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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A new Sunnyside program aims to boost college enrollment.
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Some students in the class of 2026 are already headed to college. But others are on the fence, wondering if college is for them.
For the first time this year, Sunnyside Unified School District and Pima Community College are partnering to bring students a program that will help them experience college before they even start.
Breaking barriers
James Palacios recruits students to PCC. He’s trying to get more high school graduates to enroll, especially Hispanic students.
“Historically, at Pima Community College, we didn’t have a large enrollment of that population,” said Palacios, the PCC Director of High School Engagement and Recruitment.
Students say they worry about college stress, cost, and assignments.
“I think I was more scared of the workload and how different it was going to be from high school,” said Destiny Inzunza, a Summer Bridge student.
Education Forward Arizona reports that in 2024, only around half of high schoolers enrolled in some form of post-secondary education, whether that was college or university.
“We wanted to come up with a program where we can break those barriers and get them connected closer to what the experience is – becoming a college student,” Palacios said.
Early start
This year, 19 Sunnyside graduates are experiencing college through the free Summer Bridge program.
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Student Ivan Quintana Mora said he always planned to go to college, but Summer Bridge is helping him get a head start.
“I was looking forward to what college is going to be like, and it’s pretty good – it’s way easier than high school, that’s for sure,” Quintana Mora said.
Classmate Inzunza is also feeling more confident.
“It’s good to see that there’s a lot of help and advisors and staff members that are willing to help, and it’s good to see it’s okay to ask for help,” Inzunza said.
If the program works, Palacios is already planning to expand to other school districts.
“If Sunnyside is experiencing some barriers, I can only imagine that they’re probably experiencing barriers as well, and we want to partner with them to create a solid plan,” Palacios said.
Students will be on campus for five weeks this summer.
Isabela Lisco is a Report for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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