○ VOL. 5 | ○ ISSUE 2 | ○ 2015

Union Bank Supports Lincoln Mentoring Program with $1,000 Grant

Scholarship NewsletterA MEMBER OF L INCOLN HEIGHTS EDUCATION PROJEC T, INC.

May Kishiyama

Kishiyama Scholarship Honors ESL Students This is the third year that the Kishiyama Scholarship has given out scholarships to Lincoln High graduates who have been in the ESL (English as a Second Language) program while in high school. It reaches out to deserving, needy immigrant students and honors them with a scholarship to advance their education. Paula Marroquin, pictured here, received a $1,000 scholarship this year and is attending Glendale College. Paula says that what stands out about college “is that I am more by my own. No one really is pushing me to do anything since they considered me mature enough to know what is beneficial or not to me.” She finds that higher education prepares her for the future by developing good habits to be “responsible, punctual, organized, systematic, efficient, analytical, and interpersonal.” Paula used her scholarship in the fall semester to register for classes, purchase books, pay parking fees and buy school supplies. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Union Bank has operated a branch office on the Lincoln High cam-pus for the last two years and extends its involvement with the school and community with a $1,000 grant to the Lincoln High Mentoring Program. The Mentoring Program and Kishiyama Scholarship are members of the Lin-coln Heights Education Project, Inc. Twelve student bankers under the supervision of Ms. Wendy Estrada,

branch manager, and Grace Buenrostro, service officer, oper-ate the Union Bank Lincoln High branch. The branch carries out many functions of a full service bank and offers students the opportuni-ty to learn about bank-ing and finance while working at a bank. The Lincoln

High Mentoring Program supports 10th thru 12th graders to maintain their aca-demic progress, prepare for college, investigate financial aid resources, and visit college campuses. This all-vol-unteer program recruits Lincoln High grads to mentor students. It has grown from a group of seven 10th graders in 2012-13 to thirty 10th through 12th graders in the current school year. Up to four students in each grade level are

selected in the 9th grade for an oppor-tunity to earn a $2,000 or $500 scholar-ship upon graduation, but most of the students participate as volunteers. The Mentoring Program ap-preciates Union Bank’s grant. Mentor-ing Program activities incur printing, transportation, and food expenses. In the past, the mentors have absorbed all costs. The $1,000 grant will offset a large part of those costs. The Lincoln Heights Education Project welcomes contributions to the Mentoring Pro-gram. Another link between Union Bank and the Lincoln High Mentoring Program is that four 12th grade Mentor-ing Program students serve as Lincoln High Union Bank branch tellers.

In the accompanying photo are (left to right) students Adriana Meza, Runrong Kuang, Wendy Estrada (Union Bank), Grace Buenrostro (Union Bank), and Bianca Lopez. Yvonne Liu is in the other photo.

Paula Marroquin

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○ VOL. 5 | ○ ISSUE 2 | ○ 2015

LHEP, Inc. Launches Website

CONTACT INFORMATION

www.facebook.com/kishiyamascholarship

www.lheduproject.wordpress.com

kishiyamascholarship@gmail.com PAGE 2 of 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

NEWSLETTER EDITORBUCK WONG

LAYOUT EDITORSUSAN LY

Interview with Lincoln High teacher, Winnie Kwan

Kathy at greeting table.jpg

How long have you taught at Lincoln, and what do you like best about teach-ing here? I’ve been here since 2001, and I like Lincoln High because I grew up in this area in El Sereno. I wanted to work in a school with students of Asian and Hispanic back-ground. I like the students here. I like to challenge them and push them to challenge themselves so they could see their poten-tial. Also, it helps that I have become good friends with fellow teachers.

Why have you been a consistent sup-porter and donor to the Kishiyama Scholarship? I could relate because when I was growing up, my family and I did not have money. I understand how stressful it can be to be under that pressure, thinking about money issues all the time. I think Lincoln kids need all the help they can in that de-partment. This scholarship brings it home to

the community. I know it’s for the kids,

and I know a lot of the students who receive the Kishiyama Scholarships that sure work hard and deserve it.

What is your best memory of May Kishiyama? She was everywhere. She was al-ways busy and serious about her job.

What do you see as the long-term so-lution for students to finance college education? College should be made more af-fordable. However, students have to do what they have to do if they want it bad enough. Money should never get in the way. I had to work three jobs. They can find work-study, tutor, look for opportunities, spend their money wisely on worthwhile activities and say no to some others. Keep the finish line in sight because when they graduate, their job and career will pay off their debts, and they’ll see that it’s all worth it.

The Lincoln Heights Education Project, Inc. has launched a website that presents the activities and history of the

Kishiyama Scholarship and the Lincoln High Mentoring Program. Its address is www.lheduproject.wordpress.com.

We hope you will find it informative and interesting.

Ms. Kwan in her classroom.

MAILING ADDRESSLincoln Heights Education Project, Inc.

P.O. Box 65712Los Angeles, California 90065

Lincoln Mentoring Program Visits UC San Diego

This photo shows the Lincoln High group at the Ted Seuss Geisel sculpture during the campus tour.

In October, the Lincoln Mentoring Program took a

group of students to UC San Diego to receive college infor-

mation and experience a campus tour. Lilian Phan of the

Mentoring Program and Angie Lu of the UCSD Housing, Din-

ing, and Hospitality Office (both Lincoln High grads) arranged

and conducted the presentation and tour.