Philanthropy is “the love
of humankind,” and on November 9th people throughout San Diego and the nation will come together to celebrate this love. National Philanthropy Day is about celebrating and highlighting the accomplishments that philanthropies make to our local community.
It’s through continuous support from the San Diego community that Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI) students not only succeed in college but “pay it forward,” making an impact in not only San Diego, but society as a whole.
An alarming 97% of adults age 25 and older in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood DO NOT have a bachelor’s degree. With a 100% college enrollment rate, BLCI has become one of the nation’s most successful college prep programs. In a compelling feature, BLCI students will recount how they are defying the odds and how they are giving back to San Diego in a big way because of it:
Panchito Martinez (in BLCI since 4th grade) is currently at SDSU with a $30,000 scholarship to study leadership. He is now sharing that knowledge with BLCI students in the Executive Director’s Leadership Council as BLCI’s first Leadership Programs Specialist. He is this year’s Youth Volunteer of the Year with the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Damaris Garduño (in BLCI since 9th grade) just graduated from Kenyon College in Ohio and is currently teaching in an underserved neighborhood in San Diego through Teach for America.
Bernice Ramirez (in BLCI since 6th grade) graduated from the University of Virginia and Carnegie-Melon University with degrees in public policy and is now working on poverty issues internationally.
These are just some examples of BLCI’s social impact on our community. Among other BLCI alumni include graduates from Harvard, Yale, UCLA, UC San Diego and UC Berkley who are equally making a difference throughout the nation. These stories will lead up to San Diego’s National Philanthropy Day on November 9th and the BLCI open house on Tuesday, November 10th from 6-8 p.m.
One in particular, Barrio Logan College Institute, has changed the economic landscape of Barrio Logan by providing education to San Diego’s lowest-income students.
Celebrate San Diego’s National Philanthropy Day Event:
The event will be hosted at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on November 9th and will honor the biggest philanthropic players in our community. One of which, BLCI student Francisco Martinez, will be specially honored as one of two “Outstanding Youth/ Student Volunteers.” Francisco is available to talk about the emotions surrounding this honor and the philanthropic work he has done with BLCI that has led to this achievement. In honor of National Philanthropy Day he will also discuss the impact nonprofits have on the lives of others by recounting his own inspirational story as a low-income student at BLCI.
BLCI’s Social Impact
BLCI serves over 350 San Diego students and their families annually.
Afterschool programs begin in third grade, and continue through college completion and beyond. To date, 100% of BLCI graduates have enrolled in colleges throughout the nation, and 92% have enrolled directly into 4-year universities such as Yale University, Bates College, Smith College and the University of Virginia. BLCI students are happy to discuss how the program has personally changed their lives. Together, they’ll enlighten your readers with how the community can get involved by volunteering or donating.