Southern California honors our students, teachers and counselors with a community celebration during our First Annual Peer Leader Awards Ceremony.

Southern California’s 1st Annual Peer Leader Awards Ceremony
By Alexis Shah
Program Director
College Summit - Southern California

Hollywood may recognize on screen talent at the Academy Awards, but College Summit and Darden Restaurants have decided to award the real talent of our community-our partners who have worked tirelessly to take on education access issues. Tuesday, May 19th was the launch of the first annual College Summit Awards Ceremony in Southern California. The culminating event for Peer Leaders celebrates both their progress during the past school year and their impending journey to the collegiate level. The awards also honored our schools’ collaboration among the different parties involved in the College Summit Program and college enrollment efforts.

The reception was short and delightful. The DJ played music that kept students feeling energized as they relished in the hors d’oeuvres and celebrated their reunion with peers from College Summit partner high schools and their volunteer Writing Coaches and College Counselors. Funders, corporate sponsors, new advisory board members and community partners were able to rub shoulders with our great and assiduous College Summit Peer Influencers and partner high school stakeholders. Afterwards, all made their way into Arleta High School’s beautiful Mustang Theatre for an evening of laughs, surprises, inspiring stories and winners!

The College Summit Peer Leader Awards Ceremony was hosted by College Summit Co-Founder, Derek Canty who kept the crowd in the palm of his hands with his witty yet motivational remarks. J.B. Schramm, Founder and CEO of College Summit, gave a stirring speech about “launch pad” to “finish line” high schools that was followed by KTLA Prime Time Reporter, Elizabeth Espinosa’s most remarkable personal story of courage, faith, perseverance and beating the odds. 

Five awards were given out during the ceremony in true Academy Awards fashion. As the presenters disclosed the nominees, all turned to the massive white screen to watch video footage of each award category and our partners in action. Half way through the awards ceremony, the audience was treated to an acoustic rendition of “American Boy” by Arleta High School Peer Leader Jay Jay Gregorio.

The two hour ceremony began to wrap when the Peer Leaders were given homage by the College Summit - Southern California staff as medallions were placed around their necks to honor the great work they have done to build a college going culture in their respective high schools.

The curtains fell with students cheering, educators smiling and supporters clapping. It was a very special chance to honor teachers, principals, and our students for working so hard to create and foster their own launch pad high schools.