angeles College today celebrated 720 high school seniors who have reached a milestone more than a decade in the making: completing their A–G college-preparatory course requirements toward a guaranteed place at Cal State LA.
Nearly 300 of these students, who entered kindergarten during the 2014–15 school year, were recognized in a special ceremony at Garfield High School alongside their families, educators, and leaders from Los Angeles Unified, East Los Angeles College (ELAC), and Cal State LA. The celebration honored their academic achievement and the 12 years of support that has helped them move from their earliest school days toward higher education.
At the event, officials recognized the students in attendance as "provisionally accepted to Cal State LA," honoring their accomplishment of becoming college-ready ahead of high school graduation.
"Today we honor over 700 students who come from predominantly working-class communities in East Los Angeles for having turned years of hard work into opportunities for their future," Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Andrés Chait said. "Their achievement belongs to them, and it also reflects the families, teachers, counselors, and school communities who have led them on the 12-year journey to get here. We are proud to celebrate how far they have come and excited to see what they will do next."
"We are proud to support these students as they pursue their aspirations and prepare to shape the future for their families and the communities of Los Angeles," said Cal State LA President Berenecea Johnson Eanes. "Together with Los Angeles Unified and East Los Angeles College, we are expanding pathways to an education that transforms lives."
"I am a product of Garfield High School and this community, so celebrating these seniors means a great deal to me," said ELAC President Monte Perez. "Their 12-year journey shows what is possible when our schools and colleges work together, and ELAC is honored to be a partner in their success."
The event connected the students' beginnings in kindergarten with the choices now ahead of them as high school seniors. It also highlighted a shared commitment among K–12 and higher education leaders to make college an attainable goal for students and families.
"College should be a possibility our students grow up knowing is within reach, especially those whose parents didn't have the chance to go to college," Los Angeles Unified Board Vice President Dr. Rocío Rivas said. "Today, we celebrate hundreds of seniors whose determination has brought that possibility closer to reality. Their success reminds us why we must keep investing in our public schools and building strong connections to the colleges and universities that serve our communities."
GO (Great Outcomes) East LA began in 2013 as a Presidential Initiative between Cal State LA, LAUSD, and ELAC. The college presidents at the time, William A. Covino and Marvin Martinez, alongside then-President of the LAUSD Board Monica Garcia, worked together to build college awareness throughout the Eastside within the Garfield High School family of schools.
By 2017, the Great Outcomes spirit had expanded to create three additional partnerships, extending its reach to LAUSD schools in the Southeast, Central, and Southern regions of Los Angeles in collaboration with Los Angeles City College and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Today's milestone honors the original cohort of this partnership—the kindergarteners of 2014–15 who are now high school seniors aspiring to college and beyond.
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