Welcome ECHS Alumni!

ECHS Alumni Mentor Program 2019-2020

In 2017 at the beginning of our program we conducted an Alumni Survey which revealed the following:

87% of our student graduates are First Generation college students
23% of those graduating lacked mentoring for college
40% of our students did not engage in college support programs on campus
94% of our Alumni were willing to engage in service to ECHS as a mentor.

In response to these findings, we began the process of researching and developing a pilot program that would support the needs of our alumni. In July 2019, our Alumni Mentor Program (AMP) was created. Our first cohort of mentors trained during the summer with the goals of being an additional support to our 2018 Alumni entering two of our most patronized institutions – California State University, Dominguez Hills and the University of California Merced.

Our AMP Mentors worked in pairs to support 2018 Alumni at our Sync-up Day. Mentor support continued on campus to make all initial transitions to college smooth. AMP Mentors reviewed a customized checklist and navigated the student portals of mentees during the summer and into the first semester. Ongoing support is provided to Mentees during the school year according to their needs. Stay tuned on our social media platforms for AMP Mentor spotlights!

Meet our Alumni Mentors

Cal State University Dominguez Hills: 2019-2020

Clockwise from top left: Adriana Jimenez, Frances Gealon, Jennifer Lopez, and Vanessa Contero

University of California Merced: 2019-2020

Brandon Lopez, Shazia Urbany and Jennifer Villa

AMP Summer Sync-Up Day, All AMP Photos courtesy of Daniel Franco

Felipe Ontiveros, ECHS 2019 Graduation Keynote Speaker Graduated from ECHS: 2013 College attended: CSUDH College major: Criminal Justice Administration, Law Enforcement Year graduated: 2018 What do you believe are your most powerful strengths today? How/why? Two of my greatest strengths come from being both disciplined and open-minded. My ability to be disciplined stems from my training in martial arts and has followed me in everything else I do. Being disciplined has taught me to plan, organize, and execute. Moreover, my ability to be open minded has taught me to be honest with myself and understand that I may not have all the answers which helps me continue on a path to always seek growth and continue learning. How are you exercising your gifts today? I exercise my gifts in my field. In the profession of law enforcement, it is important to remain disciplined. Instilling discipline in my chosen field brings forward good leadership and courage when dealing with issues in the community. Are you currently engaged in our ECHS Alumni Program in any way? If so, how? Yes. I participated as the Alumni Speaker at the Class of 2019 Commencement Ceremony. What is your favorite memory while at ECHS? There are several memories I still cherish from my time at ECHS. A few of the most memorable ones were the Catalina trip my freshman year, the opportunity to travel to New Jersey for an Earthwatch Expedition Internship, and the opportunity to Intern at Northrop Grumman my senior year. How has ECHS impacted your current education/success? ECHS gave me hope to actually pursue an education. As a minority student coming from a low-income family, I never envisioned myself graduating from high school since it was not a norm in my family. I am the third youngest of eight so for me it seemed nearly impossible since none of my older siblings made it past high school. Therefore college was never even in the back of my mind but as I progressed in high school and started finding myself, I realized that with some effort I can actually accomplish something for myself. I quickly turned F’s into straight A’s. After I saw potential in myself there was no looking back and I realized the sky was the limit. How has the environmentalism/sustainability curriculum at ECHS played a role in your life, if at all? The environmental/sustainability curriculum has taught me to be more mindful and aware of my environment. If you could recommend something that would improve the ECHS experience, what would it be? Overall, my experience at ECHS was great. At the time, I couldn’t wait to graduate but now looking back I wish time would have gone just a bit slower so that I can enjoy the moments a bit longer. What’s next for you/ what are your future goals? Continue my education & pursue my career in law enforcement.

