KPLU Local News
(2009-07-29)
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Omar Cortez Perez on the campus of South Seattle Community College, July 22, 2009.
Gary Davis photo.
Omar Cortez Perez is a tall 19 year old. Soft-spoken and a little shy, he blushes when he smiles, and he smiles a lot, especially now that he's at college. "I like it, and I think it's perfect for me," he says of his new status as college student. Cortez enrolled at South Seattle Community College after taking a tour during which he saw the school's automotive center. He knew immediately the school could offer him the chance to become a mechanic.
"I like how they (cars) look, how they run. I love the smell of oil," he tells me. But to get into automotive technology classes, he needs a high school diploma. So he signed up for a special summer program that attracts students on this premise: once you visit a college campus, you'll want to enroll.
Amy Schwentor coordinates something called "Summer College" at South Seattle. "See," she says pointing to students at work in the SSCC garage. "He knows this is what it's going to be like, this is what he's going to be doing."
Summer College is a joint venture of Seattle schools, the Seattle Community College District and the City of Seattle. It's free for students who narrowly failed the WASL, the state's standard test. Cortez first heard about it this spring from a teacher at Chief Sealth High School, where he finished his senior year. "And I decided to take it, because I knew it was going to help me a lot for my future and my career," he said.
Cortez is one of 200 students taking classes at Seattle's three community colleges this summer. Some are high school juniors, some seniors, others are like him, out of school and in need of a credit or two for a diploma. As with Cortez, English is a second language for most of the Summer College students.
Despite the district's best efforts, Summer College is under-enrolled. A hundred slots were unfilled. There's always a few sign up and then don't show up. But, the Seattle School District estimates about 600 students are eligible for the program.
As I walk with Amy Schwentor across campus, she says part of the problem to fill all the seats is the WASL. Grades from the long test come back so late in the school year, she and others who work with students have to make a mad dash to enroll the kids who failed.
"So that's one of the biggest challenges," Schwentor says. "I was talking to a hundred kids the last week of school, just calling them out of classes." It's a situation that should improve. The WASL is being revised, shortened, and grades should come back sooner next year. Schwentor hopes those changes will help the district fill all 300 seats.
Meanwhile, Cortez has to pass the writing and reading portions of the WASL. He'll take the test in early August, after Summer College courses are completed. Is he worried? "Yeah, it is scary, but I have to do it. It's what I want for my future, so I'm trying my best," says the young man from White Center.
Still, he is confident enough. Cortez plans on starting his automotive technology degree in September at South Seattle. And his enthusiasm is apparently infectious. His older brother has decided to join him this fall. Gary Davis, KPLU News, Seattle.
Summer College will be open again to students next in the Summer of 2010. For information, click on the following link.
Summer College - Seattle Public Schools
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