Students at one of the East Bay’s biggest high schools learned a lot about college on Tuesday, Nov. 1, including the fact that a UC education is in reach, regardless of income, for those who work hard in school.

President Napolitano visited Deer Valley High School in Antioch to deliver that message on the same day the UC application opened for fall 2017. She was joined by UC Regent Eloy Oakley, Congressman Jerry McNerney and Hammed Suleman, a Deer Valley alum who recently graduated from UC Berkeley.

Suleman, a long jumper who helped Cal win championships in track and field, told the 2,200 assembled students that he was similar to many of them.

“I never thought of myself as college material or smart enough to go to a top school,” Suleman said. As a 9th grader struggling with learning disabilities, he was pushed to focus on schoolwork by his track coach. Once he applied the same focus to schoolwork that he gave to athletics — hard work and a willingness to push past difficulty — he was amazed at what he was able to accomplish.

Don’t let doubt or fear deter you, UC Berkeley graduate Hammed Suleman told students at his former high school. Photo credit: Elena Zhukova

Read full article about the Deer Valley visit and similar events to be held at other California high schools.

Photo on home page of Link: At a UC visit to Deer Valley High School, students learned about aid that covers a large part of the cost for many undergraduates. Credit: Elena Zhukova

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