Avid for college success

Deirdre Newman

Attaining a goal is often easier if you are surrounded by others

who are shooting for the same target.

In the case of a cadre of extremely motivated students at Estancia

High School -- who are part of the Advancement Via Individual

Determination Program (AVID) -- the bull’s-eye is college.

On Monday, AVID teacher Robert Sterling focused on the importance

of mutual support and encouragement by asking the AVID students to

work in teams and choose the characteristics they consider necessary

for success.

“I want them to feel some obligation to each other,” Sterling

said. “We believe, in AVID, that we are a group that will help all of

us get to college.”

The AVID program at Estancia serves the middle third of students,

those who fall between the high and low achievers.

“The story of the Westside of Costa Mesa is in this room,” said

Robert Cunard, Estancia’s assistant principal. “There are kids who

grew up in difficult circumstances. But there are also those from

well-to-do families who want to do better. All they need is the

desire, and the tools are here.”

Last week, Sterling discussed organizational skills. This week, he

wanted to emphasize the teamwork that would enable the AVID students

to help each other be more organized.

Sterling used famed UCLA basketball coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of

Success to introduce 15 important traits such as loyalty, confidence

and poise.

Then it was up to the teams of students to choose the six traits

they felt to be most important, prioritize them into a pyramid and

share them with the rest of the class.

The exercise seemed to pay off as the students continued working

together even after the assignment was over.

Or, as evidence, there were the two students who finished each

other’s sentences when asked what they got out of it.

“I think it’s really good because it helps us ... ,” said

Annalleli Duran, 16.

“ ... to know what to do to be ... ,” said Ulises Gonzalez, 16.

“ ... successful in life,” finished Annalleli.

Ana Osegueda, 16, said she was impressed watching the other teams

share their pyramids of success.

“It makes you think others will get somewhere in life by what they

choose,” Ana said.

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot

education writer Deirdre Newman visits a campus in the Newport-Mesa

area and writes about her experience.