The California State University board of trustees recently celebrated the service of trustee Margaret Fortune, whose time on the board had come to an end. She has been a tireless, passionate and effective advocate for the CSU and an especially important advocate for increasing higher education opportunities for underrepresented students.

Margaret Fortune, CEO of the Rex and Margaret Fortune School of Education

A recent issue of Cal Poly Magazine featured a Q&A with Ms. Fortune, who is president and CEO of the Rex and Margaret Fortune School of Education in Sacramento. Today, through her leadership, the Fortune School includes a system of college preparatory public charter schools with a focus on expanding educational opportunities for African-American students.

Ms. Fortune noted in the Q&A that all fifth grade Fortune School students visit Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing science lab, an opportunity that helps them aspire to attend a university one day. Her goal for those students is for them to believe that there is no question of whether or not to attend college — only which college to choose.

While her term on the CSU board of trustees has ended, I am pleased to say that Cal Poly’s partnership with Ms. Fortune and the Fortune School is getting stronger.

The Fortune School is committed to closing achievement gaps and opening up higher education to more underserved Californians. Cal Poly shares that commitment to increase the diversity of its students to better reflect the state it serves.

This year Cal Poly signed an agreement with the Fortune School to participate in an early/middle college high school curriculum for fall 2017 that will help prepare Fortune School students for success at Cal Poly and other California State University campuses.

Through this partnership, we hope that more diverse high school students can imagine themselves at Cal Poly and other CSU campuses and are better prepared when applying for admission.

This is an exciting opportunity for Cal Poly and for California. Working together, we can ensure a brighter future for all California students.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey D. Armstrong
President