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December 2024
#BeThePath to Education
Thank you for supporting BLCI this past year. Through education, you changed lives. Once again, I am proud to report that 100% of the Class of 2024 are officially college freshmen and, on their path, to be the first member of their family to attend - and graduate - college. Results like these are only made possible with support from people like you, who continue to invest in our students and see the value of programs that #BuildThePath to college and help our youth thrive every step along the way.
The BLCI model is based on a minimum 10-year commitment that begins in the 3rd grade with free after school programs and continues all the way to college completion. The first two years of college are the most critical for student success—if students can make it to their second year, they are more likely to complete their educational goals. This is why your continued support is so important - economic challenges and rising operational costs have resulted in a 30% increase, raising the cost for a year of programming from $5,000 to $6,5000 per student.
Will you help #BuildThePath for underserved youth?
When our students thrive, so do our families, just like mother and daughter duo Krystal and Mirella. Krystal joined BLCI as an eager young 3rd grader and for over a decade was an integral part of the BLCI family. As a College and Career Success Program Assistant, Krystal used her experience as a BLCI alumna to motivate her students while she completed a double bachelor's in social work and criminal justice. Krystal is now pursuing her master's in legal and forensic studies at UC Irvine, but not before guiding her mom, Mirella, through her own admissions process at SDSU to earn a degree in public administration. Read their inspiring story and see what can happen when you #BuildThePath and remove barriers to education.
Recognizing the need for equity in education, The Century Club of San Diego selected BLCI as the newest Champions for Youth program beneficiary. As one of four charities, BLCI will earn matching funds based on how many donors we have compared to the other participants. Donations can be matched nearly 2:1 but we need your support. Donate online and learn more about the match with the button below or make your contribution out to Century Club of San Diego between now and January 26. BLCI will receive 100% of all designated donations as well as a determined amount of the challenge match at the end of the campaign.
A Mother & Daughter's Path
BLCI ensures the entire family is college ready and this starts with the Parent Program. Designed not just to create an environment at home that is conducive to learning, but also as a place of support while families learn about the various pathways to earn a degree. When families learn that education is possible, many are inspired to return to school themselves. This was the case for Krystal and her Mom Mirella.
Mirella had heard about BLCI from another parent. She saw the impact the program was having on her family, and she wanted that for Krystal. While Mirella had briefly attended community college, she did not have a support system like BLCI and when faced with challenges, she dropped out to work full time. It wasn’t until years later when she saw how BLCI helped Krystal that she was inspired to give college another chance, “At the time, I was at a place in my life where advancement in my job had come to a dead end because I did not have a bachelor’s degree. Having the support of the two people I love, Krystal and my husband, made me want to accomplish my personal goal. Krystal was my BLCI when I re-enrolled in community college and later applied to SDSU. I had accessible help not only with Krystal, but BLCI staff. Krystal already having gone through her own cycle and assisting BLCI students as a staff with the college application process made it easier for me to get through the application.”
“I would not be where I am today if I had not had BLCI in my life for the past 10+ years. It has shaped me as an individual, as a professional, and taught me to continue to stay hungry for anything that comes my way.”
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