Usually sciences
they're male-dominated and they don't
really have that much diversity so one of the missions that we have is to
increase the diversity in the science
field. The idea is that, when we
recruit students, we look for the
students that have the natural curiosity
of asking questions that they want to
learn more they want to figure things
out how does this work and then from
there on by us providing those different
hands-on activities on a weekly basis
that gives them an opportunity for them
to find out what they may be pursuing in
college
I was a student that came from Mexico
and came from a single-parent family so
a lot of times the counselors have lower
expectations upon those students because
of the background or you know or
whatever so for me just being in this
role it's kind of like opening doors for
those students that I didn't have when I
was going out that's why I'm very
passionate about the work that I do here
because it's kind of like providing
those opportunities that I didn't get
when I was growing up and I think that
the importance of it to get these
students to be able to have this
opportunity. The RISE program was funded
in 1999. It stands for Recruitment In
Science Education we're nonprofit stem
enrichment college preparatory program
that serves under-represented low-income
students from the salinas and
Monterey area
in the future I want to like someday
start a club or even call it helping the
environment and I could set up a lot of
beach cleanups also I want to be a
musician and I want to teach people how
to play many instruments basically help
everyone
Hitesh Kumar is one of our students who
this year who's gonna be graduating one
year early he had been taking an AP
classes a lot of college prep classes
his freshman sophomore year and that's
when he came about to RISE he comes from
a family who migrated from Fiji they had
faced a lot of challenges as a family
one of the biggest issue was trusting
people
when he test came to us he was very
quiet and very shy we never heard him
talk
after a year that he was with us we
started seeing that he started kind of
feeling more himself we see him kind of
coming out of the shell we started
seeing out smiling more we see him
participating taking the leadership like
when we were doing hands-on activities
which it was something that we never
seen in him a lot of students they come
in and after they interact with each
other for a year or two or three or four
the four years that they rise they
actually establish were a sense of
family
for us in our position is that we want
to make sure that they understand that
there's options there's opportunities
out there that can help them learn more
about the world that they live in and
how they can actually make a difference
especially for those students that come
from the Salinas area a lot of times the
parents you know because they work in
the agriculture fields they don't want
to do anything that has to be related to
agriculture so one of the things that we
try to do within our weekly meetings
that we try to break that down and also
they cultivated a sense of pride and the
parents of you know for the sacrifices
that everything they have done we try to
kind of make that connection with how
science is applyed in society.
My ultimate goal I'm dreaming big and
I wish to work in the FBI one day and
overall for my family I want to be able
to help them and just make a better
living for myself and them. Donna came to
us on the first couple years of high
school she came with a really strong and
letter recommendation and also you know
Donna comes from our family who migrated
from Mexico and they had faced many
challenges too. But by participating in RISE, she was able to kind of establish
that community to that sense of family
with us right now she's over exceeded
all our expectations and I'm pretty sure
she's going to be doing big things in
her future
one of the things that we try to
cultivate with the years that doing with
rise is that we want it to be a safe
place for them and at the same time it's
a place for growth one of the things I
want to leave with you today
think about anything you've learned in RISE. Think about when you started here
how do you didn't have those experiences
you didn't know about how to get
involved with the community that's are
now young leaders that are ready to
embark your new college adventure but I
want you to kind of keep the torch
really high. It gives me great pleasure
to welcome you to the 2016 graduation
celebration of the rise program
recruitment in science education
tonight we're gathered to celebrate your
accomplishments and more importantly
your future if I never joined RISE then
I wouldn't know how to help out in my
community and as for College I would
basically be lost and I wouldn't know
what I'm doing but through RISE like I
was able to learn how to research how to
solve my questions and get my answers. I
hope you decide to continue with STEM
when you enter higher education. Our
nation needs brilliant and dedicated
scientists to secure our future. My mom
she's really hard-working seeing her
work so hard makes me want to work hard.
That's why higher education is one of
the priorities because I want to be able
to help her in the future. You now have
the tools for success. We congratulate
you for your accomplishments and we're
confident that you will accomplish much
more in the future.
We planted a lot of seeds in you guys and I want
you guys to really work with that. Whenever
you're on break, break and you come back home, I
want you to think of your RISE Family.
Come and talk to our younger students let them know
about your experience in college. When it comes
comes from you testimony to our younger students, it means the whole world.
That means that you are living proof that RISE works.
we're gonna let everyone know who we are.
One group, one family. 1, 2, 3. RISE!
