Stanton Elementary: College Bound at Kindergarten

While college graduation may be years away for students, they will soon be singing along to fight songs, learning about majors and rooting for teams of their possible future alma maters.

Stanton Elementary School is the first in the Glendora Unified School District to become part of No Excuses University, a national program that begins introducing students in grades as early as kindergarten to post-secondary education.

As a No Excuses University schoool, college and university symbols adorn every classroom and door, while students learn the fight songs and mascots of various universities.

“All children should go to college if they choose to do so,” said Stanton principal Sara Najarro. “We use college symbolism and vocabulary to introduce students to the culture of college.”

From local universities such as Azusa Pacific University to the University of Hawaii, each classroom adopts a university and will learn about the campus through speakers and special presentations throughout the year. Students will learn about the universities’ specialty majors and what it takes to go to the universities.

On Mondays, students will wear their NEU shirts and on Fridays, they’ll don their their college T-shirts and school colors. While the emphasis is on college, Najarro said students will be exposed to various types of post-secondary education, from community colleges and trade schools to four-year universities and post-graduate programs.

“It’s our duty to expose them now, because college can change their lives,” said Najarro. “If we wait until high school, it will be too late.”

Initiated by Poway educator Damen Lopez, the program is rooted in the belief that post-secondary education is the key to a better quality of life.

According to program statistics, the average salary of a high school graduate is $31,500 while the average earnings of a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree is $50,900.

Not only do students get an introduction to college readiness, but the program also focuses on parent education. The program provides opportunities for parents to learn how they can encourage their children to attend college and how they can save and pay for their child’s college education.

“College readiness is something students have to know from the beginning,” said Najarro. “College prep is what they learn in high school, but in elementary school, they learn college readiness. You can’t successfully take on college prep courses, if you’re not ready for it. “