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Monday, 7/21/97 Program serves disadvantaged youths PROGRAMS: Internships, jobs at UCLA provide channels into society

By Cindy Choi Daily Bruin Contributor For Maria Blas, getting a job at UCLA for the summer was something that impressed her family. But above all, it impressed herself. Blas is among more than 200 high-school-age participants in the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program (SYETP) who will be bussed daily into UCLA for the next seven weeks. "This is the first time I've had a job," Blas explains. "I think I got lucky because somebody must have been watching over me," she continues, organizing piles of periodicals in the Chicano Studies Research Library. Federally funded by the Job Training Partnership Act through the City of Los Angeles, SYETP provides employment and job training to economically disadvantaged youth 14 to 21 years old. "Our ultimate goal is to assist students in developing their occupational potential so that they can be meaningful contributors to society," said Ramona Cortes Garza, the director of state and community relations at UCLA. The origins of SYETP lie in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Riots in 1992. The program began when increased federal funds became available to get youth off the streets and to channel them into positive areas, said Cortes Garza, one of the first organizers six summers ago. One of the program's keywords, "opportunity," captures the vision of SYETP. The participants attain experience on the job as well as attend workshops on a variety of topics such as computer skills, career planning, higher education, and race relations. Another equally important objective is to expose the kids to higher education. Maria Castillo, assistant librarian at the Center for Chicano Studies Research Library, was once an intern during a similar job training program in 1984 when she was in high school. She points out that SYETP is "an opportunity to get a sense of what a real job is." She reflects with empathy, "I came from one of those schools," -- a targeted school with a low-income youth population. For Castillo, time spent mentoring interns "is an opportunity to pay back." While working during the summer at a bank, she gained a sense of direction about her career goals after high school. "I try to be a role model," she says. Having been an intern herself motivates her as a supervisor and a mentor. Both Blas and Josefina Garces, interns working under the supervision of Castillo, agree that the program is more than just a job. "It gives us an opportunity to advance," Blas affirms. Glad that this work is so different from her former job washing dishes, Garces believes that this experience would look impressive on her resume. She plans to rely on this job for letters of recommendation. According to Roberta Steinberg, an administrative assistant at UCLA Extention, students will learn how to establish relationships in a professional way and build "confidence, character, and a work ethic." Another keyword for the program is "future." Rather than procure immediate benefits, the program seeks to ensure the future of the interns. "The [SYETP] is about empowerment and you can't help but be excited about it," boasts Steinberg. The program will stress the importance of higher education. However, the program does have its obstacles. "The hard part...is making the campus understand that it is an opportunity and not a favor," says Maribel Berumen, the director of SYETP, pointing out a possible misconception. Nonetheless, the chance to take somebody under their wings produces an equally satisfying reward for the UCLA staff on-site supervisors. Without a doubt "it is not what they can do for us, but more what we can do for them," states Shawn Taylor, an administrative assistant at the department of African American Studies. The underlying message from the organizers and participants is that involvement will contribute to the long-term process to revitalize the city and to shape the future through efforts today. This kind of opportunity for economically disadvantaged youth creates "a way of shaping the community," notes Steinberg. But moreover, the program hopes to instill a "sense of ownership" explains Cortes Garza, a feeling of pride, and the idea that a public institution such as UCLA can be their own. CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin Although she's a senior at Hamilton High in L.A., Miya Holmes is upgrading computers at UCLA, an intern in the Summer Youth program 97. Related Site: UCLA to Sponsor Summer Employment and Training Program for Disadvantaged Youth (Press Release), 6/18/97

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