FC Hosts Education Conference for High School Males
[tabs slidertype=”simple”][tab]
[/tab][tab]
[/tab][tab]
[/tab][tab]
[/tab][tab]
[/tab][tab]
[/tab][tab]
[/tab][/tabs]
More than 800 11th and 12th grade males from local high schools got a glimpse into the many college and career options available to them when Fullerton College hosted the first Males Achieving Success (MAS) Conference on Jan. 27. The conference, which stemmed from a student equity initiative to help address the achievement gap for Latino males in higher education, featured empowering workshops from an array of diverse speakers that promote higher education, career exploration, and self-development.
“Our hope is that when these male students leave the conference, they’ll have a better understanding of the value of education and will be able to identify with some of the speakers, who may have overcome great odds to be where they’re at right now,” said High School Outreach Coordinator Rolando Sanabria.
Spearheaded by the Office of High School Outreach at Fullerton College, the MAS outreach program targets male students at Anaheim, Loera, Katella and Gilbert high schools to provide educational workshops, tours of the FC campus, and prepare students for enrollment at Fullerton College. The conference was an extension of the work being done at those high schools and extended invitations to students throughout multiple high school districts.
Participation included students from Anaheim Union, Fullerton Joint Union, Placentia-Yorba Linda, and Whittier school districts.
Workshops covered topics such as, careers in teaching, business and entrepreneurship, nursing and medical careers, ethnic studies, strategies for excelling in higher education, and much more.
A keynote address was delivered by Dr. Steve A. Mora, orthopedic surgeon and diplomat of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, who grew up in Orange County and attended public school in Anaheim before eventually attending UCI Medical School. An alumnus of Fullerton College, Mora has a history of service to his community, has traveled across the globe on medical mission trips to Peru, and was inducted to the Anaheim High School Hall of Fame. He has been featured on the Spanish-language television show Despierta America and in the OC Register.
“Dr. Mora is a true testament to the group of male students attending this conference,” Sanabria said. “Many of them can relate to Dr. Mora’s background and upbringing.”
Sanabria said all the presenters and workshops chosen for the MAS conference were designed to help students visualize themselves achieving success despite challenging circumstances.
For more information on the MAS conference contact the Office of High School Outreach at 714-992-7250.
