UNLV outreach program helps needy high schoolers go to college

When Maria Garcia was a senior at Eldorado High School, she wasn't sure if college was for her.

Garcia, 19, wanted to earn a nursing degree, but she couldn't quite figure out how to get one. For starters, she didn't even know how to fill out a college application or seek financial aid. And as the daughter of a landscaper and a stay-at-home mom, tuition costs loomed large.

Help arrived when college access specialists descended on Eldorado two years ago and helped Garcia navigate confusing paperwork that eventually granted her a free ride to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The effort was part of a growing program run by UNLV that aims to help low-income, nontraditional students find a pathway to college.

"When you're lower income, you don't really think about college," Garcia said. "It helped me so much, because now I have an idea of what I will do with my life. And now I'm marking the path for my little brothers and sisters to apply for college."

For the past three years, thousands of disadvantaged high schoolers like Garcia have inched a little closer to college thanks to the UNLV-backed outreach initiative which brings college application experts to high schools across Nevada every October and November — prime time for graduating seniors to prepare for a post-secondary education.

Led by UNLV college access specialist Mallory Levins, the application session initiative has ballooned since she launched it in 2013. Last year, program coordinators logged 3,200 submitted college applications from 2,700 participating seniors at 15 high schools within the Clark County School District. This year, twice as many schools participated in this year's project, which is wrapping up this week.

That growth has impressed state leaders: Gov. Brian Sandoval this year proclaimed the month of October as College Application Month in Nevada based in part on the initiative's success.

"These youth might not otherwise have these types of opportunities," Levins said. "We want to target first-generation, low-income students who might not otherwise attend college."

The initiative is even beginning to reap some benefits from the successes of the students it has served. Garcia, for instance, is now assisting Levins with outreach efforts.

High schoolers who participate in the program say they appreciate the convenience of on-campus application sessions. Mark Anthony Cosentino, a 17-year-old senior at Chaparral High School, was among dozens who took a brief break from class last Friday to submit college forms at the school's library. With the help of counselors and outreach volunteers, he completed applications for his three top picks: Pennsylvania State University, the University of Kansas and Dixie State University.

"They put in the time to help us apply," Cosentino said. "It's one less thing I have to worry about."

Contact Ana Ley at aley@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5512. Find her on Twitter: @la__ley