San Pasqual Academy (SPA) senior Alurah Chappell was recognized by the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office for her ability to overcome adversity to succeed at its 5th Annual 25 Most Remarkable Teens awards ceremony.

Alurah received the award for Courage to Overcome: Family Situation. She has been in the foster system for the past three years as a result of a tumultuous family situation. While life on her own has been challenging, she has excelled at SPA where she plays five sports, has maintained a 4.0 GPA, and received 10 awards for academic excellence.

“I am proud of Alurah for everything she has overcome and accomplished thus far in life,” said Christopher Toomey, a counselor at SPA who nominated Alurah. “As her journey continues, I can't wait to see what the future brings. She is a promising young lady with a bright future ahead of her.”

Alurah hopes to attend UCSD and be the first in her family to graduate from college. This past summer she took a college class at Palomar College and also passed a difficult oceanography class. Toomey said she is the first one to volunteer when it comes to community events and has been a role model to her fellow peers.

“While waiting to receive my award the instant thought in my head was, ‘I don't hold a dime to any of these kids around me.’ I felt like I had nothing to offer besides a sob story to tell,” Alurah shared. “After my story was read, I saw tears in people's eyes and even my own started to water. Standing there in the light made me feel like everything was finally coming together and my work and effort were finally paying off. I am very appreciative to all who joined me for my ceremony, and who have been supporting me for years. I would like to thank all the politicians, and even the mayor who I got the chance to meet.”

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Join JCCS in January and February for the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) community forums.

The LCAP is important for JCCS and SDCOE as it provides a roadmap for what we will do to help our students succeed and how we will measure whether those actions are working. It explains how our organization will direct resources to benefit all of the students that attend our Juvenile Court and Community Schools and our special education school, Friendship.

The LCAP is created with input from school staff members, parents, students, board members, and community members, and it’s reviewed by these groups every year. The LCAP process is our opportunity to decide on our priorities locally so all of our students succeed.

Community forums will take place in January and February. Parents/guardians are encouraged to attend the forum in their region. Dates and times are listed on the JCCS LCAP web page.

The JCCS student representative on the San Diego County Board of Education for November was Ke’Shawn, a senior at San Pasqual Academy (SPA).

Ke’Shawn came to SPA behind in credits but worked with counselor Chris Toomey to develop and execute a plan that would put him on track to graduate. Because of his tenaciousness, he is planning to graduate in June and attend Palomar College to pursue his interest in being an auto mechanic.

According to Toomey, Ke’Shawn is an versatile athlete, excelling in football, basketball, and track. He is humble and lets his actions demonstrate his abilities.

Ke’Shawn encourages other students to not to be afraid to lead. He credits his teacher Donald Jackson, Coach Andrew Serrano, and Toomey with helping him get through some tough times and always encouraging him to do the right thing.

Board Member Paulette Donnellon introduced Ke’Shawn at the board of education meeting and said she looked forward to seeing him play in a basketball game this season.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 Black College Expo scheduled for Jan. 26 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at Bayview Baptist Church in San Diego. The Black College Expo features historically black colleges and universities with on-the-spot college scholarships and acceptances awarded to qualifying students. Some college application fees may also be waived. There will be informational seminars on financial aid and other helpful sessions. Juniors and seniors of all racial and ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to attend this event hosted by SDCOE in partnership with the National College Resources Foundation. Scholarships are available with the deadline of Jan. 16 to apply. Interested students must submit an essay of 500 words or less about “Why is a college education important to me.”

The 2023 Equity Conference Jan. 19 to 20 at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego has reached capacity and registration is now closed. However, you can still register your team to join our waitlist. The Equity Conference will be an opportunity to connect, grow, and learn as we work to make our campuses safe spaces for all students, staff members, and families, where they feel honored and valued.

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important thing a student can do to get money for college. Most students receive some type of financial aid, such as grants, work-study funds, federal student loans, and certain state-based aid. It’s free to fill out and could be a requirement for some schools and private scholarships. It’s for everyone! And it’s first-come, first-served so finish your FAFSA ASAP.

Another important acronym is the CADAA, which stands for the California Dream Act application. This allows undocumented students, DACA recipients (valid or expired), U Visa holders and students under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), who qualify for a non-resident exemption under Assembly Bill 540, Senate Bill 2000, and Senate Bill 68, to receive certain types of financial aid such as: private scholarships funded through public universities, state administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers, and Cal Grants. In addition, the California Dream Act, allows eligible students to pay in-state tuition at any public college in California.

Students in the East Region had the opportunity to learn more about local college and career options at a recent resource fair. Outreach staff from Cuyamaca College, Grossmont College, the San Diego Community College District, San Diego College of Continuing Education, and Southwestern College provided students with information on their schools as well as other career options.

Employees at San Diego SOAR Academy’s East Mesa site recently celebrated spirit week, donning costumes in honor of their favorite superheroes, wearing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and groovin' in clothes from their favorite era.