MEDIA ADVISORY: USC access program sends new crop of graduates off to college
The dream of a college education has come true for hundreds of families with help from USC’s Leslie and William McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative. The rigorous and nationally recognized program has taken more than a thousand sons and daughters of South Los Angeles from middle school to college. As NAI celebrates its 22nd graduation, all 57 graduates will head for college and 19 will attend USC in the fall on full scholarships.
Media RSVP: USC Media Relations, uscnews@usc.edu or (213) 740-2215
WHAT: Leslie and William McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative Gala
WHEN: Thursday, May 2, 5:30 p.m. — 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: USC University Park Campus; Argue Plaza
WHO:
• NAI 2019 graduates and families
• USC and NAI representatives and alumni
• USC interim President Wanda M. Austin
• Mark Hamill, actor and philanthropist
• Tom Kenny, actor and voice artist
• Leslie and William McMorrow, honorees
• Bill Ahmanson, Ahmanson Foundation
• Alysha Del Valle, NBC4 Today in LA Traffic Anchor, emcee
HIGHLIGHTS AND VISUALS:
• NAI graduates greeting all guests during networking hour
• Academic honors and scholarship awards ceremony
• Presentation of medals of completion
MORE ABOUT NAI:
USC’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative has graduated 1,097 students, and 438 will have attended USC as freshmen and transfers as of fall 2019.
This year’s NAI graduates received an average of six college acceptance letters, and 70% of NAI graduates were offered admission to University of California campuses. Collectively, the students were admitted to 57 colleges.
More than 80% of NAI students are first in their family to graduate from high school and attend college. Most NAI students are from public schools in neighborhoods near USC’s University Park Campus or the university’s Health Sciences Campus in Boyle Heights.
Since 1997, NAI’s high school graduation rate has stood at 100%, and 99% of NAI graduates attend college.
NAI students spend seven years attending early-morning advanced math and English classes on the USC University Park Campus with their high school teachers, along with full-day Saturday sessions, after school tutoring and mandatory summer sessions. Parents and advocates commit to monthly seminars covering child development, communication, home-learning environments, the college application process, financial aid and more.
Click here to learn more about NAI.
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