October 2021 — Summer 2021 Dean's List, October Conversation Club, Emergency Relief for ESL and Undocumented Students, & more
Dear Upward Scholars students,
I hope Fall semester is going well. As we continue to ride the wave of the pandemic and make our way into cooler fall and winter weather, we encourage you to get vaccinated if you are able to and continue to wear masks regardless of vaccination status. We want you and your family to stay as healthy and safe as possible.
Please read through this month's newsletter as it includes Summer 2021 Dean's List photo request, October Conversation Club, Emergency Relief for ESL and Undocumented Students, a few program and employment opportunities, and upcoming scholarships.
Upward Scholars Announcements
Summer 2021 Dean's List Recipients
Dean's List letters for the Summer 2021 semester should be arriving soon for students who earned a 3.3 GPA or higher during the summer semester. This summer, only 190 of the 2,763 students enrolled in courses earned the Dean's List recognition!
If you receive a Dean's List letter, please take a photo of yourself with your letter and send it to me at jessica@upwardscholars.org or text it to (650) 254-6274 as soon as possible. We will be recognizing recipients via social media.
Spiritual and Emotional Counseling with Reverend Gerardo García Palacios
Upward Scholars offers all students and their families free spiritual and emotional counseling with Rev. Gerardo García Palacios (right). The pandemic has affected all of us and we want you to express your struggles and be heard in a safe, confidential, and virtual environment. People of all beliefs are welcome and Rev. Gerardo is English-Spanish bilingual.
Schedule a session with Rev. Gerardo by emailing him at pastorgarcia1679@outlook.com or calling/texting him at (650) 387-9174. Tell him your full name and if a family member schedules a session, they should also give the name of the Upward Scholars student they were referred by.
Save the Date — Virtual Conversation Club
Virtual Conversation Club
The Upward Scholars Conversation Club is an opportunity for you as students to build confidence in your English conversation skills via a safe, friendly, and welcoming environment.
Save the date for our next virtual Conversation Club on:
Friday, October 29, 2021
6:30 to 7:45 pm
RSVP by noon on October 25 to attend and invite your friends to do so as well.
External Announcements/COVID-19 Resources
Emergency Relief: Financial Assistance for ESL and Undocumented Students
If you have taken ESL courses in 2021 and/or you are an Undocumented Student, you may qualify to receive financial assistance to help you pay for your Enrollment Fees and any Non-Resident tuition. You qualify if you are taking 6 or fewer units at the San Mateo County Community College District and have been impacted by COVID. If you would like to apply for tuition assistance for the Fall 2021 semester, please complete the following application:
ESL/UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT ASSISTANCE APPLICATION
ESL is defined as any student who was or is enrolled in at least one ESL course for the Spring 2021, Summer 2021, or Fall 2021 term, and who is currently registered for a Fall 2021 unit load of 6 or fewer units.
Please note, COVID-related financial impacts can include the following, but are not limited to:
Loss or reduction of income
Unexpected medical expenses for student or family member
Inability to pay rent/mortgage or utilities bills
Expenses due to unexpected move
Loss of housing or catastrophic property damage
Unexpected transportation expense (i.e car repair bill)
Sudden loss of childcare or sudden increase in childcare expenses
Documented theft of books and other essential academic supplies or tools
If you need assistance with the application or have further questions, please contact the following Dream Centers:
Cañada College: Janet Rios Leon riosleonj@smccd.edu
College of San Mateo: Paola Mora Paredes morap@smccd.edu
Skyline College: Jackie Santizo santizoj@smccd.edu
re:work Bay Area Training Program
The re:work Bay Area Training Program was created to address the problem of high unemployment in overlooked Black and LatinX communities by providing free comprehensive career training and job placement focused on Software as a Service (SaaS) Tech Sales.
Tech companies need qualified and trained salespeople to grow and diversify their sales teams and re:work graduates create a pool of highly-trained and certified untapped talent for free.
The eight-week training program is completely free with many re:work graduates placed in full-time sales and business development jobs within months of completion making $55,000 a year plus benefits. To learn more about the re:work Bay Area Training Program and apply, click here.
Employment Opportunities
The Oriental Carpet in Downtown Menlo Park
General Labor & Retail / Driver - 40 hrs/week
2 Positions Available
Requirements:
Clean Driving Record
Must be able to lift 75+ Pounds
Fluent in English – Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus
Hardworking, motivated attitude
Weekend Availability
Long-Term Employment
SSN or ITIN
Job Duties: Driving company van to customers homes, moving furniture, layout out area rugs, reinstall customer furniture, drive back to store, sweep, dust, pull rugs out from large stacks.
This is a job that requires heavy manual labor. They are looking for someone who is willing to stick around and advance into sales in the future. Pay range $18-$21/hr based on experience.
Email resume and references to Jeremy@theorientalcarpet.com.
IMPACT Bay Area Suited and Whistle Instructors
IMPACT instructors provide opportunities for people to experience victory over fear and trauma. They teach life-saving skills designed to build confidence and safety. Both positions include extensive training (200+ hours) to become part of a teaching team instructing people of a wide range of ages and backgrounds to stay safe using awareness, boundary-setting, and full-force physical defense skills. Training is paid at $16.30/hour and instructor pay starts at $25/hour.
To read the qualifications, requirements, and job description for Suited Instructors, click here.
To read the qualifications, requirements, and job description for Whistle Instructors, click here.
Sequoia District Adult School (SAS) Job Board
SAS has its very own job board to help students like you find jobs. There are a variety of positions in various industries. Visit their website to learn more.
If you hear of any employment opportunities, please contact Jessica at jessica@upwardscholars.org and she will share them with all Upward Scholars students.
Upcoming Scholarships
The following is a list of external scholarships with upcoming deadlines. Click on the links to learn more about each scholarship.
NOTE: If you need help applying to any of these, contact Jessica at jessica@upwardscholars.org to be paired with a volunteer who can work with you one-on-one.
Good Lawyers / Good People Scholarship
Application Deadline: November 1, 2021
Some qualifications: not related to any current Simeone & Miller employee
Application Deadline: November 15, 2021
Some qualifications: identify as a woman; primary breadwinner for family
Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr. Scholarship for young hispanic leaders
Application Deadline: November 30, 2021
Some qualifications: enrolled full-time; undocumented students welcome; 25 years or younger
Emery Reddy Legal Studies Scholarship
Application Deadline: November 30, 2021
Some qualifications: law or legal studies major
To find an array of scholarships specific to your major or area of study, click here.
If you know of any other scholarship opportunities with deadlines in the next few weeks or months, please email me at jessica@upwardscholars.org, and I will share them with all Upward Scholars students.
Thank you for reading through this newsletter. I hope you found it helpful. If you have any further questions or want help with anything you read here, please reach out to me.
Onward and upward,
Jessica