Raeniece Barnett struggled through her first two years of high school in the Crenshaw area of Los Angeles before moving to San Bernardino.
“For the first two years of high school, I was missing a lot from ditching and not taking things seriously,” Raeniece said. “But, after moving here, my outlook on life changed and I didn’t hang around with the same group of friends.”

She graduated from Sierra High School in 2009.
Raeniece started considering college as a possibility so she could stop county assistance and head to the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a career in the legal field.

“I didn’t know anything about the campus, how to register for classes, or even that I needed to buy my own supplies,” Raenice said. “I’m very shy and was intimidated about looking stupid on the first day of school. But, I’m so grateful for the help I received in the Summer Bridge Program. I’m sad that it’s over because I learned a lot and even met some new friends.”

Aimed at helping new students transition from high school into college, this two-week program, held in early August, is put on by the Math and Science Student Success Center. It was just what the doctor ordered for helping Raeniece learn how to be a college student.

“I didn’t expect this program to be this good and now I’m so much more prepared for school to start because nobody really told me what college was like,” said Raeniece. “I was also a little scared of Algebra and Chemistry, but learned in this program that once you get into it, it’s actually fun. More people should get involved because they could learn a lot.”