Daily Lumina News 113020

High school senior Mia Irvin-Pollard had dreams of finally winning a track title this year. She wanted to ramp up fundraising as the head of her school’s Black student union. But the pandemic quickly put a dent in those plans to build up her college resume for the first step in her journey to become a successful Black woman in tech.
For Irvin-Pollard, that has placed even more importance on a traditional aspiration for ambitious high school students: the prestigious internship.

Joseph I. Castro will become chancellor of the California State University System in January 2021. The system is one of the nation's largest, enrolling roughly 500,000 students across 23 campuses.
Castro talks about his top priorities as he steps into the new role, including Cal State's push to improve student completion rates while cutting achievement gaps. He also discusses the need for state, federal, and philanthropic investment to help Cal State students stay on track.

The impact of the pandemic has—understandably—left many students wondering whether it makes sense to put their college plans on hold. But they should know that seemingly short-term decisions to delay their education could have long-term consequences, writes Craig Robinson of College Possible in this op-ed.
Earlier recessions have demonstrated just how necessary a college degree can be in navigating an economic recovery, and research shows that taking time off from school is a risky proposition.

The Biden-Harris platform unveiled during the 2020 presidential campaign suggests that higher education will be a primary focus of the new administration.
On this podcast, Terry Hartle of the American Council on Education weighs in on what might transpire come January, including attempts to double Pell Grants and make public college free for middle-income families.

The coronavirus pandemic has created a set of historic challenges for leaders in higher education. They’ve had to respond to threats to college finances and enrollment; cut faculty, staff, programs, and sports teams; orchestrate the logistical burdens of testing for the virus; and house those infected—all while navigating the uncertainty of when and how this strange, often remote, era will end.
That might seem like enough to persuade an unusual number of college presidents to consider retiring. So far, it hasn't.

The coronavirus has upended college admissions, forcing millions of students to learn remotely, canceling college tours and standardized testing dates, and preventing legions of students from participating in sports and other extracurricular activities.
High school seniors and those who guide them through the admissions process say the level of uncertainty and disruption is off the charts as the virus surges across the country. Many schools have shut down classrooms once again, putting more families in financial crisis and making weighty decisions about the future more fraught than ever.