This story about the Ohlone College Umoja Program was first broadcast during the live Ohlone Tri-City News program on April 5, 2023.
Anna Garcia, Reporter Vincent Torres, Photographer
ANCHOR
A program centered aroundAfrican American history, culture, and curriculum offers beneficial services and opportunities to college students. Here is Anna with the story.
REPORTER (V/O): The Umoja Scholars Program at Ohlone features a learning community with social support, cultural exploration, academic learning and counseling.
Sahid, Computer Science Major: There are so many benefits you get from Umoja, like a sense of service, which means like you have the service of your counselor that looks like you and gives you the best service you need on campus.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: I’m glad I joined Umoja I met very cool people I met Saba , she s an amazing person, it was just an amazing experience so far.
REPORTER (V/O): Umoja provides an empowering community where students can form friendships and experience cultural events and activities. Students find campus and transfer resources and scholarships. They receive support from counselors and mentors.
Saba, Counselor, Instructor, Co-coordinator: The 3 C’s, counseling, community, and classes, and really just like an African c entered atmosphere and environment resources connection that that really supports students and cultivates their success.
Margaret, Co Coordinator, English faculty member: We go on college tours. They can actually check them out, kind of help apply for scholarships and things of that nature. And we provide different kinds of leadership opportunities.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: My favorite experience was the Umoja Conference. We got to meet like a bunch of people who just knew about everybody, like we can relate to every single person that was in that room. And I had an amazing time with my friends and Saba.
Saba, Counselor, Instructor, Co-coordinator: It was really beautiful to see the students come into the conference, not really having connections to each other and then leave the conference like family.
REPORTER (V/O): The Umoja community of educators and learners actively serve and promote academic success, personal growth, and retention.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: Well, it honestly has helped me open up to people. I was very shy at first. And I feel like being in this this group, you just have to be able to open up, just be free, be who you are. And I’m more confident of myself.
Sahid, Computer Science Major: I would say family, because you’ve been with Umoja, as you know, the word is a word that means unity. So, it’s like a sense of family.
REPORTER (V/O): Umoja helps students make a smooth transition into college, and successfully transfer to a four year university. The program has a variety of resources on their website. They allow students to connect with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and UC’s and CSU’s that have an Umoja or similar program.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: Before I was majoring in nursing and I was doing it for other people, but I thought it was for me, like I thought I was what I wanted to do. But I was more like throughout the semester I was like, is this really what I want to do? Or am I just doing it to make other people happy? I got to talk to Saba over here and she helped me realize, like what I really want to do, I should follow what I want to do, what makes me happy.
Margaret, Co Coordinator, English faculty member: There’s one of our new students this year who came here intending to do college and do well. But I remember even the first week the student was like, I love college, I’m going to college, I’m good at school. The student had never thought of himself as a strong academic student. And then this is someone, by the end of last semester, had multiple offers for employment at the college, tutoring in two different labs and working in some other offices. And just seeing that enthusiasm grow and really desire t o do more and believe in oneself to do more was just amazing.
REPORTER (V/O): Umoja is dedicated to enhancing the cultural and educational experiences of African American and other students.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: It’s an amazing place to be. It’s literally great. I would not be the person who I am today without being in Umoja or Saba or Dr. Maggie.
Saba, Counselor, Instructor, Cocoordinator: Umoja Scholars program is an amazing, amazing program. I’m so blessed to be here. It’s just such a beautiful program in terms of the students we serve. The fact that we’re one of the few places on campus that serves like black students in such a beautiful and unique way is what makes it like that much more special.
REPORTER (V/O): To learn more about the many great resources and opportunities the Umoja Program offers, visit Ohlone dot edu slash Umoja. This is Anna for Ohlone Tri City News.
Apr 5 2023
Ohlone College Umoja Program
This story about the Ohlone College Umoja Program was first broadcast during the live Ohlone Tri-City News program on April 5, 2023.
Anna Garcia, Reporter
Vincent Torres, Photographer
ANCHOR
A program centered aroundAfrican American history, culture, and curriculum offers beneficial services and opportunities to college students. Here is Anna with the story.
REPORTER (V/O): The Umoja Scholars Program at Ohlone features a learning community with social support, cultural exploration, academic learning and counseling.
Sahid, Computer Science Major: There are so many benefits you get from Umoja, like a sense of service, which means like you have the service of your counselor that looks like you and gives you the best service you need on campus.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: I’m glad I joined Umoja I met very cool people I met Saba , she s an amazing person, it was just an amazing experience so far.
REPORTER (V/O): Umoja provides an empowering community where students can form friendships and experience cultural events and activities. Students find campus and transfer resources and scholarships. They receive support from counselors and mentors.
Saba, Counselor, Instructor, Co-coordinator: The 3 C’s, counseling, community, and classes, and really just like an African c entered atmosphere and environment resources connection that that really supports students and cultivates their success.
Margaret, Co Coordinator, English faculty member: We go on college tours. They can actually check them out, kind of help apply for scholarships and things of that nature. And we provide different kinds of leadership opportunities.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: My favorite experience was the Umoja Conference. We got to meet like a bunch of people who just knew about everybody, like we can relate to every single person that was in that room. And I had an amazing time with my friends and Saba.
Saba, Counselor, Instructor, Co-coordinator: It was really beautiful to see the students come into the conference, not really having connections to each other and then leave the conference like family.
REPORTER (V/O): The Umoja community of educators and learners actively serve and promote academic success, personal growth, and retention.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: Well, it honestly has helped me open up to people. I was very shy at first. And I feel like being in this this group, you just have to be able to open up, just be free, be who you are. And I’m more confident of myself.
Sahid, Computer Science Major: I would say family, because you’ve been with Umoja, as you know, the word is a word that means unity. So, it’s like a sense of family.
REPORTER (V/O): Umoja helps students make a smooth transition into college, and successfully transfer to a four year university. The program has a variety of resources on their website. They allow students to connect with Historically Black Colleges and Universities and UC’s and CSU’s that have an Umoja or similar program.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: Before I was majoring in nursing and I was doing it for other people, but I thought it was for me, like I thought I was what I wanted to do. But I was more like throughout the semester I was like, is this really what I want to do? Or am I just doing it to make other people happy? I got to talk to Saba over here and she helped me realize, like what I really want to do, I should follow what I want to do, what makes me happy.
Margaret, Co Coordinator, English faculty member: There’s one of our new students this year who came here intending to do college and do well. But I remember even the first week the student was like, I love college, I’m going to college, I’m good at school. The student had never thought of himself as a strong academic student. And then this is someone, by the end of last semester, had multiple offers for employment at the college, tutoring in two different labs and working in some other offices. And just seeing that enthusiasm grow and really desire t o do more and believe in oneself to do more was just amazing.
REPORTER (V/O): Umoja is dedicated to enhancing the cultural and educational experiences of African American and other students.
Cielo, Administration of Justice Major: It’s an amazing place to be. It’s literally great. I would not be the person who I am today without being in Umoja or Saba or Dr. Maggie.
Saba, Counselor, Instructor, Cocoordinator: Umoja Scholars program is an amazing, amazing program. I’m so blessed to be here. It’s just such a beautiful program in terms of the students we serve. The fact that we’re one of the few places on campus that serves like black students in such a beautiful and unique way is what makes it like that much more special.
REPORTER (V/O): To learn more about the many great resources and opportunities the Umoja Program offers, visit Ohlone dot edu slash Umoja. This is Anna for Ohlone Tri City News.
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