HopSkipDrive student success story: Meet “OD” and Azul

Here at HopSkipDrive, we love to share accounts of how our safe, innovative school transportation solution helps students access opportunities that can help them be successful in school — and in life.

We’re pleased to share one such career and technical education (CTE) student success story here with videos about two standout students, “OD” and Azul, who both love to learn. These high school students thrived in the Multimedia Careers Academy, a vocational program at their school. But many of the assignments the two received as part of this program took place off-campus. And transportation in their low-income community was a true roadblock.

That’s where HopSkipDrive came in.

Greater accessibility with HopSkipDrive

While OD and Azul’s educator happily gave the two students rides to their assignments when he could, there were numerous opportunities the two students had to turn down due to a lack of access to safe, reliable transportation.

When the Centinela Valley Union School District partnered with HopSkipDrive, OD and Azul gained access to the transportation they needed to get anywhere and everywhere their studies took them. This allowed them to pursue their interests and learn without limitations.

Ready for their close-up

How HopSkipDrive helped support Azul’s filmmaking dreams

How HopSkipDrive helped OD achieve his goals

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Sean Hiller: At Leuzinger High School, we have a career technical education program, basically vocational education to bring students into the workplace. We have several academies and the MCA, the Multimedia Careers Academy is one of them. You can even take some of the backstage stuff. There’s some moments like getting their hair done. OD and Azul are two of my best students. They’re standouts — they’re leaders — and they’ve really thrived in taking every opportunity this Academy has to offer.

Chimzara O.: My name is Chimzara Odera Onuh. You can call me “OD”  for short. Most of the jobs that I’m assigned are off campus, and I need a way to get there.

Sean Hiller: Being in a low-income area, there’s all kinds of challenges. Number one with a program like this that is trying to get kids off campus to do professional work is transportation.

Azul L.: Mr. Hiller would have to take time off from his day to drop us off and pick us up at our jobs.

Sean Hiller: It was very limiting in what we could do. There had to be another option. The Centinela Valley Union High School District partnered with HopSkipDrive to get our students transportation so they could get to jobs off campus around the community.

Azul L.: Because of HopSkipDrive being able to take me to these jobs, I have an internship with the Los Angeles Sparks!

Chimzara O.: HopSkipDrive has given students like me a sense of assurance with their transportation needs. It’s allowed me to really spread my wings, in a way.

Sean Hiller: It’s definitely really convenient to be able to have your students driven to a job safely and on time. Anybody trying to get kids to get an experience in the community, I think it’s the only way to go.

Azul L.: If there was anything I can say to incoming freshmen or students who are coming to our Academy it would be to not worry about transportation. HopSkipDrive has our back all the time.

Interested in learning more about how your district can partner with HopSkipDrive to support transportation needs for students enrolled in CTE programs?