Thirty East Bay high school students are headed to colleges and universities across the country after graduating from the Dr. Barbara Staggers Community Health and Adolescent Mentoring Program for Success (CHAMPS), a UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland program that prepares young people for careers in health care and economic mobility.
A Banner Year for College Acceptances
The CHAMPS Class of 2026 earned an extraordinary 104 acceptances to colleges and universities across the country, including 47 acceptances to California State University campuses, 26 acceptances to University of California campuses, and 31 acceptances to private and out-of-state institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, Florida State University, Tuskegee University, Morgan State University, and Hampton University. Collectively, graduates earned more than $180,000 in scholarships, excluding full-tuition awards and government financial aid.
The Class of 2026 also continued a longstanding tradition of achievement. For the 15th consecutive year, multiple CHAMPS students received Oakland Promise Scholarships, which provide up to $16,000 over four years to support higher education.
CHAMPS sits at the intersection of two urgent challenges: a worsening shortage of health care workers and a Bay Area economy where, according to Alameda County's recent Community Health Needs Assessment, many residents struggle to find living-wage jobs. As part of UCSF's Anchor Institution Mission — a commitment to leveraging the institution's scale and resources to improve the long-term wellbeing of surrounding communities — CHAMPS builds pathways into careers that offer stability, upward mobility, and wages that can change a family's economic trajectory.
"CHAMPS is about much more than college admissions," said Michelle Ednacot (pictured third from left), CHAMPS Program Manager. "It's about helping young people discover their potential, preparing them for meaningful careers in health care, and creating opportunities that can transform families and communities for generations."
CHAMPS Prepares Students for Health Careers
CHAMPS is a two-and-a-half-year internship and mentorship program within UCSF’s Center for Science Education and Outreach and is a collaboration among UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, Oakland Unified School District, the Alameda County Health Pipeline Partnership, and numerous educational and health care partners. Beginning in 10th grade, students receive health care education and training, academic tutoring, college application support, and financial aid navigation. The program's signature element is direct clinical exposure: each student completes six- to eight-week rotations in hospital departments alongside physicians, nurses, and other health professionals, gaining firsthand experience in settings they may one day work in. Senior students complete the experience with school-based capstone projects drawn from their time in hospitals and community clinics.
Looking Ahead
As the Class of 2026 heads to campuses across the country, they carry more than college acceptance letters. Through their clinical training, mentorship, and academic preparation, they are already building the foundation for careers in healthcare. Their success represents both a personal achievement and an investment in the future workforce that Bay Area communities and communities across the nation will depend on in the years ahead.
Learn More
To learn more about CHAMPS, contact Michelle Ednacot, CHAMPS Program Manager, at [email protected].