Partnership for Success

A look back at PFS 2026! 💜💚

This summer, our 8th grade scholars from Mayfield Junior School () visited Cal Poly Pomona for a day of creativity, teamwork, and hands-on learning.

Scholars toured the Rose Float Lab, where they learned how Cal Poly Pomona's award-winning Rose Parade float is designed, built, and decorated each year. They also put their creativity to the test through interactive activities, including building marshmallow towers and creating their own floral designs.

Thank you to Cal Poly Pomona, the Tournament of Roses, and STEAM:Coders for welcoming our scholars and providing such a fun and engaging learning experience. We appreciate the opportunity to inspire the next generation of innovators and creators! 🌹✨

Attention PFS Mentors and Mentees! Join us on October 10th for a PFS Mentor Program 🍦 Ice Cream 🍦 Social. Check your email for details and to RSVP!

A warm welcome back to the PFS family, Julieta! 💜💚

We’re so excited to have Julieta return as our PFS Mentor Program Coordinator and help create meaningful connections between our mentors and scholars.

We’re looking forward to a great year of mentorship, community, and growth. Welcome back, Julieta! 🌟

📣 Attention PFS Seniors!

The college application process is here, and PFS is ready to support you every step of the way! 🎓

Be sure to schedule your 1:1 check-in with our PFS College Counselors and save the dates for our upcoming college workshops.

Check your emails for details and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need support. Let’s get ready for what’s next! 💜💚

Let’s take a look back at PFS Summer 2026 and one of the highlights of the PFS journey!

For the 18th summer, our rising senior scholars at Poly () experienced college life during an overnight visit to Claremont McKenna College (), with a stop at the University of La Verne (). This special tradition is made possible through the extraordinary generosity and nearly two decades of support from CMC Trustee and former Board Chair David Mgrublian ’82 and his wife, Margaret.

Staying overnight in the residence halls, dining on campus, and exploring the Claremont Colleges gives our scholars a firsthand look at college life as they begin making important decisions about their own college journeys.

A highlight is the Case Studies exercise, where scholars step into the role of college admission officers. Working together, they review mock applications and decide whether to admit, deny, or waitlist applicants based on academic performance and extracurricular involvement. The exercise gives scholars valuable insight into the holistic college admission process and the factors colleges consider when building a class.

This year brought an especially meaningful full-circle moment: the Case Studies exercise was led in part by PFS alumna Mu Hwa Nagata, who first experienced the CMC overnight as a PFS scholar, later returned as a PFS intern, and today works as an admission officer at Claremont McKenna College!

We are thrilled that Claremont McKenna College recently featured PFS and this longstanding partnership in “Pathways to possibility: High school students get a glimpse of CMC.” The story beautifully captures the impact this experience has had on generations of PFS scholars—and how relationships like these help young people see new possibilities for their futures.

Thank you to David and Margaret Mgrublian, Claremont McKenna College, the admissions officers and deans across the Claremont Colleges, and the University of La Verne for welcoming our scholars and sharing your time, expertise, and encouragement!

Summer 2026 flew by... and we can’t wait to start planning for PFS 2027! ☀️

We hope the conclusion of this year's program has everyone excited to return next summer. In the meantime, we wish all of our scholars an amazing school year and can't wait to see everything you'll accomplish before PFS Summer 2027!

If you are interested in getting involved and supporting PFS students during the school year, we encourage you to join the PFS Mentor Program. Contact [email protected] for more information. 💜💚

The PFS Class of 2026 celebrated their graduation during a heartfelt ceremony at Poly (), where each scholar was recognized for their accomplishments and awarded a scholarship to support their next chapter. 🎓🌟

This year, PFS proudly awarded $24,000 in scholarships. In a historic first for our program, the Pasadena Community Foundation () presented scholarships to three scholars attending Pasadena City College, and the Flores family (PFS alumni José, Diego, and David) generously presented an additional scholarship to one scholar.

One of the most meaningful moments of the evening was hearing our graduates share personal reflections on their PFS journey, celebrating the friendships, growth, and memories they will carry with them long after this summer. The celebration concluded with a special dinner, generously sponsored by Panda Cares, where scholars, families, and staff came together to celebrate this incredible milestone.

Congratulations to the PFS Class of 2026! Thank you to everyone whose generosity and support made these scholarships and this celebration possible. We can't wait to see all that our scholars accomplish next. 💜💚

📣 Attention PFS Mentors! Save the Date!

Join us for our PFS Mentor Program Training on Saturday, August 29, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Westridge School.

Whether you're joining our mentor community for the first time or returning for another year, we look forward to preparing for a successful year of supporting and empowering our scholars.

Please look out for details in your email, or contact our Mentor Program Coordinator, Ms. Orret, if you have questions.

We can't wait to see you there! 💜💚

Meet all the superheroes who made PFS summer 2026 such a success!

Our program would not be possible without the incredible contributions of our faculty, interns, and program directors who do so much to support our scholars. ⚡️ 📚️

Thank you to everyone who devotes their time and energy each summer to crafting an incredible program for our scholars. We see the work you do and we can't emphasize enough how much we appreciate having such a wonderful group of people representing PFS. 💜 💚