Marketing & Communications
Division of University Relations and Development
News Release
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First 'Compact for Success' Class Highlights SDSU's Incoming Students for Fall 2006 Classes Begin at SDSU Aug. 28 Contact: Gina Speciale Lorena Nava SAN DIEGO (Monday, Aug. 15, 2006) – When Wilfred Paloma first heard about the Compact for Success, he was just 12 years old, and he wasn’t exactly thinking about college. “I didn’t have a realistic view of what it took to get into college,” said Paloma, a first-generation college student.
But the Compact for Success quickly got him on track. Now, Paloma and his Sweetwater Union High School District classmates will represent the Compact for Success program’s first students to reach college. Paloma, who graduated from Montgomery High School with a standout 4.2 grade point average, is one of approximately 650 Sweetwater students expected to enroll for the fall semester at SDSU when classes start Aug. 28. That is a 78 percent increase compared to the number of Sweetwater graduates who enrolled as freshmen at SDSU last fall. The Compact, a comprehensive partnership founded in 1998 between SDSU and the Sweetwater Union High School District, guarantees admission to SDSU for any student from the South County district who meets program benchmarks. Beginning in seventh grade, the Compact promotes educational “roadmaps” of college requirements to students and their parents. It also includes programs to enhance the college-prep curriculum at district schools. The goal is to increase the number of college-bound students from the district, one of the most diverse in California. Now planning to study communications and advertising, Paloma said the Compact made a huge difference to him and many of his fellow students. “Since seventh grade, we were reminded what it would take to get into SDSU,” said Paloma, who also received a Presidential Diversity Scholarship from SDSU, which will cover nearly all of his student fees for four years. “It eliminated the confusion about college applications and requirements and let us focus on doing our best in school.” SDSU President Stephen L. Weber lauded Sweetwater’s efforts to advance the Compact for Success to this point. He said the partnership is a model for how universities and communities can work together to enhance access to higher education for large numbers of diverse students. “The Compact is important because it reaches a greater number of students, and doesn’t target just one small group,” Weber said. “It reaches thousands of students and enlists teachers, counselors and parents, who are crucial in supporting these students and making the goal of succeeding at the university part of the enduring fabric of their community.” Weber added that he anticipates the number of Sweetwater students who qualify for higher education and choose to enroll at SDSU will increase as the Compact matures. The Compact for Success partnership will continue with Sweetwater until at least 2012. The Compact doesn’t end when the Sweetwater students step onto SDSU’s campus. Many qualified to be “Compact Scholars,” which entitles them to participate in programs and activities to support their academic and student involvement on campus. Some will also receive scholarships supplied by the Sweetwater Education Foundation. The foundation a non-profit organization dedicated to securing private donors, such as the Ellis Foundation and the Stensrud Foundation, for the Compact Scholars. “We don’t just want to get these students in the door. We want to make sure they receive the support they need to give them the best possible chance to thrive and get their degree,” said Gonzalo Rojas, who helps run the Compact as SDSU’s Director of Collaborative Programs. Overall, SDSU will welcome its largest cohort of new undergraduates in university history this fall. More than 5,000 first-time freshmen and more than 4,000 transfer students are expected to enroll. SDSU received a record 52,000 undergraduate applications for this semester. SDSU officials expect the overall quality and diversity of these incoming students to remain very high. The average GPA and SAT score for projected first-time freshmen enrollees was 3.5 and 1046, respectively. Also, 43.5 percent of the admitted first-time freshmen are from historically underrepresented ethnic groups, up from 42.2 percent of admitted first-time freshmen in fall 2005. Weber will welcome the new students and their families at the New Student & Family Convocation on Saturday, August 26 in Cox Arena. Convocation will kick off a week of welcome events, including the “Aztec Bash” barbecue on Tuesday, August 29 at noon near Aztec Center. More than 3,000 new students are expected to show up for free burgers and meet student and university leaders such as Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. James Kitchen. Other noteworthy items, as SDSU prepares to begin its 110th academic year: Profiles of remarkable freshmen
Nicole Franklin: As a Gates Millennium Scholar, Nicole is part of a select group of students from across the nation who have received a full scholarship through her doctoral-level education from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The northern California native aspires to become a pediatrician and says she chose to enroll at SDSU as a biology major because of the university’s rich relationship between students and faculty. “I come from a high school where the faculty is very involved in their students’ lives,” said Nicole, who had a 4.1 GPA. “During my visits to SDSU, I felt that same positive atmosphere from the moment I first stepped foot on campus.”
