Clovis Community College offers free STEM courses to Clovis high school students

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the next four weeks, 14 Clovis Unified juniors and seniors will catch a glimpse of college life.

They are all part of the Summer at SEA, or STEM Exploration Academy at Clovis Community College.

Program Coordinator, Gabriela Ramirez, already considers week one a success.

"The attitudes from what I have seen from the students this whole week has been right off the bat, anxious to get their hands on just anything that we are talking about. All of them have been very open and positive about the program," says Gabriela.

All students will receive three college credits.

For Clovis East Junior, Estela Peralta, this program aligns with her future plans.

"Some big goals that I have really are to get into the medical field, and I have always had this dream and passion to become a plastic surgeon. Being able to help people express who they are and just help injured people in general," Estela mentions.

Estela will be a first-generation college student. She hopes to set an example for her family and friends.

Estela says, "I am definitely opening myself up more and that is the goal of the STEM program, is being open to new ideas and the experiences."

Summer at SEA is funded through the Title 5 grant program, Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

For now, the program is funded for another four summers.

Staff at Clovis Community College mentions they hope to institutionalize this program and keep it around for years to come.

Applications for next summer will open in February 2023.