CHC Finish Line Scholars Cohort

Publish Date: Dec. 22, 2022

To welcome the new cohort of Crafton Hills College Finish Line scholars, the student success team, with support from the CHC Foundation, hosted a pizza party on Dec 1. The 15 students selected for the program this year learned about the requirements and rewards of participation from the dean of student services, Dr. Ivan Pena.

Students were each given a custom t-shirt with a new graphic designed for the program. Career services director Trinette Barrie provided a workshop on writing thank you letters, and the attendees were asked to practice these skills by writing a letter to the donor Jay Pritzker and the California Community College Foundation to say thank you for awarding them this scholarship.

The Finish Line program is designed to improve completion rates, increase transfer to the UC and CSU systems, decrease the number of excess units a student takes to get an associate degree, increase job placement for career education students, and eliminate equity gaps among traditionally underrepresented students.

Students participating in Finish Line receive up to $5,000 per year based on eligibility criteria set by the donor. The program’s participants are selected using the College’s equity data to identify students in disproportionately impacted groups. Awards are intended to remove financial barriers that prevent students from crossing the finish line of transferring to a university or completing a certificate program to start a career.

To remain in the cohor t, students must have completed and updated their educational plan and attend a workshop, activity, or event with the Transfer or Career Center. Activities of both have been shown to increase student success.