My name is Brenda Diaz and I’m the 2021-22 academic and career counseling intern at Oakland Unity High School. I’m a OUHS Alumni c/o 15’ and UCSC Alumni c/o 19’.
It’s an honor to be here and to highlight some of the work we do at OUHS to make sure students are college eligible by the time they become seniors. OUHS has adopted a community based culture where the principal, teachers, advisors, counselors, and all staff are working together to ensure that students are taking the kind of classes that will prepare them for the rigorous courses in postsecondary education. We host presentations all year long in all grade levels to make sure that students are aware of the importance of satisfying the A-G criteria in order to be eligible for almost any university.
Unity empowers students through workshops and one-on-one meetings with their advisors and counselors. We work closely with students to make sure that they are staying on track and passing all of their classes with a C- or better. If students are falling behind they are placed in an additional class after school. We call these classes P7s and they are held by their own subject teachers. They are designed to give one-on-one support to students that need an extra push. Teachers target the specific need of the student to help them get back on track.
At Unity we are dedicated to ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to apply to 4-year universities and further their education. We want them to become independent by the time they graduate from high school. And above all, we want them to be capable of navigating the complexity of 4-year institutions and excelling in their future career goals.
Learn how schools like Unity are supporting students become college-eligible: fiaoakland.org/ag-campaign