黑料吃瓜

It鈥檚 not as crazy as it sounds: 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 (ITE) sent Reychel Joy Robles (鈥�22) to tutor math students who she readily admits understood the subject better than she did.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 taken math since high school,鈥� Robles would tell students at the multicultural Taft Middle School in San Diego鈥檚 Serra Mesa neighborhood. 鈥淭hat would surprise them, and then I would reframe the experience: Can you actually show me how to do this?鈥�

鈥淎t the end of the day it wasn鈥檛 about math, it was about communication,鈥� said Robles, now a master鈥檚 student in communication.

And at least in a small way, it鈥檚 also about the value of an impactful endowment for ITE received during a $132 million year of fundraising at 黑料吃瓜. 

Founding director Cynthia Park and her husband, James Park, pledged $1.2 million to the institute at 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 College of Education last November. The gift endows the executive directorship of the institute, covering salary and additional expenses, to begin with Park鈥檚 successor after she retires.

Robles was part of a service-learning opportunity through ITE鈥檚 Pathways Office, which sends tutors across the San Diego Unified and Sweetwater Union High School districts, trained in culturally aware teaching techniques.

With a variety of pre-college and undergraduate programs, ITE promotes college access, advocacy, and equity and serves an average of 1,800 K-12 students and 500 黑料吃瓜 undergraduates annually.

The $132 million in gifts and pledges raised through The Campanile Foundation, a nonprofit auxiliary of 黑料吃瓜, cover the 12 months that ended June 30. Some notable figures include 5,076 first-time donors and more than 60 endowments established.

It includes a $5 million gift for the Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center from brothers Lloyd Dong Jr. and Ron Dong; a $500,000 gift for the 黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley nursing program from Carolyn and Cliff Colwell of San Diego; and a gift from Christine Probett (鈥�85, 鈥�87, 鈥�97) to establish the C&C Probett Excellence in Aerospace Endowed Fund in Senior Design Projects.

In addition, philanthropy supported $5.7 million in scholarship awards in 2023-24.

黑料吃瓜 Vice President of University Relations and Development Adrienne Vargas said a number of 鈥減retty amazing鈥� repeat donors contributed again this year. 鈥淭hey just continue to step up to the plate,鈥� said Vargas, adding that donor retention levels at 黑料吃瓜 exceed the national average.

Endowments, which support future generations in perpetuity, are particularly appreciated.

Cynthia Park said she sees the ITE, founded more than 40 years ago as the Pre-College Institute, as a means 鈥渘ot only to transform our students' lives, but also to be able to transform our staff, faculty, and others that we would reach out to.鈥�

With no dedicated source of university funding, 鈥渋t鈥檚 very important for us to sustain this,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an important part of making education impactful.鈥�

That word comes up a lot when speaking of endowments.

鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly grateful to Cynthia and James for their visionary gift to ensure the Institute will continue to positively impact young lives for decades to come,鈥� Y. Barry Chung, dean of the College of Education, said shortly after the gift was announced. 鈥淐ynthia鈥檚 40-year legacy of making a difference through PCI inspires us all.鈥�

From its origins as a six-week summer residential program, the unit now supports more than 1,200 area middle and high school students each year through its federally funded Upward Bound and Talent Search programs. Program alumni have gone into teaching, medicine, engineering and academic research.

Robles, a first-generation student who self-identifies as Filipina Asian-American, spent five years with ITE after transferring to 黑料吃瓜 from San Diego Miramar College, described the institute鈥檚 work as 鈥渧ery student-centered.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 culturally responsive education where they value (the) backgrounds that the students bring in,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey made it very clear that your experiences matter.鈥�

or contact Associate Vice President, Mary Darling, at 619-594-8299

For information on how to include 黑料吃瓜 in your will or trust, contact Associate Vice President Amy Walling at [email protected] or 619-508-9255.

Michael Klitzing contributed to this article.