Oportunidades Rumbo A La Educación (ORALE)
ORALE encourages Chicanx & Latine high school seniors to continue onto higher education and empowers them through knowledge and community.
This program is specific to high school seniors that have been admitted to UCSC. ORALE is one of the SIO programs that initiated due to the lack of outreach to our communities as well as under-representation of students of color in institutions of higher education.
Oportunidades Rumbo A La Educacion is presented by Movimiento Estudianti ChicanX de Aztlan (MEChA) in support of the ChicanX/Latine community at UC Santa Cruz. ORALE focuses on the ChicanX/Latine experience at UCSC while providing already admitted students with workshops about important aspects of college life such as student resources and financial aid. “X” at the end of the word of LatinX/ChicanX addresses gender neutrality.
ORALE Coordinator
Damaris Lopez
Fifth year, Sociology (she/her)
Through my role as e²'s ORALE coordinator and a member of MEChA I want to help other Latine students from under-resourced communities view higher education as an attainable option. As a first gen student, I encountered many challenges during my first years in college due to a lack of resources and guidance. I want others to not only have access to the resources and community necessary to succeed, but to also feel empowered to take ownership of their education and advocate for even more change on this campus and beyond. Outside of my work with e² I enjoy going out to eat with my friends, watching tv, and going on long walks in the woods!