NAC Among Honorees at OC Human Relations Awards 44 Gala

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NAC Among Honorees at OC Human Relations Awards 44 Gala

At the City National Grove of Anaheim on May 7, 2015, the OC Human Relations’ Awards 44 celebration “honored the outstanding human relations efforts of seldom-recognized individuals, model community policing programs and exemplary school programs that create safe and inclusive environments for Orange County’s students and residents” (OCHumanRelations.org). The Nicholas Academic Centers (NAC), honored “for supporting higher education for low-income students through mentoring and scholarships,” is proud to have been included alongside other local unsung heroes like Gloria Banks, the Bravo Family, De Colores Organization, Father Michael Mai Khai Hoan, and Farrah N. Khan, as well as Officer Jenny Lindsey of the Irvine Police Department and Savanna High School.
The ceremony, which celebrates “Justice, diversity, and the human spirit,” is an annual gala hosted by OC Human Relations, a non-profit organization founded in 1971 to “Build mutual understanding among residents and to eliminate prejudice, intolerance and discrimination.” To start the evening, the Awards 44 Ceremony opening speaker and OC Human Relations CEO, Rusty Kennedy, reflected on the organization’s mission and noted, “We bring people together at OC Human Relations, and together with all of you we can make the world a better place.” The idea of making the world a better place lies at the root of the Nicholas Academic Centers.
More than twenty years ago, now-retired Superior Court Judge and NAC Co-Founder, Jack K. Mandel, dedicated his time and resources to help Santa Ana students in need. Driven by his belief in the concept of “tikkun olam,” a Hebrew phrase that literally translates to “world repair,” the Judge mentored and tutored underserved students in a successful bid to help them get into, and graduate from, college. He did so because he believed in the mission, and his students absorbed the philosophy. Rosa Diaz, an original “Judge’s Kid” who now serves as the NAC Director, comments, “It’s an education issue, and it’s an equity issue. It’s about creating an equal opportunity for our students to have access to the same type of higher education as any other student. We want to be able to say, ‘No matter where you come from, you have an equal opportunity to access a college education.’”
In 2008, Broadcom Co-Founder Dr. Henry T. Nicholas, III partnered with Judge Mandel and launched the Nicholas Academic Centers, which are a part of a philanthropic network anchored by the Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation. With Judge Mandel’s guidance and Dr. Nicholas’s financial support, the NAC has reached impressive milestones. For example, 95% of all our graduates in over seven years have enrolled in college directly after high school, compared to the national average 66%, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Following a video of NAC highlights, Dr. Nicholas took to the stage at the Awards 44 gala to accept the unsung heroes award for the Nicholas Academic Centers. In addition to thanking the OC Human Relations Commission for the award, and the entire NAC staff, Dr. Nicholas specifically thanked the “602 graduates of the Nicholas Academic Centers.” Dr. Nicholas noted, “95% of them are Hispanic, many undocumented, who managed – going through our program – to level the playing field and get admitted to Harvard, Georgetown, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Purdue, and Notre Dame.”
To close the ceremony, after a night of celebrating “justice, diversity and the human spirit,” James Lehmann of Partners Advantage quoted famed author and poet, T.S. Eliot: “What life have you if you have not life together, for there is no life that is not lived in community.” He also added, “Our vision and goal for year 45 is to continue to build a community that is safe, that is secure, and that is inclusive for all people to live in, to work in, to go to school in, and to do business in by embracing the beautiful mosaic of people that we are.”
Watch a PSA video put together by OC Human Relations HERE.
(Photo credit for group photo: OC Human Relations)
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adminJun 08No Comments

Class of 2015 NAC Scholars Become Alumni at the NAC’s 7th Annual Graduation Celebration

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Class of 2015 NAC Scholars Become Alumni at the NAC’s 7th Annual Graduation Celebration

