Lynwood – Fifty-five Lynwood High and 101 Firebaugh High students received on-the-spot acceptances into 27 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) after a caravan of college recruiters, admission counselors and a few presidents visited both campuses on Feb. 10.

Lynwood High students also received $466,608 in scholarships and Firebaugh High students obtained $1.7 million in scholarships during the tour, organized by the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF) and the Black College Expo.

“Lynwood Unified works to continuously expose students to viable post-secondary options like these,” Lynwood Unified Superintendent Paul Gothold said. “We are very grateful for the relationships we have built with NCRF and these highly acclaimed colleges to support our mission of preparing students for college and career.”

Representatives from the participating HBCUs – including Tuskegee University, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, and Harris-Stowe State University – visited each campus for two hours, allowing students to submit their transcripts and ACT/SAT scores. Though a majority of participants were seniors, some juniors who had previously taken the ACT and/or SAT also participated.

About 99 percent of participants knew within 10 minutes if they had been accepted into a particular college.

Theresa Price, founder of NCRF and the Black College Expo, said she found a partner in Lynwood Unified and pledged to bring the HBCU caravan back to the District in 2018.

“Lynwood Unified really cares about its students and shares our same goals of increasing access to education,” Price said. “One of our major initiatives is to ensure each student has a plan for employment after high school. Whether that plan is to start their own business, obtain a degree or a certificate, it’s important to open up students’ eyes to the various opportunities that await them.”

The Black College Expo has brought representatives from HBCUs to school districts in underserved and underprivileged communities across the U.S. for more than 18 years, resulting in more than 400,000 students being accepted into HBCUs, as well as securing $300 million in scholarships.

“I’m so proud of all our hardworking students whose academic achievements afforded them this amazing opportunity,” Lynwood Unified Board President Alma-Delia Renteria said. “Our students are capable of such greatness and I enjoy seeing college become more of a requirement for students rather than a choice.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS

041317_LUSD_COLLEGE1: The National College Resources Foundation, founded by Theresa Price (front left), organized a caravan of college recruiters, admission counselors and a few presidents from Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Feb. 10 to visit both Lynwood Unified high schools, granting on-the-spot acceptances for 156 students and handing out more than $2 million in scholarships.

041317_LUSD_COLLEGE2: Lynwood Unified high school students, armed with transcripts and ACT/SAT test scores, met with representatives from 27 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on Feb. 10. During the event, students met one on one with HBCU representatives and, in most cases, learned within a matter of minutes if they had been accepted into college.