The Santa Ana Unified School District was well represented during the inaugural TRiO Leadership Conference held on March 11, 2023 at Santa Ana College.
SAUSD Board President Carolyn Torres joined SAUSD students, parents and staff at the event, which was sponsored by SAC’s Upward Bound program and its student support services department.
Upward Bound is a college preparatory program that provides eligible students from Saddleback, Santa Ana, and Santa Ana Valley High School academic support and guidance toward a post-secondary education.
The conference began with a keynote speech by Torres in which she shared details about her journey to becoming a teacher, activist and Board of Education member.
Her remarks were followed by a panel discussion in which community leaders spoke about how receiving support from mentors and programs like Upward Bound helped them succeed in college and career.
Panelists included Torres, Santa Ana Valley High School Counselor Andres Guillen, Mayor Pro Tem Jessie Lopez, Silvestre Lopez of Project Youth Orange County, and Zuleima Mojica of Hoag Hospital.
Conference attendees rounded out the morning by participating in workshops and a resource fair.
