Hartnell College is extending the opportunity for Salinas-area high school seniors to participate in its “Panther Prep Pledge” priority registration program for Fall 2020 classes to April 24 rather than an original deadline of April 17.
By pledging online to attend Hartnell this fall, students will receive individualized assistance from the College Pathways Team and guidance from academic counselors to be prepared for priority registration on May 18. If they wait, they may find that courses they want are already full.
The pledge culminates outreach that began last October at 19 school sites across the Hartnell Community College District. During a series of high school workshops, the College Pathways Team led students through the Steps to Success, which include applying for admission, placement for English and math, online orientation and setting up a Hartnell email account.
Since 2013, Hartnell has held Panther Prep Day, a freshman welcome event to enroll and engage seniors, on its Main Campus in Salinas and its King City Education Center. In 2019, the event drew 550 participants in Salinas and 350 in King City. The COVID-19 outbreak required conversion to an online experience, including a virtual resource fair to showcase support services and enrichment opportunities for students.
The purpose is unchanged: to help students continue their education after high school and either go on to complete a four-year degree or prepare to begin an immediate career in a technical field.
“Panther Prep has been a great success in the past, and we were determined to provide all of its key benefits for students and their families, despite the challenges presented by the current situation,” said HCCD Superintendent/President Dr. Patricia Hsieh. “Our administrators and staff have been very creative in making that adjustment.”
Beginning the last week of April through May 15, Panther Pledge students will be able to participate in online guidance workshops with a counselor and select their first-semester courses. Parents can listen in on those sessions, and they can watch videos that help them prepare to better support their students. Parents can also tune in to a podcast that will be produced in May by the Academic Counseling staff.
“We really take them through the whole experience and take all the guesswork out of it,” said Ariana Rodriguez, the school’s College Pathways Coordinator. “We walk them through the entire process of enrollment, step by step.”
So far, about 800 of this year’s seniors have already completed the Panther Prep Pledge, but Hartnell wants to match or exceed last year’s total of 900 for the in-person events.
Combined with the benefits of the Salinas Valley Promise ― a new program of free tuition, mentoring and leadership training for first-time, full-time students ― has allowed Hartnell to consistently enroll more than 40 percent of graduating seniors at its feeder high schools.
“Whenever we go out to the schools, our Pathways Team staff always reiterate to students that we’re there to present an option, and the reason we do this across the county is so that all students have a path to college,” Rodriguez said. “Completing steps with us ensures that Hartnell is an option for them if they decide to continue with us after graduation.”
High school counselors are essential and valued partners for the Panther Prep program, she said, because they coordinate with teachers to make sure all students can take part in the workshops during their regular school day and provide ongoing support and follow-up with their students participating in the program.
Aurelio Salazar Jr., HCCD Governing Board president, said the partnership with local schools and school districts is key to Panther Prep’s ongoing impact.
“All of us share the goal of providing as much educational and career opportunity for our children and young adults as possible,” Salazar said. “Panther Prep is an expression of that team effort, and we are grateful to everyone’s support.”
Once students complete the Panther Prep Pledge, available on the college website at www.hartnell.edu/pantherprep, they will be invited to an online workshop with a Hartnell counselor to guide them through registration.