San Diego City College celebrated 123 high school seniors this summer during the college’s first-ever Signing Days. The milestone event marks the celebration of students committed to pursuing an education past high school.
College Signing Days typically celebrate high school or community college transfer students that are heading to a four-year college or university. City College is the first community college from the San Diego Community College District to bring Signing Days to local high schools.
Students from Crawford High School, San Diego High School, Gompers Preparatory Academy, Morse High School, Lincoln High School, Hoover High School, O'Farrell High School, and City Heights Prep Charter School committed to attending City College this fall and were recognized on their campus by City College’s Outreach team and City College President Ricky Shabazz, Ed.D.
Signing Days kicked off at the high schools with a DJ and a photobooth. The college-bound students received a $250 scholarship for signing and limited-edition City College merchandise. Some students were selected for the San Diego Promise, a scholarship that allows students to attend tuition-free with access to textbook grants and specialized counseling. Ten students from the cohort were selected to attend the City College Scholarship Banquet on August 10, where they were awarded a $2,500 scholarship and a new MacBook laptop.
“Signing Days is such an important celebration. Many high school students can feel left out if they do not go to a university,” said Clarissa Padilla, acting outreach coordinator for City College. “We are showing them that their commitment to go to a community college is monumental. Because of this decision, they will make a lasting impact for themselves and future generations.”
Padilla added that most of these students are the first in their families to go to college.
In addition to beginning classes with one another in the fall, this cohort of students will be introduced to on-campus resources such as Umoja and the Puente Project to ensure academic, professional, and personal success.
Photos from the event can be viewed here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzVmGQ