Stanford University Hosts Oakland Girls on Campus

What would it be like for a girl living in East Oakland, where 80% of high school seniors do not qualify for college? Growing up in such an environment, would a girl ever have the dream of going to college? Moreover, would she even feel that she belongs in college?

For the 22 girls of the East Bay that are members of Cinnamongirl Inc, not only is college a dream, but the dream will be made accessible as they see themselves represented at top universities.

On November 5th, middle and high school girls from Cinnamongirls Inc. will get a full day of immersion into college life when they visit Stanford University.

Each girl will participate in a small group dialogue and an informal question and answer session with students of color that attend the university. The Cinnamongirls will learn about what college life entails, such as classes offered, an introduction to sororities, fraternities and student organizations, and a relaxed discussion of what it’s like being a student of color in college. The girls will also learn about the qualifications of some of Stanford’s incoming freshman. The girls will tour the beautiful campus and see life in the dormitories.

"Many of our girls do not know anyone close to them their age that has gone to college and so they don’t know the expectations of what it takes to get into a major university. We want to expose our girls to the profile of a university student so that they understand the coursework and grades that are needed early on and can be prepared for the admissions process by their senior year in high school,” said Renée Richard-Smith, founder and director of Cinnamongirls Inc.

The girls are from Oakland, a city in which there are 50,000 girls*, 40% of which live below the poverty line*, and over 80% of which do not graduate from college*. Less than 10% hold professional careers.*

The objective of the trip is to ensure the girls see themselves as prospective college students, even if they are the first person in their family to go to college. Sponsored by Stanford, the event will open the girls’ eyes to the realities of college life, and perhaps for the first time, the reality of becoming a college student.

*US Census Data 2000