“It went far beyond my expectations,” Jose said, “and it’s one of the greatest choices I’ve made in my life.”
The program, now in its 13th year, welcomed 25 new students into its fold at a bilingual induction ceremony on the blacktop of Oak View on Saturday afternoon. Parents, community members and El Viento students gathered under the hot sun to welcome the program’s newest participants, known as the foundation’s Flight 11.
“All of us here are going to show you the way, so you too can go to college,” said Zayda Garcia, El Viento’s executive director.
The program helps students in the underprivileged, mostly Latino Oak View neighborhood, between Warner and Slater avenues, and Beach Boulevard and Gothard Street, get into college by giving them academic assistance and enrichment opportunities from fourth grade through graduation.
“It’s life-changing because it really puts them on a new trajectory,” said Eve Barker, a development consultant for El Viento.
Seeking the motivated
The idea for El Viento started in 1997 as a way to meet the needs of the community. It has grown from an idea to a program that is serving 180 students.
The program is competitive with 25 spots available a year. Parents line up at the door of fifth-grade teacher Jesse Rothman, who assists in the application process, in August asking how to get their children involved.
Students and parents go through an application process, answering questions and writing an essay. Fifty-six students applied this year and were whittled down based on teacher recommendations, state test scores, grades and applications, Rothman said.
“We don’t take necessarily the top students; we take students looking to set goals,” Rothman said. “They have to have goals and the drive and the motivation.”
