Recent high school graduates in the Eureka! Program at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria are ready to attend
various colleges.
CARPINTERIA — Nine young women, who participated in Girls Inc. of Carpinteria’s Eureka! Program, are heading to college.
This fall, recent high school graduates plan to attend colleges ranging from Santa Barbara City College to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Cruz.
“It’s an honor to see this dedicated group of young women — all of whom have worked so incredibly hard to get here – achieve such a significant milestone in their lives,” said Jamie Collins, executive director of Girls Inc. Carpinteria. “From college preparation workshops, to internships, and consistently stepping out of their comfort zones, our Eureka students have been preparing for this moment for five years. We know they’ll continue to dream big and achieve success in this next chapter, and we look forward to cheering them on.”
The 2022 graduates are Alondra Badilla, who plans to attend Santa Barbara City College; Natali Gonzalez, who’s going to SBCC; Stephanie Gonzalez-Coss, who’s enrolling at Cal State Fresno; Yuriana Hernandez, who’s going to UC Merced; Jaritza Nunez, who will be at SBCC; Jocelyn Pena, who’s heading to UC Santa Cruz; Briana Rodriguez, heading to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; Yvette Rosales, who will attend Cal State Long Beach; and Alexandra Zapata, who will be at SBCC
According to Girls Inc., Eureka! is an expanded learning five-year program that emphasizes college readiness and builds girls’ confidence and skills through hands-on opportunities, with a focus on introducing girls to careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
Girls Inc. launched the Eureka! program in 2012 to provide leadership and education enhancement opportunities for girls beginning in the summer before their eighth-grade year and providing mentorship and college and career preparation throughout the high school years.
The program currently serves 77 local girls and recently welcomed its 16th cohort.
For more information, call Girls Inc. of Carpinteria at 805-684-6364 or visit www.girlsinc-carp.org.
— Dave Mason
