The University of Southern California (USC) offers an annual summer program for students that are part of military families in over 20 different countries where students can experience the classes that USC offers and the campus. 

In Jan., counselors reach out and offer this program and scholarship to students. According to USC, 600 students are accepted annually into this program, however, only 30 students receive the scholarship. Sophomore Dani Fincher was the only Bonita Vista High (BVH) student that was accepted into this program and received the scholarship. 

“I think I’ll understand what college is going to be like [with the summer program]. The scholarship is a worldwide program with 30 students. I will see different people’s experiences and what they have gone through and be able to understand them as people,” Fincher said.

Fincher’s counselor, Olga Castro, is the one who made Fincher aware of the USC summer program opportunity. Castro and the other counselors had met with students who are currently in military families. These students were provided by the Military and Family life counselor. Castro was one of the two staff members who wrote a letter of recommendation for Fincher. Castro explains how even though Fincher was interested in another summer program, she believes this was the best option for her.

“Although I was sure the other summer program was a great opportunity as well, I strongly believed she had a chance with USC and could not miss out on this amazing opportunity. Her academic record is impressive; Her extracurricular accomplishments are more than admirable,” Castro said. “Fincher is an outstanding student and I admire not only all of her accomplishments, but also her humility.”

Fincher is involved with many extracurricular activities such as Speech and Debate, Theater Production, Political Club, Ink and Quill Writing Club and Art Therapy Club. Still, extracurriculars are not the only aspect of Fincher’s application. Fincher believes that with her experiences as a military child, her application was able to stand from those of other BVH students.

“[This program is] significant to me because being a military child, it is really helpful for me to see these opportunities that we receive after facing a very hard time in life. I am very thankful for them to even allow a scholarship that pays for so much,” Fincher said.

With the process of applying for this program’s scholarship, Fincher received additional help from Advanced Placement (AP) World History, International Baccalaureate (IB) History of the Americas and Mexican-American studies teacher Jose Vallejo. He was the second staff member to write a recommendation letter for Fincher. He emphasizes the benefits the USC summer program can offer Fincher as a great and caring student.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to experience college over the summer. The most important years in high school are sophomore and junior year. I think it will have a great impact on [Fincher’s] future in college and beyond,” Vallejo said.

With this program, Fincher will receive the experience of being on a college campus and discover interests for possible college paths. Fincher believes this experience will be very unique and allow her to stand out among her peers.

“It [the program] will not only give me a boost of confidence to know I can do this application process and get into college, but it will also allow me to have different experiences from my high school peers that don’t go into this kind of program,” Fincher said.

The USC summer program offers students opportunities to explore what a future in college will be like. It opens a “window to the new world” and allows students to enhance their personal and educational experiences and success in their future, as USC states in their introduction to the program for students. Fincher explains how throughout the application process, it allowed her to learn more about herself.

“Some questions really dug deep into my heart. It [the application] had asked me why was the military so impactful in my life so that really made me reflect on my past life and how my dad being gone for a long time has really impacted me as a person,” Fincher said. “I think the hardest part was trying to understand myself and to formulate it into a response.”