South County California Student Opportunity Access Program (Cal-SOAP) matters!

For many low-income and first-generation students the potential to succeed in post-secondary education seems unattainable, but a program called South County California Student Opportunity and Access Program (Cal-SOAP) helps make these goals attainable. Cal-SOAP relies on funds from grants that are not guaranteed. This inconsistency can affect the success of students involved in the program. For this project, four students, four teachers, a principal, and the director of Cal-SOAP were interviewed. The conclusion of the interviews yielded a wealth of information about the barriers these low-income and first-generation students will face in transitioning to post-secondary education with the absence of Cal-SOAP. By identifying and articulating these obstacles through this project, the director and I have begun to collaborate on how to implement programmatic changes that should result in the allocation of permanent funds. Doing so will result in greater student success in realizing their college dreams