August 30, 2021
Coming off a time of hybrid or distance learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, high schoolers across Southern California are heading back to school, many for the first time in-person in more than a year. To help ease the transition, Wescom Credit Union announced that it will support local students and families by providing Sylvan Learning Center Scholarships as part of its overall #WescomKindness initiative.
Continuing a program that started in 2020 when most students were participating in distance or hybrid learning, Wescom will donate more than $28,000 to support college-bound students via tutoring scholarships fulfilled by Sylvan Learning Centers across Southern California, in or near the communities where Wescom maintains a local branch. Eighteen Sylvan Learning Centers will participate, awarding college preparation services such as college essay assistance, college coaching through the admissions process, navigating scholarships and financial aid, and tutoring for AP classes and courses for credit. The scholarships will benefit approximately 30 deserving juniors and seniors attending local public high schools.
“Wescom has a longstanding commitment to supporting local communities in order to help Southern Californians build better lives,” said Melissa Pederson, Wescom Credit Union SVP Administration. “We are proud to support students and their families by helping them to be college-ready. Working with partners like Sylvan, as part of our #WescomKindness initiative, we can make a difference in these students’ lives.”
“This is the third school year that has been impacted by COVID-19 and many students have lost approximately three months of learning over the course of that time,” said Emily Levitt, Vice President of Education, Sylvan Learning. “We are so appreciative of Wescom’s continued support of Southern California high school students. Thanks to them, these local students will receive extra tutoring help to make sure they are better prepared for college, in addition to having access to valuable resources for college planning.”
To further support college-bound high school students and their families, Wescom has created an online resource to provide them with practical information — like decoding financial aid terms — to learn about the different ways to pay for college. Wescom also offers their Smart Option Student Loan® by Sallie Mae®, which can be an ideal solution to help families pay for college expenses not covered by scholarships, grants, and federal loans. Wescom’s GenEdge Account, designed for young adults ages 15 to 17, helps students learn how to build wealth, maintain it, and use the tools to reach their financial goals.
For more information, visit the website at https://www.wescom.org/college.
