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Kayla Munguia moved to West County her last year of middle school, where she heard about Middle College High School.

“Middle College appealed to me because of the cost. I could earn an A.A. from ��ɫ��Ƶ (��ɫ��Ƶ) while finishing high school,” explains Kayla. “So when I applied to four-year universities, I’d already have two years of college coursework under my belt.”

Middle College High School is an Early College High School program at ��ɫ��Ƶ in collaboration with the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Students earn a high school diploma while working toward an Associate Degree.

Kayla participated in student government while at Middle College, working alongside administrators as well as ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Associated Student Union.

“It can be difficult to establish a community on a campus that isn’t yours. But being in student government was an invaluable experience for me because I learned how to be a representative for students, how to connect with adults and peers, and make projects happen,” shares Kayla. 

As a student at Middle College, Kayla qualified for scholarships at the ��ɫ��Ƶ Foundation. At the advice of her classmates, she decided to apply.

“Applying for scholarships as a Middle College student was intimidating,” Kayla admits. “I come from a low-income family, and I don’t want to put the burden of paying for college on my parents when they’ve already sacrificed so much for me.”

During the 2020 -2021 scholarship cycle, Kayla was awarded the Lindy Sinclair Scholarship.

“Scholarships will be a huge help with tuition, as well outside costs. I’m so grateful,” says Kayla.

Kayla graduated from Middle College and ��ɫ��Ƶ Spring 2020 with an Associate of Arts in Math and Science. She transferred to UCLA that fall, with the goal of studying law.

“��ɫ��Ƶ was such an inspiring environment to learn in. Students are always out on the quad, advocating for something. Listening to student leaders and watching my friends get involved inspired me to start my own journey in advocacy and social justice,” she says.

For Kayla, getting involved made all the difference.

“I found my community at ��ɫ��Ƶ. It can be easy to just go to class, do homework, then go home. But it was important to me to get involved. I encourage people considering going to ��ɫ��Ƶ to find their community. It really helped me get through school. Even though it’s not a four-year, you can still have memorable experiences.”