Monday, 7/21/97 Program serves disadvantaged youths PROGRAMS:
Internships, jobs at UCLA provide channels into society
By Cindy Choi Daily Bruin Contributor For Maria Blas, getting a
job at UCLA for the summer was something that impressed her family.
But above all, it impressed herself. Blas is among more than 200
high-school-age participants in the Summer Youth Employment and
Training Program (SYETP) who will be bussed daily into UCLA for the
next seven weeks. "This is the first time I’ve had a job," Blas
explains. "I think I got lucky because somebody must have been
watching over me," she continues, organizing piles of periodicals
in the Chicano Studies Research Library. Federally funded by the
Job Training Partnership Act through the City of Los Angeles, SYETP
provides employment and job training to economically disadvantaged
youth 14 to 21 years old. "Our ultimate goal is to assist students
in developing their occupational potential so that they can be
meaningful contributors to society," said Ramona Cortes Garza, the
director of state and community relations at UCLA. The origins of
SYETP lie in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Riots in 1992. The
program began when increased federal funds became available to get
youth off the streets and to channel them into positive areas, said
Cortes Garza, one of the first organizers six summers ago. One of
the program’s keywords, "opportunity," captures the vision of
SYETP. The participants attain experience on the job as well as
attend workshops on a variety of topics such as computer skills,
career planning, higher education, and race relations. Another
equally important objective is to expose the kids to higher
education. Maria Castillo, assistant librarian at the Center for
Chicano Studies Research Library, was once an intern during a
similar job training program in 1984 when she was in high school.
She points out that SYETP is "an opportunity to get a sense of what
a real job is." She reflects with empathy, "I came from one of
those schools," — a targeted school with a low-income youth
population. For Castillo, time spent mentoring interns "is an
opportunity to pay back." While working during the summer at a
bank, she gained a sense of direction about her career goals after
high school. "I try to be a role model," she says. Having been an
intern herself motivates her as a supervisor and a mentor. Both
Blas and Josefina Garces, interns working under the supervision of
Castillo, agree that the program is more than just a job. "It gives
us an opportunity to advance," Blas affirms. Glad that this work is
so different from her former job washing dishes, Garces believes
that this experience would look impressive on her resume. She plans
to rely on this job for letters of recommendation. According to
Roberta Steinberg, an administrative assistant at UCLA Extention,
students will learn how to establish relationships in a
professional way and build "confidence, character, and a work
ethic." Another keyword for the program is "future." Rather than
procure immediate benefits, the program seeks to ensure the future
of the interns. "The [SYETP] is about empowerment and you can’t
help but be excited about it," boasts Steinberg. The program will
stress the importance of higher education. However, the program
does have its obstacles. "The hard part…is making the campus
understand that it is an opportunity and not a favor," says Maribel
Berumen, the director of SYETP, pointing out a possible
misconception. Nonetheless, the chance to take somebody under their
wings produces an equally satisfying reward for the UCLA staff
on-site supervisors. Without a doubt "it is not what they can do
for us, but more what we can do for them," states Shawn Taylor, an
administrative assistant at the department of African American
Studies. The underlying message from the organizers and
participants is that involvement will contribute to the long-term
process to revitalize the city and to shape the future through
efforts today. This kind of opportunity for economically
disadvantaged youth creates "a way of shaping the community," notes
Steinberg. But moreover, the program hopes to instill a "sense of
ownership" explains Cortes Garza, a feeling of pride, and the idea
that a public institution such as UCLA can be their own. CHARLES
KUO/Daily Bruin Although she’s a senior at Hamilton High in L.A.,
Miya Holmes is upgrading computers at UCLA, an intern in the Summer
Youth program 97. Related Site: UCLA to Sponsor Summer Employment
and Training Program for Disadvantaged Youth (Press Release),
6/18/97