Senior Celebration is a night of laughter, tears, and joy. It is an occasion for FCE’s community of students, alumni, families, and friends to publicly acknowledge the accomplishments of its graduating seniors. Everyone in the audience has played a role in helping FCE’s students realize their dream of attending college, and everyone listens with pride as one-by-one the students come to the podium to speak of the challenges, the hard work, and the sense of fulfillment they’ve experienced preparing for college.

During their time in FCE’s College Bound Program, students work with tutors, coaches, and mentors to develop the academic, social, and personal skills that enable them to negotiate the daunting college prep process. This year’s graduating seniors have succeeded beautifully. All 11 members of the class of 2009 have been admitted to at least one four-year college or university. In the fall, they will enroll in the following schools: Cal State East Bay, Cal State San Jose, Dominican University, Mount Holyoke College, St. Mary’s College, University of Arizona, U.C., Merced, U.C., Santa Cruz, University of San Francisco, and Western Washington College. This class brings to 102 the number of high school students that FCE has helped to enroll in college.


The Achievement Reception is an equally joyous event, where the FCE community recognizes its students who have reached important milestones in their educational careers. This year, thanks to the generosity of the College Access Foundation, The Farber Family Foundation, the Lew-Kessler family and many other individual donors to FCE, and the Glow Foundation, FCE awarded $60,000. in scholarships to its students. After thanking the donors who had awarded her scholarship, Erica Wilson, who will be attending Dominican College in the fall, also thanked FCE for helping change her belief that “college is just for rich kids.” Sally Rodriguez, who will attend St. Mary’s, received the Farber Scholarship, which, she said, will enable her not only to attend college, but to “become a mentor for other minority students.”

At FCE, we have always measured our success by the number of students who graduate from a four-year college or university. This year, nine students received their undergraduate degrees, bringing the total number of FCE college graduates to forty. Six FCE alumni have completed graduate study in education, journalism, law and social work. Two of the newest college graduates, Eboni Dunbar, who graduated from Macalester College, and Ameena Sweeting, who graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Howard University, will be attending graduate school in the fall.

What our students and their families accomplish with FCE’s help would not be possible without the support of our friends, donors, and volunteers who share our belief in equity and access to higher education. Thank you for your commitment to FCE’s mission.