Paul Volpe: It’s not often a college freshman can say he has met the president of the United States, but Paul, who received a Purple Heart while serving with the Marines in Iraq, can. After being injured in an ambush, President Bush visited him and other injured soldiers during his recovery. Nearly a year later, Paul has his sights set on obtaining a college degree. The 21-year-old says serving in the Marines will help him achieve his new goal. “I know how to be organized and meticulous and get things done,” he said. “When you’ve had people rely on you, and put their lives in your hands, it makes you a stronger person and you want to do your best for them and for yourself.”
DeAna Thomas: DeAna unexpectedly arrived in San Diego last August, after being driven out of Gulfport, Mississippi by Hurricane Katrina. She made a new life for herself at San Diego High School, winning over classmates and teachers alike. Now, DeAna is moving to another new place, SDSU, albeit by her own choice this time. She is enrolling as a pre-business major. “Everyone goes through trials and tribulations, but I know that they are only there to make you a stronger person,” DeAna said. “When times get rough, I will always be able to say ‘DeAna you made it through the storm and that was the biggest obstacle any person could experience.’” New Degree Programs and Facilities • The J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management (CEM) will begin offering construction engineering classes this fall. The program has direct support from the Engineering and General Contractors Association and the Association of General Contractors. “We are anxious to get the program up and running,” said David Hayhurst, dean of the College of Engineering. “We have several goals for the program’s future, including offering a master’s degree, offering continuing education courses for construction professionals and eventually establishing another program that will collaborate with our College of Business’ real estate program.” This summer the CEM program received a $3 million gift from Jack Filanc, owner of the Escondido-based J.R. Filanc Construction, and his wife, Jane, to support the program’s launch. • An undergraduate major in public health will be offered to students for the first time this fall, including Public Health 101, which provides a broad overview of different public health issues. At a time when an estimated four million California residents live in areas underserved by health care professionals, the Graduate School of Public Health is offering a new degree program that will ultimately bring more students into public heath-related fields. After many years of offering a bachelor’s degree in Health Science with an emphasis in Community Health Education, the undergraduate program is offering a new degree program with a Public Health emphasis. Approximately 50 students will be admitted into the program for its first semester. “Undergraduate students nationally are waking up to the importance of these issues and are demanding this education,” said Rob Seidman, associate director of the school. Graduates from the program will be prepared to work for health organizations, to pursue additional graduate work or become a doctor, dentist, physical therapist or other health professional. • The new College of Arts & Letters Building will be open for classes this fall and is the largest academic building on campus. The $34.8 million, six-story building will house the dean's offices and many of College of Arts and Letters' academic departments, including anthropology, English, philosophy, and the San Diego State University Press, the oldest publisher in the California State University system. With more than 100,000 square-feet, the building will also feature high-tech classrooms and laboratories along with five auditoriums ranging from 60 to 500 seats. In addition, a new parking structure with 200 spaces for faculty is adjacent to the building.
• The Calpulli Center will house Student Health Services (SHS), Counseling & Psychological Services and Student Disability Services. “Calpulli” is the Aztec name for a neighborhood structured to carry out a common purpose. The $28.5 million, 75,000-square-foot facility will include the SHS ambulatory medical clinic, pharmacy and optometry. SHS will have more than twice as many exam rooms as before (51, up from 24 in their previous building), significantly increasing the number of student patients it can handle. The new facility also includes a state-of-the-art digital radiology system and an expanded pharmacy.
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu. ### Editors Note: Photos of students profiled in this release are available upon request. Please contact Gina Speciale at (619) 594-4563 or speciale@mail.sdsu.edu |
