"Focus on the Future" Gives Students Skills and Confidence for Job Market

Faculty, Students, Staff to Mark Program's Completion

When he was young, Lucio Zepeda thought he would follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and become a veterinarian.

Then he discovered he didn’t like blood.

When he was a plant science student at Cal Poly Pomona, he thought he would be working in hydroponics after graduating, like he had growing lettuce and tomatoes in the greenhouses near the Farm Store. Instead, he found a job in the citrus industry, overseeing 2,000 acres of fruit trees.

“So here I am in a place where I never imagined I would be, and I am loving it. I learned from my mentor’s mistakes and suggestions on what he would have done differently,” Zepeda says. “One of those suggestions was to not be scared to try something new or something different.”

Zepeda was just one of about 40 College of Agriculture students who benefited from having a mentor, thanks to a program called Focus on the Future. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the three-year, $289,000 program, which trained Hispanic students in the “soft skills” that are need to succeed in the workplace – from communications skills to interviewing for jobs.

“Soft skills are critical skills needed for all jobs, regardless of industry, that employees need to succeed at work,” says Ron Heimler, the faculty member and principal investigator who directed the project. “Employers report that the graduates they hire do not possess them, requiring expensive on-the-job training.”

At least three of the students who have participated in the program and graduated from Cal Poly Pomona have gone on to find work so far. Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya M. Coley, College of Agriculture Dean Mary Holz-Clause and the Focus on the Future participants will celebrate the program’s completion at a May 29 event.

Invitations were sent to all Hispanic freshmen and sophomores in the college to apply for the program. Hispanics are traditionally an underserved group, and the program was funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Hispanic Serving Education Program. Applicants were screened and interviewed by a team of faculty that included Heimler, Peter Kilduff, chair of the apparel merchandising and management department, and Nancy Merlino and Linda Tucker, who all served as instructors to the students in the program.

Ultimately, four cohorts of 10 students each were chosen over the term of the project.

George Munguia joined Focus on the Future two years ago as a sophomore animal science major.

“Throughout the six quarters, my cohort and I completed assignments that focused on important communication and interpersonal skills that we don’t really learn from our time in school,” says Munguia who graduates in June.

The students participated in presentations, discussion and readings. In addition, each student was assigned a professional mentor with whom they met individually.

Among the topics covered during the program were how to build résumés, write cover letters and thank you letters, how to interview for jobs and navigate the graduate school application process – even something as simple as how to address people properly and be on time.

In addition, there were sessions on public speaking, how to make presentations – with weekly practice – and how to be a leader.

Jennifer Torres participated in Focus on the Future and graduated last year with a degree in foods and nutrition, dietetics option. Today, she works as a degreed nutritionist in the Women, Infants and Children program with the USDA.

“The confidence I felt, the preparedness I demonstrated, and the good resume I presented helped me get my job. Without them, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten it,” she says. “Without the training, I might still be working on developing those skills, if I ever were lucky enough to have someone to teach them to me. I’d still feel insecure about my own skills, and if I had a job, I wouldn’t feel as competent.”

Giselle Hernandez, a fourth-year food science and technology student, says she was a quiet and reserved individual when she came to Cal Poly Pomona, but had big dreams of making a mark in the world as a food scientist. Focus on the Future helped her break out of her shell, she said.

“If it weren’t for this program, I’d probably still be that shy, quiet girl who sat at the back of the room, fading away. This program really helped me discover who I am and what I wanted to pursue in my life, because quite frankly, growing up, I thought I was quite destined for an ordinary life,” Hernandez says. “But now I know I am capable of much more than that, and I plan to make my mark in the world in one form or another – whether it’s ensuring the safety of the food we eat or developing nutrient-dense food products that help tackle food insecurity.”

Although the Focus on the Future program is over, its legacy will live on in the students who participated and new resources that are now available to all Cal Poly Pomona students.

The University Library now houses the Focus on the Future Leadership Collection, which includes 200 books and DVDs that the students used and College of Agriculture faculty recommended.

In addition, an online skills certification program will provide training in effective decision making, customer service and workplace ethics. The San Bernardino County School District’s Alliance for Excellence provided access to the nationally recognized program free of charge.

Students who gain certification can include it on their résumés. The certifications are highly regarded by employers, Heimler says. The certification program is available at http://amm.ag.cpp.edu.