2016-2017 College Track Annual Report 2016-17 CT Annual Report Digital Pages | Page 10

I always tell my students that
the world is bigger than one
city. They can live a life past
the hustle, past what the media
portrays, and sometimes even how
they’re labeled by adults.
Sitting anxiously in my high school guidance
counselor’s office, I looked up at all the college flags
on the wall, knowing that is where I was headed.
Many of the flags were for colleges I had already visit-
ed. At College Track, I had a mentor who made sure
I was on top of all the deadlines for college tours, es-
says, and scholarship applications. My calendar was
booked months in advance, and I even interviewed
at Harvard University.
So when my counselor gave my transcript a cursory
glance and asked if I had seen the army recruiter yet,
my disillusionment was palpable. Trying to be respect-
ful of those who serve our country, I politely declined
and said, “Thank you, but I have completed my A-G
requirements, and I’m here to talk about college.”
Her entire demeanor changed. “Oh, you know about
those?” she asked as she proceeded to open college
brochures and go through admissions information.
She finally saw me as a candidate for college instead
of a black male statistic. College Track had prepared
me to advocate for myself in this moment, and in so
many more that followed.
I joined College Track my sophomore year of high
school and soon found a group of people I can only
describe as family, who provided me with the positve
energy I needed in my life. The moments at the Col-
lege Track Oakland center were joyful and peaceful,
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and sometimes they cut a stark contrast to what
was going on at home. On one occasion, a conflict
with my brother left me injured. I went to school
and didn’t say a word to anyone. At the end of the
day, I remember walking straight into my College
Track site director’s office and sitting down. A gentle
question from him, “How you doing today?” released
a flood of tears that I had held back all day. He lis-
tened, shared some of his own personal experiences,
told me I wasn’t alone, and reassured me that I was
loved and supported. Through this process of mutual
understanding, I was able to stay focused and con-
tinue to push towards my goals.
In 2008, I enrolled at the University of California
Santa Cruz, where I cultivated my love of work-
ing with youth and discovered that I had a gift for
mentoring. I interned at a food justice program and
took on a leadership role—organizing 20 high school
students from alternative schools to grow gardens
and run a farm stand. I also worked with the Boys
and Girls Club as a basketball coach, where kids
learned teamwork through constructive play. In a
short period of time, I went from being a young city
kid from Oakland to a college student who loved to
be a hands-on mentor. The insights I shared with my
students about navigating life’s waves were the very
lessons I learned from my College Track family.