It’s that time of year, when finals mark the beginning of the end and seniors get set to walk in caps & gowns to the rhythm of Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” while collecting their high school diplomas. On Saturday, May 30, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, 124 Class of 2015 NAC Scholars traded caps & gowns for college sweaters as they took center stage at the NAC’s 7th Annual Graduation Celebration. In front of nearly 800 family members, classmates, community leaders, educators and school administrators, our NAC Scholars became NAC Alumni. With each step they took across the stage, they moved one step closer to realizing their college dreams.
Because of their hard work and dedication, this year’s graduating class earned acceptances into nearly 90 colleges, including Harvard, USC, NYU, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and Vassar. As NAC Co-Founder & Financier, Dr. Henry T. Nicholas, III, mentioned during his opening remarks, “These are institutions that are the most sought after, the most prestigious institutions of higher learning.” Dr. Nicholas commended NAC Scholars for overcoming economic and cultural barriers and “crushing” the statistics for college admission and retention. Approximately 77% of the NAC’s Class of 2015 graduates will enroll directly into a 4-year university, compared to a national average of 38% and only 26% for Latinos, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Overall, it is expected that 100% of Class of 2015 NAC Scholars will enroll in postsecondary education immediately after high school.
Just seven years after opening its doors, the Nicholas Academic Centers has extended its total number of NAC alumni to 602! More impressive than how many scholars have passed through the NAC’s doors and enrolled in college, however, is what these students are accomplishing once they get there. To date, our students baccalaureate degree completion rates in 5 years stands at 75%, versus a national rate of 55% and only 46% for Latinos, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Dr. Nicholas noted, “There are detractors out there who say there are preferences, that the standards are lower if you’re Hispanic, which skews it. Well, it turns out there are no preferences for the grades that you make when you’re in college; that’s the real test. It’s when [students] go to college and it’s how well [they] do.” Rosa Diaz, NAC Director, echoed Dr. Nicholas’s sentiments: “At the end of the day, no matter where you come from, whether it’s 2nd & Bristol, whether it’s Harbor & Edinger, where some of our kids from NAC 2 are from, if you work hard and put your energy into it, you will outwork anybody.”
NAC Co-Founder, Ret. Judge Jack K. Mandel, talked about the impact the NAC’s students’ performance will have on their lives and the lives of their classmates and families: “The seniors are about to take their first steps into American colleges and Universities, and the juniors know that if those seniors can get in, so can they. Parents, this may be beyond your horizons at this point, but it will be very much a part of your family life, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.”
City of Santa Ana Mayor, Miguel Pulido, presented NAC Co-Founders Judge Jack Mandel and Dr. Henry T. Nicholas, III with a Certificate of Recognition from the City of Santa Ana because of their contributions to Santa Ana and the students in the Santa Ana Unified School District. Mayor Pulido commented, “It has been my privilege to watch this [program] grow. Now, we’re not only seeing the benefit to the students, but to the community.” Mayor Pulido then presented five $1,000 scholarship awards on behalf of Faubel Community Partners, Rutan & Tucker Community Partners, and Communications LAB Community Partners to Class of 2015 NAC graduates Ana Karen Herrera, Cameron Fuentes, Ana Beltran, Nairuth Borath, and Lorena Ruiz.
Student speakers for the evening included Class of 2015 graduate Aileen Navarrete, who will attend Harvard in the fall, and Yerik Macias, who will attend USC. Both students were recipients of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, and both credited the NAC in part for their academic success, as well as the support they received from family, teachers, and counselors. Class of 2015 alum and recent Georgetown University graduate, Ana Rodriguez, also referred to the sacrifice parents make for the students’ benefit. Using her own experience of traveling far from home to pursue an education at Georgetown, Ana commented, “With no family in Washington D.C., I merely got a taste of what many of our immigrant parents experienced when they came to the United States. I realized that although this moment was difficult, it was nothing compared to hardships and sacrifice that our mamis & papis have endured to get us to where we are today.” Before concluding her speech, Ana challenged graduating NAC Scholars to write down their wildest dreams and internalize them to fuel their success. Ana reminded the graduates that while college is challenging, it’s not impossible: “Your hard work and commitment to your future will grant you experiences you can’t even fathom.”
Congratulations to our Scholars who have received scholarships:
Aileen Navarrete – Bill Gates Millennium Scholarship
Yerik Macias – Bill Gates Millennium Scholarship
Dayanara Angeles – $20,0000 – Avid Kingston Technology Scholarship
Itzel Sanchez – $20,000 –  Avid Kingston Technology Scholarships
Daisy Monjaras – $10,000 – Boys & Girls Club Scholarship
Maria Garcia – $10,000 – Heid Foundation Scholarship
Amy Villarreal – $1,000 – Difference Makers Scholarship
Maria Garcia – $1,000 – Difference Makers Scholarship
Ana Karen Herrera – $1,000 – Faubel Community Partners Academic Scholarship
Cameron Fuentes – $1,000 – Faubel Community Partners Arts Scholarship
Ana Beltran – $1,000 – Faubel Community Partners Most Improved Scholarship
Nairuth Borath – $1,000 – Rutan & Tucker Community Partners Legal Scholarship
Lorena Ruiz – $1,000 – Communications LAB Community Partners Journalism Scholarship
The Nicholas Academic Centers would like to thank the following companies and organizations for their generosity in awarding scholarships to our students:
Vanir Group of Companies
Faubel Public Affairs
Communications LAB
Rutan & Tucker, LLP
Watch a video highlight reel from the Graduation Celebration HERE.
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adminJun 08No Comments

