Editor’s Note: This article was updated April 17 to correct a misspelled name and hyperlink.

Prospective students from Santa Cruz High School, Mission Community College, and Hartnell Community College, walked along Oakes Path beneath the redwoods and huddled under the awning at Kerr Hall. 

There, engaging education Student Initiated Outreach (e2 SIO) leaders talked about the history of activism and continued fight for student agency.

e2 SIO organizes tours for prospective students of color, low-income students, and undocumented students. The tours are transparent about student leaders’ experiences at UC Santa Cruz, highlight notable campus resources, and act as a pipeline for student-led organizations. They encourage higher education for underserved students regardless of their decision to attend UCSC.

The second group of prospective students make their way towards the Media Theater for the AATAT production of Clydes as the rain continues to pour.

SIO tour guide Alyssa Windom said her favorite resource to showcase is the African American Resource Center and the African, Black, Caribbean (ABC) themed housing. 

“People just don’t understand the experience of being Black in a predominantly white institution*,” Windom said. “So [it’s nice] knowing you’re gonna be living with people that understand it: understand your culture, understand your food, hairstyle, and that it takes five hours to do your hair.”

The Santa Cruz High School Black Student Union (BSU) congregates outside the mainstage.

In 2003, Campus Measure 10 established e2 by reserving temporary funding, space, and a student-taught class. The organizations within e2 focus on outreach and retention of underserved students. According to their website, the idea was born from a peace vigil held in response to multiple on-campus incidents of racist violence in 2000. 

Jhordy Gongora and Jeremiah Joson, staff advisors for e2, explained how the organization secured permanent funding in 2019 through the chancellor match program, where the chancellor used university funds to pay 1.25 dollars for each tuition dollar students contributed to e2. The slogan for the fight was Students Should Lead the Way, Not Just Pay and Obey. 

“It’s always been about affirming the need and importance of student involvement on campus decisions,” Gongora said. 

e2 SIO tours formed during the pandemic in 2022 as a way to unify the student-run outreach organizations: 

Ka’Reil Marshall, the student chair of e2, got involved with Destination Higher Education (DHE) through the Black Student Union, during her first year at UCSC. 

“Despite how introverted I can be, I really love connecting with other people,” Marshall said. “We are all here for a common cause, which is helping other students survive in higher education. Being able to combine my activism with community care has been really special and a reason why I have stayed at UCSC for all four years.”

e2 follows student leaders’ legacy of activism by introducing students to ongoing activism efforts on-campus. Third-year Elliot McWhinnie is an e2 outreach coordinator for African American Theater Arts Troupe (AATAT), and an intern at the Cantú Queer Center. 

Each touring participant was given a complimentary bag with a graphic design, highlighting the student-run outreach organizations who collectively champion e2 SIO tours.

“I also talked about the social justice aspects of Kerr Hall a couple of days ago,” McWhinnie said, referencing the sit-in on February 29. “UC Divest and a bunch of other student orgs did a protest at Kerr Hall and it was dope. I was there and it was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had since I’ve been on this campus.”

Laila Satele was a core member of the Asian and Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APISA) before another APISA core member introduced her to e2, where they became a volunteer and then an SIO coordinator. 

Satele appreciates the panel portion of the program, featuring student organization representatives. Panelists were candid about their experiences on campus, talking about the housing crisis and the recent changes to the housing lottery system. 

Student volunteers lead prospective students behind McHenry Library and discuss the significance of section meetings for classes at UCSC. 

“A lot of them were really shocked,” Satele said. “We try to remedy their reactions by being like, this isn’t to say that this is how it’s always going to be and this is how it is everywhere. But it is very common to struggle to find housing when going to university.”

It’s MeyeneAbasi Akpakpa’s second year with DHE. Last year when students from Mission College toured, one student was particularly engaged and excited about the university. Akpakpa discussed resources to help him on his application to San Jose State.

“For him to come back this year able to tell us that he got into where he was wanting to go,” Akpakpa said. “It’s just really crazy to see that impact face to face.” 

*Editor’s Note: UCSC is not statistically a PWI because its student body is not over 50 percent white. However, the City of Santa Cruz’s population stands at 69.2 percent white.