Since 2008, SMBMI’s education pillar has supported the College Horizons organization to encourage and facilitate higher education for Native American youth. College Horizons aims to increase higher education rates of Native students by providing pre-college, pre-graduate, and student support services to American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students.
In the College Horizons pre-college program, 200 Native American high school students experience a week-long intensive bootcamp with college counselors and admission officers on the college admissions process. The bootcamp includes researching their top 10 schools, completing college essays, applications, resumes and FAFSA forms. Students also work on their interviewing skills, test taking strategies, and how to be resilient and successful throughout their college careers.
College Horizons has served more than 4,000 Native youth since inception with a 99% high school graduation rate, 95% matriculating directly to a 4-year degree institution and 85% college graduation rate within 4-6 years. Tribal Council Treasurer Latisha Prieto serves as the Chair of the Native Student Programs Steering Committee at the University of Redlands, where the College Horizons program was held from June 22 through June 30, and she welcomed the prospective students.