NAC Scholars Attend University of Notre Dame Education Reception

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NAC Scholars Attend University of Notre Dame Education Reception

On Saturday, April 11, more than 30 NAC Scholars visited the Center Club in Costa Mesa to attend a University of Notre Dame presentation, featuring Don Bishop, Associate Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment for the University of Notre Dame. The event, which also offered appetizers and desserts before and after the presentation, was made possible by Dorene Dominguez, Chairman of the Vanir Group of Companies & University of Notre Dame alum, and Hector Barreto, Chairman of the Latino Coalition, a non-profit nationwide organization that aims to “develop initiatives and partnerships that will foster economic equivalency and enhance overall business, economic and social development of Latinos.”
Dorene Dominguez opened the presentation by sharing how University of Notre Dame helped shape both her personal and professional perspectives. Ms. Dominguez stated, “Notre Dame changed my life in so many ways,” noting that what she learned while at Notre Dame helped her continue to develop the Vanir Group of Companies, a highly successful, “full-service real estate development company specializing in the design, construction, lease and leaseback process.” When asked why she chose to attend Notre Dame rather than stay in California, Ms. Dominguez responded, “I thought an education should be more about an opportunity and experience, and not just about academics. It’s about who you meet there and the doors that open for you.”
Following Ms. Dominguez, Hector Barreto discussed the importance of choosing and attending the “right” college, claiming, “When you look for a college, it has to be one that really fits with your personality. When you go to college, it has to make sense for all of these reasons: Is it the best for your future? Does it match your personality? Does it match your values? Whether or not you go to Notre Dame, that’s the conversation you need to have with yourself to make the right decision.” Before welcoming Don Bishop to speak, Mr. Barreto reminded students to take note of what universities like Notre Dame have to offer: “What you’re getting ready to hear is going to open up your mind to all the possibilities.”
Rather than citing a list of statistics about University of Notre Dame, Mr. Bishop told stories from his personal and professional life to connect with students and touch on a variety of topics related to the college experience. He also offered advice for mentally preparing to get into college. For example, in contrast to aspiring to become neurotic achievers focused solely on being the best, Mr. Bishop encouraged students to “aspire to be a well-rounded person who works very hard and has goals and ambitions,” noting they should also “be impressed with your best efforts, whatever that is.” Mr. Bishop reminded students, “Any school that turns you down wasn’t smart enough to admit you.”
While explaining how his admissions department at University of Notre Dame decides who to admit, Mr. Bishop noted, “Through research, I’ve learned a lot about what really does factor into that success,” adding, “I’m here to tell you it’s not all about numbers.” Mr. Bishop then discussed the difference between IQ (intellectual quotient), EQ (emotional), and CQ (creative), to help explain how students are holistically evaluated for college admittance, and he encouraged students to work toward balancing the various quotients.
When one student admitted to sometimes feeling overwhelmed by the process, Mr. Bishop responded, “One of the things I will tell you about your life is you’re going to run into organizations where you want a job, or promotions, or you’re going to want to get into college or grad school, and you’re going to run into people better than you. Get over it. In fact, embrace it. You’re going to learn more from people who are better than you at stuff, than always being number one.”
After fielding questions from students about University of Notre Dame and the paths students should take to find fruitful careers, Mr. Bishop encouraged students to consider their interests when studying in college or choosing a profession. “Think about who you are and who you want to be, and have fun doing that.” Mr. Bishop added, “At one point, having fun to you might be as odd as wanting to become an econometrician.”
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adminMay 04No Comments

NAC Scholars Learn About Dictatorships in Latin America at Chapman Lecture

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NAC Scholars Learn About Dictatorships in Latin America at Chapman Lecture

