August 1, 2006
Antoinette Battiste becomes FCE’s Interim Executive Director 
By Sharon Nelson Barber and Kenneth Jones
June 21, 2006
FCE Community Bids Farewell to Long-time Executive Director
Stephanie Wick
By Alexandra Bernadotte
May 19, 2006
One Hundred Percent of FCE 2006 High School Graduates Gocing to College
By Alexandra Bernadotte
May 9, 2006
FCE Receives Stanford Community Partnership and Volunteer Service
Award
By Michael Peña, Stanford News Service
January 29, 2006
East Palo Alto Group Lauded for College Successes
By Sharon Noguchi, San Jose Mercury News
January 28, 2006
FCE Celebrates its 10th Anniversary with National Advisor Dr. Cornel West
By Alexandra Bernadotte
On January 28, 2006, over 700 Bay Area students, educators, and community members gathered to hear Dr. Cornel West, Foundation for a College Education's National Advisor and internationally acclaimed scholar on race, politics, equity, and social justice. The event was co-hosted by the Stanford University School of Education and held at Dinkelspiel Auditorium as part of FCE's 10th anniversary celebration. Joined by Professor Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford’s School of Education and four FCE students, Dr. West engaged the audience in a lively discussion about creating educational opportunities for all young people. He identified four elements necessary for achieving educational equity: individual responsibility, parental involvement, qualified and caring teachers, and a national priority on educational opportunities for everyone.
Dr. West urged students to invoke the Greek notion of paideia (the formation of attention and the cultivation of the self) in their educational pursuits. He encouraged them to read Victor Hugo, “not just because your teacher wants you to and you can regurgitate some theme,” but because Victor Hugo will help them on their life journey “from womb to tomb.” He advised our young people to find their own voice, shift their attention from the superficial to the substantive, find positive channels for their rage, and continually strive for greatness, not just success.
“I do not know of a grander organization that believes that young folk ought to respect themselves, have confidence in themselves, trust themselves and socratically question themselves to develop empathy and become active democratic citizens,” Dr. West remarked about FCE. He concluded that San Mateo County is that much better off because of Foundation for a College Education.
FCE Students Share their Stories of Triumph
Four FCE students joined Dr. West on stage to discuss their own educational journeys and share their stories of triumph. Their passion and commitment to paideia was evident in their words. Dr. West applauded their accomplishments and praised their perseverance: “When I look at you, I am looking at human beings who have undergone the kind of paideia that I am talking about...You are a walking example of precisely the kind of victory that so many people have struggled for.”
Excerpts from the students’ remarks
Bennie Mackey
3rd year, Santa Clara University Law School
Being one of very few Black, male, single-parent household students bused from East Palo Alto to school in Palo Alto certainly gave me my share of issues. Even with my positions on student council and other leadership activities, I did not always feel accepted. Despite these obstacles, I made it to my senior year of high school thanks to my mother and an organization called FCE. FCE opened my eyes to a whole world of colleges that I knew nothing about. While on a college tour with FCE, I visited Pitzer in Claremont, California and immediately loved it. I have since graduated from Pitzer, and am proud to share that I am now at Santa Clara University Law School and I will graduate in May!
Linda Martinez
Sophomore, East Palo Alto High School
I started my high school career at a public school in Palo Alto. I always felt like an outsider and as if I didn't measure up to the other students. After struggling for a year, my parents and I decided to switch to a school in my own community. I had to repeat a year which meant I was starting as a freshman once again. Even though the transition was difficult, I feel as if I truly belong. Starting over in a new school in my own community of East Palo Alto has given me the opportunity to have the future I always wanted. I am part of our school's first student council, on the girl's soccer team, on the Honor Roll and taking advantage of every opportunity given to me. I now know for certain that I will go to college.
Anabell Cervantes
Sophomore, Palo Alto High School
Try to imagine this scene. A classroom filled with 30 students yet only one of them is Hispanic and there are no African Americans. That's my high-lane math class, and I am that one student. It is discouraging to see my classes so segregated by race. I know many Hispanic students like me who could be taking my math class, yet because they go to a different school or don't have parents who can fight for them, they don't get the same opportunities I do. Subtly it has been pounded into our heads that we aren't smart enough or capable enough to be at the top. My personal philosophy has been instilled in me by my parents: push past your limits, even though it seems impossible because you never know what will happen until you try. I will be the first in my family to go to college. I will not be the last.
Kimberly Trujillo Young
Graduate Student, Stanford University School of Education
I was one of 60 students annually admitted to the Tinsley Program, a court-ordered desegregation program, which meant that I was bused every day from East Palo Alto to Palo Alto to attend school. The educational opportunities for the students of East Palo Alto are promising; however, the constant crossing of social and physical barriers is daunting. My goal of education after high school was at first intimidating because I was the first person in my family to pursue higher education. To ease this transition, I chose to attend community college before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley. I am currently earning a Master's degree in Education at Stanford. I believe that education is the purest means of social justice and the most powerful means of social change. It is each of our responsibility to correct the glaring inequities that still exist in education today.
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