Mentoring Matters: Help Inspire Our Future Leaders

A Message From Our CEO Nancy Lindholm

Could you carve out one hour per month in your schedule to positively impact an Oxnard student's future? If so, Channel Islands High School has the perfect program for you: Upward Bound.

Upward Bound Channel Islands (UBCI) is a year-round, comprehensive, pre-college preparatory program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The program is designed to assist students from Channel Islands High School with college readiness and planning, career exploration, social and cultural enrichment, and the motivation necessary to complete high school and pursue a college education.

Employers are consistently experiencing challenges finding qualified workers, so this is a great opportunity to be part of a solution. Upward Bound students are exploring careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields, healthcare, computer science and agriculture, but mentors are not limited to those fields. Any professional willing to mentor a student is welcome to volunteer. Mentors are asked to invest one hour per month – a very small price to pay for a student's future and the future of our workforce!

To sign up, contact Upward Bound Director Dr. Maria Elena Cruz or her assistant, Diana Magana.

Program services and activities are free to qualifying students, some of who are able to earn a monthly stipend for their active participation. The majority of the students in UBCI will be first-generation college attendees in their families.

Along with the U.S. Department of Education, UBCI is an initiative of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) National Educational Service Centers. There are 16 centers in the United States and Puerto Rico, with two in California: Oxnard and San Diego.

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Photo from LNESC Oxnard's Facebook page

​“CRC employees took a special interest in this mentoring program to be a catalyst for increasing workforce opportunities for students, and also to show how the oil and natural gas industry has improved the lives of people from their communities.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being a mentor to three Channel Islands High School students. We discuss core academic subject areas, college preparation, STEM career exploration, and cultural events.  I have seen enormous increases in their levels of confidence and leadership development and hope that sharing my work and school experiences have helped them navigate some of the roads to higher education.” – Amy Fonzo, California Resources Corporation and past chair of the Oxnard Chamber