ESCALERA is a national, career-readiness program that focuses on opening doors for underrepresented youth who may not have a family history of pursuing higher education.

LCH (La Comunidad Hispana) offers the ESCALERA model to students in southern Chester County through Avon Grove High School, where 13 students meet after school once a week.

“It is important to have a program like this,” said Brian Luna, a high school junior who is interested in studying psychology. “A lot of us don’t realize all that you have to do to apply to college.”

Lorena Baeza, instructor for ESCALERA, said that programs like these are essential for connecting first-generation students to higher education.

“Growing up, my parents did not understand English, let alone how to navigate the education system,” she said. “But thanks to Upward Bound at Lincoln University, I was able to achieve higher education.”

Baeza was born in Mexico and then moved to the U.S., where she graduated from Avon Grove High School in 2003 and earned a bachelor’s degree from California University of Pennsylvania. She has spent her career working with local youth.

“It is so rewarding to be a part of this,” she said. “I have first-hand experience of what these students are going through. I can relate. I was literally in their shoes.”

In addition to the after-school sessions with Baeza – which include leadership building skills, career exploration, and a review of the application process for higher education – ESCALERA recently hosted a family STEM night at Avon Grove High School. ESCALERA students taught STEM activities to attendees. A panel of local professionals spoke to the students and reflected not only on their STEM career paths, but also their experiences as first-generation students.

The panelists were:

• Dr. Federico Ceppa, Primary Care Medical Director at LCH
• Oscar Ogando, IT Support Specialist at LCH
• Natalia Duchini, Global Director of Business Development for Titanium Technologies at The Chemours Company
• Anel Medina, Registered Nurse at Chester County Hospital

“ESCALERA is connecting our youth not only at a local level, but at a national one,” said Norma Diego-Flores, Outreach and Education Coordinator at LCH.

Juniors Joseline Ayala Escobar and Nancy Castaño have been selected to attend a two-day Youth Summit in Los Angeles next month.

“It will be an amazing opportunity for our youth to connect with other students and to and learn more about future career paths,” said Diego-Flores.

LCH hopes to continue to host ESCALERA in the coming years, with a possible expansion to younger grades as well. High school junior Maria Hernandez said that she is getting a lot out of the program, and she wants to see it stay.

“It prepares you for the future,” she said. “The instructors are helping me think about my career and the education I need to get there.”

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