Lynwood – More than 700 students packed into Lynwood High School’s gymnasium on April 26 to watch the upperclassmen commit to their future endeavors during the school’s second Decision Day, part of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s College Signing Day initiative to encourage all students to attend college.

Connecting with the hashtag #ReachHigher, 477 Lynwood High seniors signed a Decision Day poster, showing their intent to pursue their college or university plans, and hoping to motivate all students to strive toward college goals.

“This is important for us, because it creates a more formal departure from high school and gets us excited about what’s next,” said Lynwood High senior Angel Gomez, who will be attending UCLA in the fall on a full-ride scholarship. “I hope the freshmen watching this are inspired to announce in front of the school where they will be going to college four years from now.”

Seniors took the stage one at a time to announce the college they will attend and their desired major, then grabbed a pen and signed their name upon the official Decision Day 2017 poster on stage.

“I am very impressed each year with the number of students committing to their colleges and major of study while they are still in our high schools,” Lynwood Unified Superintendent Paul Gothold said. “This shows us that Lynwood Unified’s motto of equity and access for all is working, and our students know they are all capable of pursuing their dreams.”

Obama rolled out the Reach Higher campaign on May 1, 2014, to inspire every student to pursue and complete a postsecondary degree, whether at a traditional four-year college, two-year community college or through an industry-recognized training program.

As part of this campaign, Obama encouraged communities across the country to host their own College Signing Day events in 2016 to show their support for this call to action.

“It is so exciting to see students in Lynwood Unified take that next step toward their future,” Lynwood Unified Board President Alma-Delia Renteria said. “I am honored to be part of a District that is so dedicated to ensuring all students are prepared and determined to go to college.”

Lynwood Unified’s Firebaugh High will host its College Signing Day on May 18.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

050317_LUSD_COLLEGE1: Lynwood High School senior Juan Zavala signs the Decision Day 2017 poster, committing to attending CSU Dominguez Hills in the fall. More than 700 students packed into Lynwood High School’s gymnasium on April 26 to watch the upperclassmen commit to their future endeavors during the school’s second Decision Day, part of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s College Signing Day initiative to encourage all students to attend college.

050317_LUSD_COLLEGE2: Lynwood High seniors on April 26 sign their names upon the school’s Decision Day 2017 poster, committing to their future college and career ventures in front of underclassmen. More than 700 students packed into Lynwood High School’s gymnasium on April 26 to watch the upperclassmen commit to their future endeavors during the school’s second Decision Day, part of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s College Signing Day initiative to encourage all students to attend college.