Students Talking at Campus

First-Year Experience


First-Year Experience Information

Mission and Goals
2024-2025

First-Year Experience Mission Statement:

The First-Year Experience (FYE) provides academic and social enrichment for first year students. Starting with two years of free tuition, through College Promise, FYE offers educational support services to all ELAC students, including Counseling, Success Coaching and Success Management. FYE also offers Family and Community Engagement Services (FACES) to prospective students and their families. FYE's holistic approach ensures ELAC students are Seen, Heard and Connected.

First-Year Experience Goals:

FYE supports students’ intent to persist in their academic journey at East Los Angeles College.
FYE supports intentional engagement and connection to assure students are Seen, Heard and Connected.

What is the purpose of the First-Year Experience?

FYE staff collaborates with scholars to help them succeed during their first year and persist to their second year at ELAC.
Counseling, success management, and dynamic programming ensure that FYE scholars do well academically and socially.
The First-Year Experience ensures that all first-year scholars have a home at ELAC and are continuously inspired to achieve greatness.

Benefits of making the First-Year Experience Home:

FYE scholars enroll in learning communities that have built-in academic supports.
Throughout the scholars’ year commitment with FYE, they learn about and develop self-advocacy skills and pursue a college-going mindset via various programming, mentorship, counseling and educational trips in collaboration with the Transfer Center.
FYE scholars have full support from a dedicated and empowering family. The FYE family includes staff and professors who are equipped to fully guide students to reach their academic potential, inspire them to transfer to a four-year university and achieve greatness.