At the Top of Their Class

The Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP) at UC Santa Barbara will hold a series of UC Success Night events April 20-27 to celebrate the academic success of seniors from UCSB’s EAOP partnership schools who have been admitted to the UC system.

UC-admitted seniors and their families from Ernest Righetti, Pioneer Valley, Santa Maria, Fillmore, South, Rio Mesa, Channel Islands and Carpinteria high schools are invited to attend their respective school’s event.

The program will include recognition by representatives from the offices of U.S. Reps. Lois Capps, Julia Brownley and David Valadao, state Sens. Hannah-Beth Jackson and Andy Vidak, and state Reps. Rudy Salas, Das Williams, Jacqui Irqin and K.H. “Katcho” Achadijan. Student keynote speeches will be delivered in both English and Spanish, and attendees will also have the opportunity to meet UCSB faculty and staff members, administrators, alumni and current undergraduate students, as well as network with other students and families from their hometown who may be attending the same universities in the fall.

“It’s that time of the year when we celebrate the hard work and success of our EAOP students who have been admitted to one or more UC campuses for the fall of 2016,” said Britt Ortiz, EAOP director. “This will be our 15^th year hosting the ‘UC Success Night’ event, and acknowledging the achievements of our students (and their families) for being admitted to the UC system. 

“With the increasing competition for admissions it is a real academic achievement to be admitted to any campus in the system,” Ortiz continued. “So many of our students are first-generation and come from under-resourced backgrounds. Their hard work and overcoming various challenges and obstacles is absolutely worth honoring.”   

The first of six UC Success Night events will honor Fillmore High School students and will take place Wednesday, April 20, at 6 p.m. at El Pescador Restaurant, 1305 W. Ventura St. The Rio Mesa High School event will follow Thursday, April 21 at 6 p.m. in the school cafeteria. All three Santa Maria high schools — Pioneer Valley, Santa Maria and Ernest Righetti — will be honored at 6 p.m. Friday, April 22, at the Santa Maria Veteran’s Memorial Hall at 500 N. Pine St.

The UC Success Night for South High School in Bakersfield will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, April 25, in the school library, 1101 Planz Road. Channel Islands High School students and their families are invited to attend an event at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, in the school cafeteria, 1400 Raiders Way, Oxnard, CA. The series will conclude in Carpinteria at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, in the Carpinteria High School cafeteria, 4810 Foothill Ave.