On Saturday, March 14, students of the Nicholas Academic Centers attended the last Chapman Visiting Scholars Series lecture of the 2014-2015 academic year. Professor Alicia Kozameh’s presentation, “Dictatorships in Latin America: Surviving & Writing the Experience,” informed students about political oppression in Argentina in the 1960’s and 1970’s, citing professor Kozameh’s personal experience as a political prisoner, which can also be found in the novels, short stories, and poems she has had published over the years. An accomplished author and speaker, professor Kozameh has given readings and lectures around the world to share her experiences and promote human rights. While introducing her before the lecture, Dr. Daniele Struppa, Chancellor of Chapman University, considered the significance of professor Kozameh’s presentation, stating, “Most teachers in college will look at what other people have been writing and discuss the meaning of that. Here, we have the opposite. Alicia Kozameh is an internationally known writer, and what she writes is translated into many languages; there are entire classes in universities around the world where people talk about what she writes.”
Born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1953, Alicia Kozameh was aware of her sensitivity to social inequity at a young age. When she was still a child, another child asked if he could have her ice cream. Confused as to why he could not buy his own, professor Kozameh asked her mom. “Because he can’t afford it,” her mom answered. Professor Kozameh grew uncomfortable and she began to wonder why some kids could afford ice cream and others could not. This sensitivity, she notes, led her to advocate for others, and it has stayed with her as a writer.
In many ways, the discomfort professor Kozameh felt over the ice cream incident was a microcosm of the political scene unfolding in Argentina in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and tensions were rising between an increasingly repressive government and the body of people it represented. Professor Kozameh noted the assassination of several activists in Trelew in 1972 led to even wider political unrest across the country. Over the next couple years, as the situation worsened, many people were killed and arrested for political reasons.
During her time in college, professor Kozemah joined a group of people who spoke out against the government. In 1970’s Argentina, joining such groups was not safe. On September 24, 1975, police arrested professor Kozameh, her companion, and several others in similar groups.
On March 24, 1976, a military “junta,” or committee, overthrew the government and extended the country’s political repression. For political prisoners, the coup d’état in Argentina marked a significant shift from bad to worse. Professor Kozameh stated, “On this day, if we still had food to eat or people visiting day, all that stopped; all the political prisoners became very isolated from society.” According to professor Kozameh, police would often “transfer” prisoners from one prison to another, but officers would kill the prisoners along the way and claim that they tried to escape.
Eventually, professor Kozameh was transferred with nearly 1,200 other female political prisoners in Argentina to a prison called Villa Devoto, located in Buenos Aires. Under pressure from groups like the Red Cross, Amnesty International, and United Nations, the Argentinian government concentrated the prisoners into a facility more suitable for showcasing prison conditions to a national audience. Villa Devoto looked nicer than many of the other prisons, but the upgrade was minimal.
On December 24, 1978, three years and three months from the day she was arrested, professor Kozameh was released from prison; however, even her freedom remained “under surveillance.” For six months, professor Kozameh had to check in every month to show she had not left the area. When six months had passed, professor Kozameh received threatening notices to get out of the country, but ironically, the same government who sent the notices would not provide the passport she needed to leave. She did eventually get a passport, and in 1980, with help from a friend who worked for a travel agency, professor Kozameh journeyed to California.
As a legal refugee, professor Kozameh spent the next year living with a wealthy family in Pasadena. While there, the woman of the house gave her a desk, a typewriter, and paper so that she could write poetry. She also began writing her first novel. When her companion from Argentina was freed from prison and able to join her in California, professor Kozameh left Pasadena and got married. The marriage did not last, but the memories of her experiences in Argentina persisted, and so professor Kozameh began writing her second novel, this time about her life in prison. Before publishing the book, Pasos Bajo El Agua, or Steps Under Water, professor Kozameh returned to Argentina. Unfortunately, political forces threatened her once again, and professor Kozameh returned to California.
Toward the end of her presentation, professor Kozameh passed around journals that she wrote, as well as crafts she created, during her time in prison. When she was released from prison in 1978, she was not allowed to take the notebooks she had written, but she took risks and snuck them out in pieces, disguising them as letters and even stitching small folded pieces into her sandals. Students were able to hold in their hands the drawings and text that came out of professor Kozemah’s experience. These notebooks are significant and have been written about by other scholars. In closing, professor Kozameh told the students, “When you publish a book about your own experience, this kind of experience, it applies to [other’s] experiences. So, they see themselves in the book, and by informing the audience, the readers, about your experience, you are also informing them about the rest, the larger experience.” This is one experience they won’t soon forget.
(Click HERE to see the full photo album on our Facebook page.)
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adminMar 30No Comments

Students Challenge Stereotypes at Chapman Visiting Scholars Series Presentation

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Students Challenge Stereotypes at Chapman Visiting Scholars Series Presentation

“Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.” Raising her arms to the ceiling in unison with the 30-plus students in attendance, Dr. Kimberly White-Smith, Associate Dean, College of Educational Studies, opened the first Chapman Visiting Scholars Series presentation of 2015 with a simple, yoga-inspired breathing exercise designed to jumpstart students’ brain activity on an early Saturday morning. In one of the most interactive Chapman lectures to date, Dr. White-Smith’s presentation, “What’s In A Label? My Life In Stereotypes,” involved students in a number of activities and challenged them to reflect on their understanding of stereotypes and the impact stereotypes have on their lives.
Giving no more than her appearance and a brief background on her college education, Dr. White-Smith asked students to break into groups and write “the story of her life,” including details on where she grew up, who her parents are and what work they did, whether or not she’s married and has children, and so on. After scripting what they imagined to be Dr. White-Smith’s life, students shared their lists while the professor wrote everything down on large Post-Its place on the walls around the front of the room. Few groups could agree on Dr. White-Smith’s ethnicity, while several assumed she has one or more children and comes from a lower to middle-class socio-economic background. After Dr. White-Smith revealed that she identifies herself as African-American, and that she and her foster-brother were adopted and raised by an older couple, students admitted that they felt “weird” making a conscious effort to label her based on little more than the biases they didn’t even realize they had developed. Students also noted that they were afraid to share some of the items on their lists in case the items were offensive, which in turn might leave them open for judgment.
Dr. White-Smith addressed the students’ feelings about judging others, saying, “This innate thing we do as human beings, to know people, to figure people out, this curiosity that we’re just born with, is natural.” Noting how natural curiosity can be misused, Dr. White-Smith continued, “It’s [bad] when we take those particular desires and turn them into something that causes other people obstacles and pain. It’s the idea of stereotyping people, putting people in little holes and pegs and boxes, and not allowing them the freedom to at some time in the future walk out of that box. That’s when it becomes a problem.”
During the second half of the presentation, students were asked to write a list of times in their lives that they either felt stereotyped or had stereotyped someone else. Then, after discussing the impact these stereotypes can have, Dr. Kris De Pedro, Assistant Professor, College of Educational Studies, invited students to create a journey map to tell the stories of their lives using simple illustrations. Some students, like Class of 2017 NAC Scholar Marc Contreras, shared their stories with the audience. Marc talked about how he had experienced domestic violence at home and made bad decisions, which caused several people to label him early on as a gangbanger with little to no hope for the future. Eventually, however, Marc became involved with a youth shelter and began to take his education seriously, eventually finding his way to the Nicholas Academic Centers. Class of 2018 NAC Scholar Krystal Hernandez also appreciated the activity, noting how “it helped to explain or share with other people how stereotypes can really affect someone.”
An advocate for public schooling, Dr. White-Smith closed the lecture by noting, “I definitely think that education is a map to get anybody anywhere they want to be in life.” Dr. White-Smith explained that despite the labels people will put on the students as they move forward with their education and lives, people cannot take away the knowledge and power the students will gain through hard work, determination and perseverance.
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adminMar 03No Comments

NAC Students Rise for the One Billion Rising Revolution

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NAC Students Rise for the One Billion Rising Revolution

More than two months before the bass-driven beats of R3hab’s “Revolution” echoed off the walls outside the Yost Theater and Gypsy Den in downtown Santa Ana, before 30-plus students and mentors gathered and danced in front of unsuspecting spectators in each of these locations, and before chants of “OBR” competed with and eventually overtook the bustling city sounds of 4th Street, students and staff at the Nicholas Academic Centers began spreading the word and facilitating workshops on human trafficking & slavery, all in preparation for a revolution, a campaign to end violence against women around the world, a movement known as One Billion Rising.
For the third consecutive year, NAC students spent Valentine’s Day raising awareness and fighting for justice for women everywhere. The NAC’s involvement in the One Billion Rising campaign is part of a global grassroots movement organized to give voice to marginalized communities, using song, dance, signs, and rallies to make positive change happen.
In anticipation of this year’s event, the NAC’s Media Club launched a social media campaign and shared students’ reasons for rising. Class of 2015 NAC Scholar Harvey Sanchez declared, “I rise because I believe that we should treat others the way we want to be treated.” Class of 2016 NAC Scholar Hector Ibarra added, “I rise because I believe all women should always be treated with respect.” Amber Rivero, a Class of 2014 NAC Scholar who currently attends CSU Channel Islands, also reported, “I’m doing this to inform people to be a voice of those who have none, to spread the word on what women go through around the world and… I rise to break the chain of violence for those who don’t have a voice so that one day they will.”
On the day of the event, guest speakers from Live2Free, an organization that “exists to challenge a generation to make personal choices that recognize the dignity of the individual… and to network with others to rescue, rebuild and restore broken lives of victims worldwide,” talked with NAC students and shared information on how to recognize, avoid and report potentially dangerous behavior and situations.
Following the guest speakers, students practiced their dance routine in the alley behind NAC 1 before taking up their signs and marching down 4th street toward their first stop, the Yost Theater. Spread out in several rows across the plaza, the student-led flashmob performed a meticulously choreographed dance. According to Vianey Martinez, a Class of 2017 NAC Scholar who helped teach the dance to the other students, “The movements all have some sort of purpose. We didn’t just dance to dance. The movements represent different actions that we can take, and I think that’s really cool. It’s really powerful.” Those who didn’t dance handed out flyers with information about the One Billion Rising campaign. After the last notes of the song faded, spectators applauded the performance, and the group marched back towards Broadway to the Gypsy Den and performed the dance once again.
The NAC is committed to keeping students involved in community projects to encourage leadership in their community, whether on a local or global level, and the One Billion Rising campaign is just one of many events in which NAC students participate throughout the year.
Thank you to Jeffrey Gothard of the SAUSD and Channel 31 for interviewing participants & sharing a video of the story (which you can view HERE).
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adminMar 03No Comments

