Nine years ago, Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef stood before some excited fourth-grade students in a hard-scrabble neighborhood in Sacramento. He invited them to look into the future — and see themselves as university students.

At the time, that future may have been hard to see for the students at Father Keith B. Kenny School in Oak Park.

But this past weekend, five of those students moved into UC Davis residence halls and started classes yesterday. It is thanks, in part, to an innovative UC Davis program that empowers students and their families to believe college is a realistic goal — and to Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef's nine-year-old pledge to help defray their costs of attending UC Davis.

Thousands benefit

During those nine years, thousands of participants in UC Davis' Reservation for College program and, later, its Early Academic Outreach Program, have learned about the relationship of a college education to career and what they need to do to get admitted to a university. Activities, including field trips to campus, demystify higher education and help the students plan and develop skills for college.

With their admission to UC Davis, the first five students from the inaugural Reservation for College group will receive an annual grant of $6,000, renewable to a maximum of $7,500 in the fourth year. With federal, state and other UC awards, four of the five students will have all their fees covered and receive substantial assistance toward other college costs.

At a Sept. 21 event to celebrate their accomplishment, the five UC Davis students stood before younger students at their same elementary school and encouraged them.

"The program gave us a chance," April McGee, who plans to pursue a double major including genetics, said in an earlier interview.

"Somebody really does care. It gave us hope.

"People don't expect a lot of kids to go out and have a successful life," she added. "They expect the cycle to keep going on. Go to school and make life better for you, your younger brothers and sisters — and generations to come."

The five are shining examples of McGee's own words. Someday, she would like to run a clinic for abused people. Daniel Wright will study environmental management and work in the developing world. Farm Saephanh wants to study economics. Alvin Rudulph II is intent on building bridges or being a pharmacist. And Porchá Chambers plans to study psychology on her way to becoming a lawyer or doctor.

Vanderhoef said the program shows how UC Davis, K-12 schools and families can partner to change lives and build futures. "This is a partnership with schools and families that has influenced young lives," he said. "UC Davis is thrilled to welcome these five young men and women to campus and embrace them as our students."

The Reservation For College grants are made possible by a $1 million endowment from the university. Other contributions to the Reservation for College program include $200,000 from the estate of Mary Roger and $350,000 from Jean and Russell Fiddyment. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. provided $50,000 to develop the program's curriculum.

At the ceremony, Delores Thompson, vice president of operations for the California Black Chamber of Commerce, made the surprise announcement of a $500 scholarship for each of the five students. "We want to see them succeed," she said.

Rudulph admitted that, back in fourth grade, he was not thinking about college: "I was thinking about recess."

But research shows that motivational help and planning for college is most effective the earlier it starts for youngsters and their families, according to Sarah Martinez, director of Reservation for College and EAOP. "We know that we need to have the conversation about getting a university education earlier," said Martinez. "But that conversation just isn't happening with all of the kids across the K-12 system."

Reservation for College grew out of the university's public service mission and its goal to make UC Davis accessible for all students, including those from educationally or economically disadvantaged areas.

Aligned with state educational standards, the program for grades four through six integrates language arts, mathematics and social studies with classroom lessons about careers, the importance of education and how to get to university.

"Ever since then, it's been a part of my life to go to college," said Chambers. "There was no other option. I got motivated, and it just stayed with me. It was a part of me at that point."

Diania Garris, a coordinator with academic preparation programs at UC Davis, helped teach the Reservation for College curriculum and arranged special activities that included field trips, activities with professionals, cultural events and workshops.

She remembered seeing how the children were affected by the Reservation for College lessons — especially one activity that had them research famous scientists of various nationalities. "When they saw people like themselves, it changed them," Garris said. "Their eyes lit up. That kind of gave them a little more perspective that they were able to go to college," she added.

In later grades, the Reservation for College students participate in the Early Academic Outreach Program, which provides individual advising, educational planning and help preparing for admission tests. Workshops help students and their families understand the university application process and financial aid.

The first Reservation for College class at Father Keith B. Kenny started with 97 fourth graders. Of those students, 27 graduated from high school, with 12 applying to universities or colleges. Of the dozen college hopefuls, eight applied to UC Davis and six were accepted. One of those six chose to go to UCLA. Another three will study at campuses of the California State University system.

The new UC Davis students credit the two programs with helping them to develop an academic plan and complete the required college prep courses in high school. "They helped me create a solid plan to graduate high school and do the things I needed to do for college," said Saephanh. "Without a plan you can't be successful, or you will struggle."

Launched in 1998, Reservation for College at its height served about 5,000 students in 16 schools in Sacramento, Stockton and Woodland. But state budget cuts to academic preparation programs — including the elimination of some in 2003-04 — forced UC Davis to scale back the program.

Last year, Reservation for College served about 2,400 students. UC Davis operates the program in five Sacramento elementary schools of the Elk Grove Unified School District and at Willow Spring Elementary School in the Woodland Joint Unified School District.

UC Davis continues to offer the curriculum at cost and also provides staff development at a modest fee to other schools. Through this means, the program is being taught at schools in Los Angeles and Redding; Sacramento and Woodland schools use it for after-school programming.

The UC Davis campus will see the next cohort of Reservation for College students come from Fairbanks Elementary School of Sacramento in the Del Paso Heights School District. There will be a total of five cohorts through 2011, and all are eligible for the UC Davis grants to offset some of their educational expenses.