SBCC Hosts Conference Preparing High School Students For College

The two-day Get Focused Stay Focused conference wrapped up Friday afternoon at Santa Barbara City College. The program is designed to provide high school students with life lessons, such as learning about what kind of money they will need to support themselves as well as learning about different career paths.

If the free two year community college education proposed by President Obama gains approval, many more students can live out their dreams of going to college.

Carpinteria high school teacher Erin Hansen says 60 percent of the scools students go straight to community college after they graduate from high school.

“The idea of my students not feeling the fear of not being able to pay for college would be a gift. I have so many great students that are struggling with the idea of finances so this would actually provide the freedom to go to school without feeling that obstacle,” said Hansen.

The Get Focused Stay Focused program also allows high school students to take college courses as early as their freshman year, giving them a head start toward meeting their life goals.