THROUGH a $300,000 grant from Citi Foundation, students transitioning to college or their senior year were recently given the opportunity to participate in a program that seeks to help prepare them for post-secondary education.
The grant for the Post Secondary Education Accessibility Initiative (PSEAI) program, administered by the Guam Community College, supported funding for English and math instructors and coursework, textbooks, tutors, financial aid counseling, college coping skills workshops, managing money workshops conducted by Citi employee volunteers, placement tests and career interest inventories.
Around 31 program participants experienced the benefits of the PSEAI program over the past six weeks. According to PSEAI counselor Esther Rios, the students’ academic progress last summer has been outstanding.
During the completion ceremony, she cited the case of one student “who pre-tested into Math 095 (remedial math), completed the program by testing into Math 161.”
Jasmine Nadres and Marivic Capati, two of the students in PSEAI, are enrolled in GCC’s Culinary Arts and Food and Beverage Management programs. The two graduates of Simon Sanchez High School and the GCC ProStart program at Sanchez are employed at Hyatt Regency Guam.
At the completion ceremony, Treasury Head of Citi Foundation Owen Lorzano handed over the symbolic $30,000 check to GCC Vice President of Finance and Administration Carmen Santos, and told the students, “My education at GCC prepared me for the technical aspects of my job with Citi.”
On her part, Santos said, “We hope that the headstart you’ve received on going to college this summer through this Post Secondary Education Accessibility Initiative has inspired you to continue on with your education, either here at GCC or at a four-year institution.”
She added: “And again, a warm thank you to Citi Foundation for their generous $30,000 donation that has made this all possible.”
