Six UC Merced students are showing their passion for serving the community by tutoring a group of Merced High School students who are in danger of failing a key exit exam.
The group was organized by world history major Dulcemaria Anaya, of Merced, and environmental engineering major Jesse Anaya, of Modesto, with the help of UC Merced Spanish lecturer Yolanda Pineda-Vargas.
The two students (no relation) were among the six students from UC Merced who participated in Harvard's Latino Leadership Initiative in Cambridge, Mass., last year. Part of the program requires the students to make a difference in their community.
“For many students, reading, analyzing and writing - the core subjects the CAHSEE aims to test - are skills vital to succeed in the university setting,” Jesse Anaya said. “These skills, using the CAHSEE as our tool, are the ones we are hoping to help them develop. And we could not be more grateful for the opportunity.”
The students spent two hours each week through February and the first week of March tutoring about 20 students who are in danger of failing the English section of the California High School Exit Exam (CASHEE). For the seniors in the group, this is their last shot to pass.
“Hopefully, they realize they can pass the test,” Dulcemaria Anaya said.
