By Joannah Clemente

Riverside City College’s Promise Program persists in championing academic excellence by ensuring affordability and dismantling financial roadblocks for students.

The Promise Program offers cost-free education for the first two years, catering to certificates, associate degrees and university transfer students.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and nursing degrees are waived for three years due to their strict academic requirements.

“Our goal with the Promise Program is to get you [students] in and out of RCC in two years,” Director of Academic Support Sharon Walker said.

Applicants receive priority registration for both the spring and fall semesters and a $250 textbook voucher, ensuring early enrollment and minimizing educational material costs.

The Promise Program’s triumph stems from its extensive support network.

“Students will have educational advisors provided specifically by the program,” Walker said. “They will also have access to the engagement center, advisors and peer mentors by their major.”

Outreach Specialist Jessica Contreras cited effective communication as crucial for program success.

“We offer a lot of great resources, but we tell students we don’t know what you need unless you tell us,” Contreras said.

“We will go above and beyond to make sure you get the help you need.”

Its support network comprises educational advisors assisting with coursework, peer mentors and various resources for students.

“We also encourage students to meet with their engagement center as they are based on their major,” Contreras said.

Contreras added that students access an educational advisor for class assistance, connect with like-minded peer mentors and seek further guidance.

Ariba Baig, a second-year Biology major and peer mentor, states how critical mentorship is in the program.

“One thing that I do as a STEM peer mentor is I give them information on workshops and refer them to their engagement center,” said Baig. “That’s big with us, connecting them with cultural and academic engagement centers.”

As per Baig, student engagement in campus activities, like workshops, is instrumental in assessing their familiarity with resources.

Additionally, as a program student herself, Baig emphasizes the adaptability she gains during her studies.

“I’d say it’s pretty flexible because you just have to register. The good thing about work-study is I just do my homework while being at the desk here.”

Baig added, “I think I can balance out connecting with students. It’s just all about work-life balance.”

Emphasizing the program’s resources, Charly Scott, a second-year Biology major and peer mentor, highlights its role in ensuring eligibility and facilitating a two-year transfer.

“The resource alone has been good for keeping me in check on seeing what I have to do to stay in the program and the way the program works,” Scott said.

As a peer mentor, Scott said they act as a “middleman” between students and resources at RCC.

“I think being a peer mentor and learning how to do that has been a great source within itself … I really feel like I benefited a lot from being a mentor,” Scott said.

Scott also remarked on the importance of communication attuned to meet student preferences and needs.

While initiating new methods, Scott said the program is actively seeking alternative approaches, including utilizing an account on Instagram.

“It’s a great way to stay connected with the school and overall be like a hub where anyone can go to ask about resources,” Scott said. “That means doubling down on understanding engagements and also means we have to interact with them.”

However, without sufficient awareness across the college, all this engagement becomes ineffective.

Jordan Winn is a second-year Geology major and student ambassador.

“I feel like it would be kind of nice to know people who are also doing the Promise Program,” Winn said. “I feel like I know no one.”

Despite its unique structure, Winn expresses interest in forming connections with others enrolled in the program.

This sentiment arises from his experiences of uncertainty regarding the program’s eligibility, highlighting the importance of a supportive community within the program.

“I actually think that Promise is one of the only programs where there are no classes you can go to where there are other Promise students,” Winn said.

Winn also notes a sense of isolation, as communication from the program primarily occurs via email.

He said that if the Promise Program relocated to the front office of RCC, it would make a bigger difference.

“Every year working at the welcome center, we have a lot of students, either one, not knowing about it, or two, they don’t know how this stuff works,” Winn said.

Winn, who conducts campus tours, said that having Promise Program representatives during tours will directly showcase program benefits through their firsthand experiences.

“A great way to bring the Promise Program out is on a campus tour with someone from the program who will talk to the students,” Winn said.