County Sees Record Number of
College-Bound AVID Graduates

SAN JOSE, CA – After several years of study in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Program, a record 430 college-bound seniors from 19 Santa Clara County high schools will be applauded at the AVID Senior Recognition on Wednesday, May 20, at 3:30 p.m. at Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose.

AVID provides promising middle school and high school students who might not consider attending college with access to a rigorous college prep curriculum, tutoring and counseling. The program is coordinated at 87 schools in the region through the Santa Clara County Office of Education.

Virtually all of the local AVID graduates have earned admission to campuses of the University of California, California State University, community colleges, and private institutions throughout the country.

In many cases, the students overcame significant obstacles to succeed in the AVID program and become the first in their family to attend college. Maria Amaya Ochoa, a senior at Los Altos High School, expressed sentiments that were typical of her classmates: “I have been poor all my life, but this has not stopped me from wanting to attend college. The AVID program has guided me to where I need to be in order to become a role model for my community and support for my family.” Ochoa plans to attend UC San Diego and to become an architect.

The local program started 12 years ago with 77 graduates. This year, graduates are seniors at these high schools: Wilcox, Sobrato, Silver Creek, Prospect, Piedmont, Oak Grove, Overfelt, Mountain View, Mount Pleasant, Monta Vista, Milpitas, Los Altos, Leigh, Independence, Homestead, Gilroy, Fremont, and Cupertino high schools, as well as Accel Middle College, which is a cooperative program between East Side Union High School District and Evergreen Valley College.

Date last updated: May 15, 2009