NAC Alumni Return at 4th Annual Alumni Panel & Potluck

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NAC Alumni Return at 4th Annual Alumni Panel & Potluck

On December 22, 2014, nearly 150 students started their holiday break by attending the NAC’s 4th Annual Alumni Panel & Potluck at Valley High School in Santa Ana. For the fourth consecutive year, alumni returned to address several college-related topics, including adjusting to culture shock, earning and saving money, coping with home sickness, and learning to balance academics with campus involvement and time with friends. One of the panel’s best features rests in the direct access it offered current NAC Scholars to the firsthand experiences of alumni who have found a way to successfully transition from Santa Ana to top-ranked schools across the United States. Another bonus, of course, was that after the panel, students enjoyed a “potluck,” this year catered by a professional taquero. The potluck portion of the event also allowed alumni to catch up with one another while sharing a good meal and participating in friendly (and sometimes ultra-competitive) games, like Musical Chairs.
This year’s panelists included a wide range of NAC Scholars, including Class of 2013 NAC Scholar Erika Simon (at Santa Ana College), Class of 2010 NAC Scholar Daniel Arambula (at CSU Fullerton), Class of 2011 NAC Scholar Jose Tizol (at CSU Fullerton), Class of 2012 NAC Scholar Mark Piñon (at UC Davis), Class of 2011 NAC Scholar Ana Rodriguez (at Georgetown University), and Class of 2013 NAC Scholar Erin Davis (at Birmingham-Southern College). Having attended colleges from the local state system to private colleges across the nation, panelists had enough experience to answer most of the current students’ questions with authority.
Among the many topics the panel explored, the subject of seeking help when needed—in academics and on a personal level—appeared to have a profound impact on those in attendance. The NAC, in its holistic approach to working with students, places heavy emphasis on social services to help students navigate the challenges they face inside and outside the classroom. Class of 2013 NAC Scholar Erin Davis encouraged students to find supportive people while in college: “Everyone thinks they can hold it together because it’s college, and you’re supposed to be mature and ‘get’ everything, and sometimes you just don’t.” Her voice cracked with emotion, Erin continued, “If you don’t feel like you have it all together, go and see someone.” Rosa Diaz, Chief Officer of Operations & Programs, added, “Always ask for help because people are there to help you at the college level. Whether you are in a school system that’s small or big, there are counselors, there are teachers…or even just a classmate.” In an effort to continue helping students, the NAC provides ongoing access to all NAC services for students in college.
Most of the panel’s conversation revolved around balancing time and saving money, with each panelist offering a unique strategy to get through unexpected financial hardships. Class of 2010 NAC Scholar & alum Daniel Arambula recommended saving up small amounts of money from each paycheck (for those who work) and living as though the savings do not exist, while Class of 2011 NAC Scholar & alum Ana Rodriguez suggested that students use a banking system that limits the amount of money they are able to withdraw from the bank each month. Ana noted that the risk of embarrassment from having a card rejected while trying to pay for dinner with friends is incentive enough to keep a tight watch on her budget.
Before closing out the panel and inviting students to reconvene outside the library for tacos and games, Maria Cortes, Director of Higher Education Services, thanked students for attending event and she reminded them to keep striving for success: “I think it’s just so great that all of you are breaking a mold that we have here; all of you are courageous, you’re going out to college, and you’re making things happen for yourself.” Maria continued, “So, whether you’re on your way out if you’re a current senior, or if you’re a current freshman, or whether you’re an alumni representing the Centers everywhere you go, just know that we are all so very proud of you, and we’re very excited that you’re here.”
Click HERE to visit the full photo album on Facebook.
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adminJan 25No Comments

Students Celebrate Continued Success at the NAC’s 6th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

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Students Celebrate Continued Success at the NAC’s 6th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

