Nike mentors give Latino youth a career boost

College scholars practice their job skills in program

The Forest Grove News-Times, Aug 5, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

ADVERTISEMENTS

<< Prev. Page 1 | 2

“Having a mentor in a field you're interested in is an opportunity of a lifetime,” Alonso said. “It helps (the students) understand what they need to be successful.”

Escamilla agrees. She also hopes to see the program continue into the future.

“College graduates go through a major transition when they enter corporate life,” Escamilla said in an e-mail. “Their world has completely changed with a new set of responsibilities and accountabilities.”

Mentors provide a glimpse of that life to students, but what’s most important, Escamilla said, is how the graduate responds to their life change – in their adaptability, learning agility, and ability to communicate.

CAMP students are “gaining insight into those ‘soft skills’ that will help them in their future endeavors,” Escamilla added

Besides collecting knowledge from Nike employers in their prospective careers, students in the mentorship program are benefiting from professional contacts, meeting people inside and outside Nike and racking up a list of phone numbers to call when they go looking for a job.

“She knows a lot of people,” Soto says of her mentor. “My network has definitely grown from doing this.”

How CAMP helps

According to the organization’s website, “The College Assistance Migrant Program is a federally-funded program designed to support students from migrant and seasonal farm worker backgrounds during their first year in college. The program provides students with both financial assistance and support services, with the goal of preparing them to continue their education at a four-year college or university.”

It started at PCC Rock Creek during the 2006-07 school year, and has funding to run until 2012. The program provides financial and other types of assistance, serving 50 students annually.

Good student

Lopez Jr., a 20-year-old who is studying marketing and advertising, hopes to pursue a doctorate or master’s degree in psychology. He said students like him often struggle just to make it to college. And even though his parents were “iron-fisted” about pursuing higher education, he almost didn’t go.

“In our culture, we’re stubborn sometimes. College just isn’t always that important,” Lopez Jr. says. “But that’s what the CAMP program provides. It teaches you about scholarships and the advantages of being a good student.”

Soto, 19, who wants to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, feels the same way about CAMP. She too, almost decided to take a year off from college after graduating from Forest Grove High in 2008, but ended up at Rock Creek because of the program.

“They bring out leadership skills,” she said. “(CAMP students) just get a better shot – a fair chance at being successful, (something) they might not have had.”

<< Prev. Page 1 | 2