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Stand Out : Gabriella Salas , a student at Hoover High School , earned college credit through Discover UC San Diego .
SUMMER SCHOLARS High school students earn college credit at UC San Diego .
I t takes courage to start something new and tenacity to persevere , especially if the outcome is unknown . But in the end , the challenge is worth it — especially if it means earning college credit .
In June 2023 , hundreds of San Diego high school students participated in Discover UC San Diego , an innovative pilot program that offers free , online college courses delivered by the university ’ s faculty .
When Gabriella Salas , a student at Hoover High School , first read the course description for “ Ethnic Studies : Land and Labor ,” she was unsure what to expect . She had never taken a college-level class .
“ I gained a broader perspective of the world and other communities outside of my own ,” says Salas . “ By the end of this course , I learned to not always doubt
BY ERIKA JOHNSON ’ 11
Photo : Erika Johnson myself and how to properly manage my time .”
Beyond learning about a new subject , students in the program also gain insights about their own interests that may help them choose an academic major when applying to college . And the credits earned are transferable to any university accepting UC San Diego credits , which may shorten the time it takes them to ultimately complete their degree .
Discover UC San Diego is part of the university ’ s collective impact approach where multiple experts come together to execute a shared vision . The program is a partnership between the Office for Educational Innovation , Division of Extended Studies and the Teaching & Learning Commons . The spark for this innovative initiative occurred when the team realized that not every high school in San Diego offers honors or Advanced Placement courses — which give students a jump-start on college . Without access to these advanced high school courses , some students are unintentionally left behind because they are less competitive than their peers at other , better-funded schools . Discover UC San Diego may help students level up and change their entire academic trajectory .
More than 120 students from the San Diego Unified School District enrolled in one of three courses offered in the pilot : “ Ethnic Studies : Land and Labor ,” “ The Atmosphere ,” and “ Intro to Computer Science .” Each class was taught by UC San Diego faculty and developed to be accessible to high school students while maintaining the rigors of a college course that current undergraduates would enroll in .
For Kimmy Dang , a student at Crawford High School , enrolling in “ The Atmosphere ” opened up a whole new way of seeing the world . “ I learned about clouds and aerosols , balancing terrestrial and solar radiation , precipitation — topics that I could not have imagined touching upon in my high school education ,” she says .
And for UC San Diego professors , the experience was equally fulfilling and inspiring . “ I really enjoyed the energy , insight and creativity that the students of San Diego brought to the course ,” says Lynn Russell , professor of atmospheric chemistry at Scripps Institution of Oceanography , who taught the program ’ s inaugural atmosphere course .
After a successful pilot , the team plans to scale up the program with additional course offerings to include a course in American Sign Language and more opportunities to learn in real time . Ultimately , the team hopes to expand the program across San Diego and Imperial Valley counties , improving access to education for even more local students .
Learn more about Discover UC San Diego at discover . ucsd . edu .
16 SPRING 2024