Determined to Succeed

What Determines a Child’s Future?

At Determined to Succeed (DTS), we believe a child’s pursuit of a productive and fulfilling life should not be hindered by race or socioeconomic status. Yet less than 11% of low-income, first-generation students who enter college attain a bachelor’s degree. While a degree is not the end goal, it’s the proven vehicle to break the cycle of poverty and the strongest indicator of life success.

DTS is a college access and success program that utilizes a whole child approach to empower underserved students to succeed in high school, college, and beyond.

The Challenge

When Race and Socioeconomics Drive Educational Outcomes

DTS serves students within the Los Angeles Unified School District, an extremely diverse population with one of the highest concentrations of low-income and minority students in the state. More than 80% of LAUSD students live at or below the poverty line.

The problem of low persistence among economically disadvantaged, first-generation college students is multi-layered and requires a holistic solution. Even when low-income, first-generation students excel academically in high school, many of them are inadequately primed for the academic rigors of college and have not developed the executive functioning skills that they need to thrive. Nor are they offered adequate financial aid to complete their degree.

Our Solution

The mission of Determined to Succeed is to provide the opportunity to underserved students to attend and graduate from college with the knowledge, life skills, and tools needed to succeed. Higher education plays a pivotal role in breaking the cycle of poverty – changing not just lives, but also families and even communities.

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