The Nicholas Academic Centers (NAC) celebrated the success of its students on Monday, November 24, at the NAC’s 6th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration at Valley High School in Santa Ana. The 450-plus people in attendance included NAC students and alumni, family members, community leaders, and high school and college faculty and administrators.
Broadcom (NASDAQ:BRCM) Co-Founder and former CEO Dr. Henry T. Nicholas, III, opened the evening by commending students for surpassing national averages in College Enrollment and Retention Rates. Dr. Nicholas noted that through time statistics have shown that the NAC program works: “The national rate for baccalaureate degree completion is 55%. At the NAC, most of the students are Hispanic, and the national rate for Hispanic students is 46%. [The NAC’s] 5-year graduation rate is 80%, but our students have not dropped out. They’re still working.”
Retired Superior Court Judge and NAC Co-Founder, Jack K. Mandel, also shared a few words during the dinner celebration. After pausing to give thanks for the support parents have given NAC students, Judge Mandel turned his attention to the students and how they have caught the attention of colleges and universities: “Those of you who will give your after school hours are going to college. The colleges, good colleges, from all over America are coming to the Nicholas Academic Centers to compete to get you to honor their schools with your attendance in the future.” This fall, representatives from more than 20 colleges, including Georgetown University, University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, Haverford College, and Princeton University, visited the NAC to meet with students.
Santa Ana Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Richard L. Miller, gave thanks for the positive impact the NAC and its students have made in Santa Ana. Dr. Miller stated, “As it’s a time of Thanksgiving, I have to say I’m blessed to be here in Santa Ana. You students are also blessed with a tremendous opportunity, but the only opportunity that works is when you put something into it.” Dr. Miller encouraged students to continue working hard, and said he plans to work with the NAC to figure a way to grow the program to help even more students who would benefit from the NAC’s services.
City of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, who has attended all six of the NAC’s Thanksgiving Dinner Celebrations, asked that students also remember to give back to the community: “Many of you will be successful, and you have to remember to give back because ultimately, as we get older, what we have are memories, and the best memories of all are of when you’re helping somebody else.”
During the dinner, two current NAC students and an alumna shared how the NAC has impacted their lives. Class of 2015 NAC Scholar Raymond Santana gave thanks for food, friends, and family, and the great weather in Southern California. Raymond also thanked the NAC’s tutors and Higher Education Services for helping students work toward achieving their academic and personal goals, every day. Class of 2015 NAC Scholar Concepcion Perez credited the NAC for giving her the confidence she needed to apply to and attend an intensive, two-week “Pre-College” program at the University of Notre Dame in June. Finally, Class of 2012 NAC Scholar, Katrina Linden, now a junior at the University of Notre Dame, shared how her experience at the NAC and at Notre Dame has inspired her to consider working in the non-profit sector after graduating college so that she, too, can give back to her community. According to Katrina, “My experience with the Nicholas Academic Centers and growing up in Santa Ana has forced me to recognize my deep need to help others.”
Before the Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration came to a close, Rosa Diaz, Chief Officer of Operations & Programs for the NAC, thanked Dr. Nicholas and Judge Mandel for making the NAC possible. “The 479 students who are already out of the door and have already made it are only part of the picture. There are 433 students that are still here and will go out, and there are another 200 waiting to get in. If you look at those numbers, before you know it, we’ll hit 1,000, and without [Dr. Nicholas’ and Judge Mandel’s] vision, we would not have been able to do what we do.”
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Students Study Extreme Leadership and Test Their Survival Skills at Chapman Lecture

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Students Study Extreme Leadership and Test Their Survival Skills at Chapman Lecture

