Jumpstart & Natives Transcending

Native Jumpstart: Native Jumpstart is a program that supports Native American and Indigenous high school students access to higher education. We aim to help students feel prepared in applying while creating connections with other Native and Indigenous students and staff on campus. The program allows us to give students intensive one-on-one coaching and provide workshops for students. Ian De Vaynes (Oglala Lakota) and Lily Din (Pit River) are our outstanding K-12 Recruitment Coordinators who will be leading and organizing the program this year. If you have any questions or concerns regarding Native Jumpstart feel free to contact them.

Natives Transcending: The Natives Transcending Program is very similar to Native Jumpstart in the sense that it aims to help students feel prepared in applying to universities like UC Berkeley. However, instead of working with high school students, Natives Transcending works specifically with community college students who are interested in transferring to UC Berkeley or any other UC school. The program also focuses more specifically on writing personal insight questions and presenting yourself in the application as well as college transfer specific workshops. Our wonderful Transfer Coordinators Itarala Gamboa Cayetano Garcia (Garífuna) and Fine Tuitupou (Tonga) will be leading and organizing this program this year and are eager to answer any questions you may have.

These programs aim to provide Native and Indigenous high school Juniors, Seniors, and transfer students with tools to overcome barriers to higher education. We provide students with online writing tutors and workshops that guide them through the University of California’s Personal Insight Questions. All of this programming leads up to a weekend on the UC Berkeley campus which takes place on November 10-12th, 2023. During this weekend, students can come to workshops on campus and get a front-row seat to the UC Berkeley Native student experience! 

The Native community at Cal is firmly committed to supporting Native students in the sometimes daunting process of applying to Cal. The Indigenous and Native Coalition-Recruitment and Retention Center (INC-RRC) partners with the Native American Student Development office to offer a program each fall to support Native high school seniors apply to UC Berkeley.

The deadline for applications is Friday, September 8th, 2023 at 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time.
Accepted students will be notified by Friday, September 15th, 2023

If these deadlines will cause any conflict, please let us know as soon as possible. The minimum GPA requirement is 3.0. Native Jumpstart and the Natives Transcending Program will take place on the weekend of November 10-12, 2023.

Due to the changing nature of COVID-19, we are planning to have programming this year in-person; meaning there will be the option to be housed in the Native American Theme Program. Transportation as well will be provided. However, we will let participants know if anything changes as we want to ensure safety for everyone involved.

2023 Important Dates:

Application Deadline: Friday, September 8th

Notified: Friday, September 15th

Application overview and coaching workshops: TBD (September)

On Campus Weekend: November 10th - 12th

For more information contact: INC-RRC