By Angelia McGowan

Graduation day for high school students is a time of celebration with family and friends. It’s also the day many students announce their plans for college. While some have not thought about going to college, others have planned months, if not years, in advance for this major transition.

This planning may include participation in pre-collegiate programs. Many higher education institutions nationwide offer these programs to help high school students prepare for college through tutoring, academic counseling and intense coursework. Students learn how to deal with test anxiety, taking notes and managing time. They also receive assistance with admissions and financial aid applications. For parents, workshops can help with planning to pay for the child’s education.

The University of Colorado’s Pre-Collegiate Development Program has prepared first-generation students for professional careers for more than 20 years. This year 1,467 students, representing 47 Front Range high schools, have benefited. The programs have a 96 percent rate in placing graduating seniors into higher education, hosting classes and activities at CU-Boulder, CU-Colorado Springs, and CU-Denver and Health Sciences Center.

“CU’s pre-collegiate programs serve students who are interested in attending CU, but also students interested in higher education in general,” said Carmen Williams, assistant vice president for diversity at the University of Colorado. “Continued development of pre-collegiate programs is vital to bringing many voices and perspectives to the table in any and all fields.”

The variety of perspectives is of particular importance in efforts to reduce health disparities, said Jason Thompson, interim director for the Office of Diversity at CU-Denver and Health Sciences Center. Building a multicultural pool of students interested in going into the medical field is a priority for their office and the community.

“Almost everyone knows a doctor, because at some point you will come across a doctor,” he said. “There are also physical therapists and pharmacists. It’s important to introduce the different professions early on.”

As Colorado communities become increasingly diverse, it’s key to recruit students that can become medical professionals that look like the communities they serve, said Olivia Rapacchietta, a third-year pharmacy student at CU’s School of Pharmacy and president-elect for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association.

“There are a lot of Hispanic communities in the Midwest area,” she said. “So, it’s really important to recruit Hispanic and Spanish-speaking students in the pharmacy field. We need to bring in students with that potential to identify with them culturally, for example, to provide medication instructions.”

The pre-collegiate programs have fostered a reputation of being academically rigorous and well disciplined, said Rapacchietta, who took advantage of a two-month pre-collegiate program to prepare her for pharmacy school.

“It’s necessary,” she said. “If you can successfully pass, you won’t have a problem with the curriculum.”

Rapacchietta passed physiology, chemistry and pharmaceutical classes through the pre-collegiate program. She also met people she’s still friends with today. She said her experiences have inspired her to be active with the diversity programs at CU-Denver. She often delivers keynote presentations at Minority Health Day events, and conducts workshops about healthcare disparities for minority populations at risk and mentors students.

“I had a really hard time getting into pharmacy school. I applied twice in 10 years and was finally accepted in 2003,” said Rapacchietta, who is bilingual. “I knew I wanted to go into the healthcare field. But, I didn’t have that kind of direction. No one in my family had gone to college.”

Rapacchietta said her road to college was tricky. She worked full time to go to college, and was not taking the right classes. For example, she took a calculus class right out of high school, but had to retake it because she had taken the course more than seven years ago, which meant it wouldn’t count for college.

“I really focus on pre-collegiate programs because, with the right information, you’d be surprised how far you can get,” she said.

For those students who cite cultural differences as a reason not to attend a certain college, Rapacchietta offers another perspective.

“When students come to sit in class with me, I tell them it’s really important for you to come to this school to represent your culture.”

Alyssa Valdez, a 16-year-old junior at the Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST), has participated in CU pre-collegiate programs for the past three summers on the downtown Denver and Boulder campuses. This summer she’ll participate in an intense five-week program at CU-Denver Health and Sciences Center. She admitted that initially she was not interested in the programs.

“My mom made me,” said Valdez, who after the first summer began to investigate for herself other pre-collegiate programs at CU. “I liked it, so I continued.”

“Parents are essential partners in the college planning process. It’s a good thing when parents support the students in programs and monitor their courses and activities,” said Patricia Ludwig, DSST director of college placement. “Alyssa is a real leader at school and working very hard to get ready for college. The beauty of pre-collegiate programs is that it works with students over time, ideally throughout high school.”

Graduation day is a year away for Valdez, but she’s already considering what she wants in a college experience.

“I don’t like the idea that some school classes are big. I want a smaller classroom,” said Valdez, who is editor and photographer for DSST’s yearbook and captain of the tennis team. She will also be featured in this fall’s Who’s Who Among American High School Students.

“It would be nice to see people who look like me, but I want to be in a diverse community where everybody’s not the same,” she said. “I would also like to study abroad and become more fluent in Spanish.”