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 Sequoia Adult School Scholars
        Helping adult learners succeed, one semester at a time

Sequoia Adult School Scholars (SASS) provides financial support, tutoring, and other assistance to adult students -- mostly immigrants working in minimum wage jobs -- so they can enroll in community college to continue their education, get jobs that pay family-sustaining wages, and serve as role models and advocates for their children.
 
SASS News
October 2016
SASS alums settle into college life at Cal Poly
 
SASS alum Amado Flores transferred from Cañada College to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in September.  His college roommate, SASS alum Moises Bautista, transferred to Cal Poly the year before. 

Moises Bautista (left) and Amado Flores at the Cal Poly Library.    
 
Moises, who started taking ESL classes at Cañada in 2008 and got his Associate degree 
in 2015, is majoring in industrial engineering. Amado, who started taking ESL classes at Cañada in 2011 and got his Associate degree in 2016, is majoring in civil engineering.

Amado says, "It's a big step from Cañada to Cal Poly. Living with Moises has definitely made the transition easier." 
 
"Without SASS's help, I never would have gotten here," Amado continues. "Because of SASS, I could afford to get started on a path that could lead me to the university."
  SASS featured in Cañada College publication 
The Olive Hill Press, Cañada College's bi-monthly newsletter, recently featured an article focusing on SASS's impact on students' academic success. You can view the newsletter here .
 
Please help SASS grow! 
This semester SASS is supporting close to 200 students in community college. But we need your help if we are to continue to serve an ever-increasing number of deserving students. 

 
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SASS tutors help
record number of SASS recipients
Thus far this semester, forty SASS recipients are receiving help from a SASS tutor -- up from eight recipients just two years ago.
SASS tutors, students, and family members at the SASS tutor/student  picnic held earlier this month.  
 
The meteoric growth of the SASS tutoring program is attributable to two factors: word about the tutoring program has spread among recipients so more are requesting tutors, and SASS has become more adept at using community resources to recruit tutors.
 
SASS tutors meet with their students at a time and location that is convenient to both student and tutor. Most students and tutors meet weekly at a library or coffee shop in Redwood City or Menlo Park, or at Cañada College. Sessions typically run an hour and a half, sometimes longer.  
 
Current SASS tutors come from a variety of backgrounds, with the current crop including  a retired English professor, three Facebook employees, two retired physicians, and two accountants. 

"I've been a SASS tutor for less than a month, but already I love it and look forward to meeting each week with my tutoring partner, Diana," says SASS tutor Erika Pretell.  "I was a bit nervous before we met because I had never tutored anyone before, but my student is smart, motivated, and hard-working, so that makes my job pretty easy."  

SASS tutor Erika Pretell (left) and Erika's student, Diana Viscarra, with Diana's family, at the SASS tutor/student picnic.

If you're interested in being a SASS tutor, or learning more about the program, please email us at SASS.Contactus@gmail.com.
SASS initiates Stars scholarship program
SASS has initiated a new scholarship called SASS Stars whose goal is to help talented, motivated, and career-driven SASS recipients achieve their goals by accelerating their progress at community college. The Stars scholarship provides two outstanding SASS recipients with $5000 scholarships for two years. To be eligible, a student must be a current SASS recipient who has attended Cañada or another local community college for at least two years. We will announce scholarship winners in December.