Many recruiters from historically Black colleges and universities came to Lynwood High School to speak with eager seniors about their futures. Students surveyed two dozen HBCU recruiters and had the possibility of being accepted on the spot with $3 million in scholarships.
Dr. Theresa Price, the founder of the National College Resources Foundation, is excited for students to see that they have access to higher education after graduation this year.
"Today is about letting students know that regardless of their background, where they're from, higher education is available, access to higher education is here. We're here to help them navigate, we're here to help connect them to college careers and beyond," Dr. Price said.
This coming Saturday, the organization will hold another in-person college fair at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The 23rd Annual Black College Expo will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is an in-person opportunity for students to waive application fees and win a scholarship.
"This is life-changing for our community. We are here to make sure college is accessible, affordable and is not a dream deferred," Dr. Patricia Brent-Sanco of Lynwood Unified School District said.
Seniors learned new things from the expo; some expressed that they had never heard of an HBCU and were more interested in applying after speaking with the Lynwood recruiters.
"I wanted to open up more opportunities for myself, so I actually didn't know HBCU's were a thing, and now that I've heard of it, and that sounds pretty cool," Yssel Gomez said, a Firebaugh High School senior.
Some 94% of Lynwood students are Latino, but Dr. Brent-Sanco wants them to know HBCU's are for everyone.
"Their mission is to support students and ensure students have the best academic environment," Brent-Sanco said.
About 200 acceptance letters were offered on the spot, with some receiving full-ride scholarships as well.
