Determined to Succeed

Los Angeles-Based Nonprofit Celebrates High School, College Graduates

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Aiming to give students the tools they need to thrive when it comes to education and beyond, Los Angeles-based nonprofit Determined to Succeed assists a group of scholars each year—beginning in high school and ending in college.

This year, the program celebrated its 2022 high school and college graduates at Skirball Cultural Center on Saturday, June 18.

Determined to Succeed is an eight-year program for low-income and first-generation students that begins after middle school—helping them through high school and college, and supporting them afterward in career placement.

Palisadian Diana Monaco—who serves as director of philanthropy—said the program recognized nine high school graduates and four college graduates this year.

“It’s an amazing program,” the Alphabet Streets resident said to the Palisadian-Post. “It’s really a comprehensive program, we want [the students] to have the skills to succeed in college and life. Not just get the grades, but make sure they have the tools they need to be confident and to be able to support themselves through the process.”

Students apply for the program during the spring of their eighth-grade year and must declare their intention to attend Hamilton High School—where the program takes place—in the fall.

“We have a dedicated classroom at Hamilton High School, we have math and science teachers and tutors who help kids that need support,” Monaco explained. “We have … counselor[s], and two advisors and the director … and they are meeting with students daily in [an] after-school study hall … The guidance study hall is really the main focus during the school year, and then we run a full summer program.”

Monaco joined Determined to Succeed in 2017 as a board member and transitioned into her current role in 2020. She said her latest role came out of working with Executive Director Mimi Neandross.

“We had met in our children’s preschool, and we both had board positions there … Once she took over directorship of this nonprofit, I figured I needed to get involved because she’s very focused,” Monaco said about Neandross. “She’s very motivated, she’s very hard working and she really, really cares about the kids.”

This year’s class included graduates from Harvard University, San Diego State University, University of California, Santa Cruz, and University of California, Los Angeles.

“At the event, we had graduates and their families, board members, and staff there,” Monaco said. “It was … a nice way for us to celebrate not only the students’ achievements, but what we collectively have achieved.”

For more information, visit dtsla.org.