On Saturday, November 15, NAC students attended the last Chapman Visiting Scholars Series presentation of 2014, featuring Associate Professor Cristina M. Giannantonio, of the George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics. During the first part of her presentation, Dr. Giannantonio reviewed organizational behavior and the topic of extreme leadership, looking specifically at Sir Ernest Shackleton’s famous Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Endurance Expedition (1914-17). For the second half of the presentation, Dr. Giannantonio challenged students with a subarctic survival exercise.
Dr. Giannantonio opened the lecture by distinguishing Organizational Behavior from other fields of study, especially under the business domain: “A lot of business classes are very focused on ‘X,’ meaning we solve for ‘X.’ What was the return on investment? How much profit did you make? What’s our market share? They’re very focused on ‘X,’ but in Organizational Behavior we focus on ‘Y’ (or “why”). Why did someone do this? Why did a person behave this way? Why was this company successful?” According to Dr. Giannantonio, Organizational Behavior, as a field of study, focuses particularly on leaders and leadership. Organizational Behaviorists look at the traits and behaviors leaders share to try and discover why some leaders are more effective. Dr. Giannantonio stated, “What we’ve learned over many years is that you can’t take a leader, one model of a leader, and just plug them into every situation. The appropriate behavior or leadership style is going to be a function of the situation that leader encounters.” The challenge rests in figuring out what about each situation is important to understand.
Realizing that success in leadership is dependent on contextual variables, Dr. Giannantonio began to study leadership styles in extreme situations. Dr. Giannantonio defined an extreme situation as anything that falls outside the norm, or outside the scope of one’s daily experience. The definition falls right in line with the world of polar explorers. During what is known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, during the years 1897 and 1922, 19 explorers died in 17 expeditions spanning 8 countries. Dr. Giannantonio’s lecture included an overview of three explorers who “raced” to be the first to reach or explore the Antarctic, including Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton is best known for surviving the three-year Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, during which Shackleton traveled 720 nautical miles in a lifeboat to rescue his crew after their ship, Endurance, was lost to pack ice early in the trip.
During the second half of Dr. Giannantonio’s presentation, students and staff participated in a subarctic survival exercise. Students were told to prioritize a list of survival items, such as wooden matches housed in a waterproof container, and then asked whether they would stay or leave an isolated crash site in a snowy, rugged terrain. Because Organizational Behavior is often studied at three levels, including the individual, group, and organizational levels, Dr. Giannantonio’s subarctic survival exercise looked at outcomes based on individual decisions versus group decisions. Students first worked alone, and then in groups, to measure their chances of success surviving freezing temperatures with limited supplies and rations. Most students chose to attempt to leave the hypothetical crash site to find help, which proved to be “an almost certainly fatal decision,” according to a survival expert presented in a video that accompanied the exercise. In prioritizing the list of survival items, students’ results more closely matched the experts when the students worked in groups, an outcome that Dr. Giannantonio predicted based on previous studies.
Class of 2017 NAC Scholar Gabriel Piñon felt the lecture was perfectly suited for high school students: “The fact is that we are in school and we are pushed to be leaders, or leaders of the future. A lot of times [we’re encouraged] to be leaders, and sometimes we don’t know how, and this is a really good subject for the Chapman lecture.”
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Pre-Hispanic Mathematics & Culture Add Up to Deeper Understanding of Numerical Systems

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Pre-Hispanic Mathematics & Culture Add Up to Deeper Understanding of Numerical Systems

“There’s math in your culture, you know? You have math in your blood.” Like Jaime Escalante in a scene from Stand and Deliver, Dr. Luis Ortiz-Franco connected his audience to the subject of his presentation, “Pre-Hispanic Mathematics and Culture in Mesoamerica.” The lecture, which is part of the Chapman Visiting Scholars Series, introduced Nicholas Academic Centers’ students to ethnomathematics, the study of the cultural dimensions of the teaching and learning of mathematics. Specifically, Dr. Ortiz-Franco’s presentation focused on the cultural and mathematical contributions of three Mesoamerican civilizations: The Olmec, the Mayas, and the Aztec.
Although scholars continue to debate Olmec influence on other Mesoamerican cultures, many maintain that the Olmec, identified by some as the Zoque, were the first major civilization in Mexico. Of their many contributions, one of the most notable is the development of the concept of zero. Although other civilizations also developed the concept of zero, independent of the Olmec, Dr. Ortiz-Franco cites the Olmec as having been the first in Mesoamerica. According to Dr. Ortiz-Franco, “The Olmec were the first civilization in Mesoamerica, the first people who came up with a very clever idea, that clever idea of zero.”
Dr. Ortiz-Franco noted that Mesoamerican societies used their mathematical knowledge to great effect, creating calendars, designing architecture, and even building roads. Without the use of advanced technology, early Mesoamerican civilizations also tracked movements of the moon, stars, and planets. Dr. Ortiz-Franco remarked that between the three separate civilizations, the Aztec were the least developed because their domination in Mesoamerica lasted only 200 years, whereas the Olmec and Maya civilizations lasted much longer; however, each civilization offered notable contributions, including unique systems for counting.
After teaching each of the three Pre-Hispanic numerical systems, those of the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec, Dr. Ortiz-Franco challenged students to work in groups to solve a series of increasingly difficult equations. Several students shared their excitement about learning a “new” mathematical system. NAC Class of 2015 scholar, Javier Hernandez, stated, “I actually feel like I could do this by myself; I am going to tell my teachers…and see if they can solve some questions [using Mayan numbers].” NAC Class of 2018 scholar Belerofonte Mar added, “I got out of this presentation a whole new way of learning mathematics, and some background about Mesoamericans and their culture.”
Before closing his presentation, Dr. Ortiz-Franco encouraged students to continue working towards achieving their goals: “Just remember, whatever you want to do, you have to work hard, and erase from your vocabulary, ‘I can’t.’” Dr. Ortiz-Franco added, “You always can, you give it your best, you try, you work hard, and you’ll be just fine.”
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