Carolyn Lam, Current College Student Graduated from ECHS: 2017 College attended: Wellesley College College Major and/or Current Industry working (and title): Architecture Year you graduated/plan to graduate from college: 2021 What do you believe are your most powerful strengths today? How/why? Currently, I think my most powerful strength is my adaptability and resiliency. Being at an elite institution, I’ve realized how I am able to adapt quickly to the academic setting and social environment. I have found my place at Wellesley and I am thriving. When there are challenges I always look for solutions and seek help when I need it. I think these skills developed tremendously when I was in high school because I was being constantly challenged. How are you exercising your gifts today? I always try to support other low-income, first-gen students at Wellesley. I have also been back at ECHS as a summer intern. I love giving back to my community because I have achieved my dream of going to college. Are you currently engaged in our ECHS Alumni Program in any way?If so, how? Yes! I am in contact with Rachael, the wonderful Alumni Coordinator and I follow the Instagram account. What is your favorite memory while at ECHS? I loved everything about the Green Ambassadors Internship. My favorite memory was when we presented at the Disney Resort in Anaheim about food deserts and sustainability. I also loved every single camping trip. Yosemite was my favorite trip because it was our first trip with snow!! It was also during my birthday and I got to hike up to the top of OMG rock and have an amazing view. How has ECHS impacted your current education/success? I have a passion for architecture because of freshmen year intersession. That experience has helped shape my educational path because it exposed me to so many possibilities. ECHS connected me to College Match and I was able to seriously consider my college options and through the program I discovered Wellesley College and I was able to have the resources to get into the school and be a competitive candidate. Also, ECHS prepared me for the reality of being a low-income, first-generation college student. I attribute a part of my college success to the fact that I knew what to expect coming into college. How has the environmentalism/sustainability curriculum at ECHS played a role in your life, if at all? ECHS taught me the social injustice aspect to environmental issues and how POC are affected disproportionately. Coming to Wellesley, I brought that perspective to my classes and everyone was shocked because they never considered those views before.The ECHS curriculum taught me the importance of my community and going to college is not just about me. At Wellesley, I am more grounded because of the things I learned at ECHS.

Nylah Smith, Currently works at ECHS as the Research and Writing Intern and Black Student Union Education Coordinator Graduated from ECHS: 2016 College you attended/are attending: Xavier University of Louisiana/Santa Monica College College Major and/or Current Industry working (and title): Political Science/English/ Writing and Research Intern Year you graduated/plan to graduate from college: 2021 What do you believe are your most powerful strengths today? How/why? I believe my determination and creative outlook would be some of my most powerful strengths. Being able to believe in my creative abilities and stay afloat has led me to attracting the possibilities I’ve experienced this far. How are you exercising your gifts today? I exercise my gifts by sharing my experiences with the students I work with. Helping students build their creative voice and view literature from a personal perspective that acknowledges their personal identities rather than an ambiguous surface-level perspective. What is your favorite memory while at ECHS? My favorite memory as an ECHS student was being included in the emergence of Black Student Union, my sophomore year in 2015. Reigniting that personal sense of community relative to myself and friends, allowed for an increasingly heightened high school experience. How has ECHS impacted your current education/success? ECHS helped to build necessary skills such as public speaking, organization, and being a steadfast worker. In addition, to getting the chance to begin my teaching career in the environment and community that helped to raise me to be such a tolerant and progressive individual. How has the environmentalism/sustainability curriculum at ECHS played a role in your life, if at all? I don’t feel as though I would have learned much about things like environmental racism and how it is relative to me without the curriculum present at ECHS. Environmentalism is extremely political and plays a huge role in my life as a person of color. If you could recommend something that would improve the ECHS experience, what would it be? Financial Literacy by far. Low-income individuals understand the value of a dollar better than anyone else, however we haven’t been given the proper tools to establish positive relationships with money, it is always seen as an anomaly rather than a commodity. Students of color deserve those tools before going out into college where they will be responsible for themselves financially. Learning about credit, and filing taxes will be an extremely helpful asset to preventing them from making poor financial decisions. What’s next for you/ what are your future goals? My next goal is to finish my B.A., gain my teaching credential, and begin my career as a teacher. My ultimate goal is to earn my PhD, and open my own Freedom School to specifically target liberating students of color.

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Environmental Charter High School hosted its first networking event for alumni on Friday, January 8th. It was exciting to reconnect with our alumni and we’re looking forward to offering more opportunities and career building resources to our growing network!