For Immediate Release Contact: Dr.

Ray Ivey
Brotherhood Crusade
(323) 545-1130 ext. 201
The Brotherhood Crusade and West Los Angeles College: Helping Students Succeed in
College and in Life

LOS ANGELES---For some students, the first semester of college can be an emotional
minefield. Intimidation, confusion, and frustration can send them heading straight for an exit
sign, leaving behind their dream of a college degree.

For these students the Brotherhood Crusade and West Los Angeles College are now offering
College Bridge, a class designed to equip students with the skills and information needed to
succeed in college.

The class, which begins Sept. 4, will be held on Thursdays from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the
Brotherhood Crusades Youth Source Center located at 5414 Crenshaw Blvd., L.A. Students
who are interested in enrolling must attend an orientation session, which will be held Aug. 21
and Aug. 28 at 3:30 p.m. at the Brotherhood Crusades Youth Source Center.

The College Bridge class will cover topics such as how to apply for financial aid, how to take
notes during a lecture, how to understand a syllabus and speak with professors, how to manage
anxiety and fear. Those who complete the 16-week course will earn three units of credit from
West Los Angeles College. But theyll leave the class with much more.

Students who attend the class not only learn how to succeed in college, said Dr. Ray Ivey,
EdD, the Brotherhood Crusades college and career ambassador. They learn skills that will help
them succeed in life.

Earning a college degree is still the best investment a young person can make in his or her future.
A recent study by the Pew Research Center found that among millenials ages 25 to 32, those
with college degrees earn $17,500 more annually than those with only a high school diploma.
Yet fewer students are attending community college. Last year, enrollment in Californias
community colleges fell to a 20-year low, according to data released by the Public Policy
Institute of California.

Through the College Bridge class, the Brotherhood Crusade and West Los Angeles College hope
to make college accessible to more students. For marginal students who otherwise might not
attend college, such intervention makes a difference.

The College Bridge class was the subject of a feature article that ran Aug. 3, 2014 in the Los
Angeles Times. Students interviewed for the article spoke candidly about their need for the kind
of assistance the class offers. Some, like 21-year-old Marcus Davis, had endured challenges that
made college seem like a distant dream. College Bridge gives those students another opportunity.
"It feels like this is my best chance to get back on track," Davis told the Times.
The class is taught by Ivey and Jawell Samilton, an associate professor of counseling at West
Los Angeles College. It includes lively discussions in which students share their views and past
experiences while learning how to approach college in a new way.

The success of the summer class prompted the Brotherhood Crusade and West Los Angeles
College to offer a fall version. College Bridge is open to students who are 17 to 21 years old and
live in the city of Los Angeles, who will be in their last year of high school, or have just
completed the GED.

The class costs $138. Students who are already enrolled in community college may be eligible
for financial aid. Aid may also be available for students who are still in high school.

The class targets students who are in the attendance boundaries of Dorsey, Crenshaw, Manual
Arts, Augustus Hawkins, Fremont and Washington Prep high schools. High school counselors
and other educators are invited to attend an orientation session for school stakeholders that will
be held Sept. 2, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Brotherhood Crusades Youth Source Center.

The Youth Source Center could not provide all of these great services if not for the wonderful
partnership the Brotherhood Crusade has with the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce
Development Department, said Charisse Bremond Weaver, president and CEO of the
Brotherhood Crusade. Their support has allowed us to leverage and develop great partnerships
with West Los Angeles College and other partners.

The YouthSource Center is a one-stop shop that helps young people plan and prepare for life
after high school. In partnership with the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce
Development Department, and the Los Angeles Unified School District, the center provides job
readiness training, GED preparation, independent study programs, internship opportunities,
college exploration workshops, career path workshops and job placement.

For more information about College Bridge, please contact Dr. Ray Ivey at (323) 545-1130, ext.
201. You may also contact Dr. Ivey via email at rivey@brotherhoodcrusade.org.

The Brotherhood Crusade is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution founded in 1968 to provide necessary
resources, program services and a voice of advocacy to traditionally underserved communities. Its
mission is to remove and/or help individuals overcome the barriers that deter their pursuit of success and
facilitate opportunities for a better quality of life, by promoting health and wellness, enhancing
educational opportunities, cultivating economic growth and building community agencies and
institutions. For more information: www.brotherhoodcrusade.org.


Dr. Ray Ivey (standing), teaching at the Brotherhood Crusades Youth Source Center.