Learning
Alliance to remember 10 years
By Yoshinori Okada
On-line Forty-Niner
Cal
State Long Beach’s Learning Alliance will
host “Staying Connected: Celebrating 10
Years of Success,” an event commemorating
the program’s 10th anniversary Saturday
at the University Student Union.
The Learning Alliance opened its doors in
1992 under current Director Bron Pellissier.
In association with the College of Liberal
Arts, the program had 92 students. More
than 600 students are currently involved
in the program, according to Jesse Ramirez,
Community and Leadership Development coordinator
for the Learning Alliance.
The event will celebrate the Learning Alliance’s
10 years of success, honoring its successful
students who generally graduate in four
years with relatively strong GPAs, along
with staff and faculty members who have
made the program possible.
“It’s an opportunity to bring everybody
together and say thank you for helping us
be successful, and we look forward to the
next 10 years of success here at Long Beach
State,” said Ramirez. “In 10 years, more
than 2,000 students have come to our doors,
we want to connect with them all. It’s like
a reunion.”
Amy Naluai, senior communication studies
major, agrees.
“It should be really fun,” she, said. “Any
Learning Alliance event is really fun. I’m
kind of looking forward to seeing people
that graduated from the program.”
Entertainment planned for the event includes
music and dancing, Monte Carlo games like
blackjack and craps, and silent auction
bidding, according to the Learning Alliance’s
Web site.
Among the programs offered to Learning Alliance
students are academic advisement and counseling,
priority registration and unique University
100 courses. In addition to these academic
programs, freshmen are required to attend
three campus events each semester. Sophomores
take part in the community involvement program,
where students serve 10 to 15 volunteer
hours assisting on-campus facilities.
“It’s the great way for them to build a
connection to the university, [and] to help
them build an allegiance to the university,”
Ramirez said.
Noelle Leiblic, senior psychology and creative
writing major, added: “I attribute much
of my academic success and the fun I’ve
had at this university to my membership
in Learning Alliance.”
The main focus of the program is to help
students make a smooth transition to the
university, Ramirez said. The students frequently
drop by the lounge adjacent to the office
to chat and hang out with friends and peer
mentors.
The event Saturday will play an important
role in financially supporting the Learning
Alliance program. Profit from the event,
$20 per member student and $10 for one guest,
will supplement ongoing program needs and
scholarships for Learning Alliance students.
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