Every 26 seconds, another high school student drops out – 1.2 million in all each year. Some estimate about a third of all students and half of all African American, Hispanic and Native American students will drop out.

But something else is going on at USC’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative. In its 18-year history, the initiative has a 100 percent high school graduation rate – and 96 percent of those kids go on to enroll in higher education.

AT&T noticed the contrasts of the national statistics with those of the USC community program and decided to award the initiative a $70,000 grant on Dec. 12.

“They were looking for programs that have a great track record in keeping high school students interested in staying in school and moving forward to higher education,” said Kim Thomas Barrios, the initiative’s director.

Karime Bradvica '80, AT&T area vice president, said the company’s program was started this year and that the competition for the grants was fierce.

“The program at USC rose above all the rest,” said Bradvica, a USC graduate.

During the ceremony at the University Club that included several Neighborhood Academic Initiative students, Bradvica shared her story of coming from Mexico with her parents when she was 10. One day on their way to the Rose Garden in Exposition Park, they cut across the USC campus.

“I could see myself here and I told my mom I wanted to come to USC for college,” Bradvica said. “She told me if you work hard and study hard you can come here, but you have to study hard to get scholarships.”

Now Bradvica is, in effect, giving out scholarships. The grant is part of AT&T Aspire, a $100-million initiative to address high school success and college and workforce readiness over the next four years. AT&T Aspire specifically targets programs that aim for a 100 percent graduation rate.

The USC initiative is not a quick fix – it’s about hard work. Students join the program in the seventh grade to begin a long journey to acquire the skills, knowledge and prerequisites needed to get into top-tier universities.

When they graduate from high school, if they make the grades and pass the tests to enter USC, the university guarantees grants and other financial aid to pay for their college education. Of the 489 graduates, 163 attended USC.

“NAI gives our bright and motivated neighborhood children the kind of opportunities usually available only in prep schools,” said Martha Harris, USC senior vice president. “By the time they get to their senior year in high school, they are prepared to be competitive in getting into college and to be successful once they get there.”

The university began the Neighborhood Academic Initiative program in 1991 to reach out to middle schools and high schools. Nearly 500 students have graduated through the program.

The program requires students to attend math and English classes at USC from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. each day before returning to their school.

“By going to school at USC, they can imagine themselves in college after high school,” Thomas Barrios said.

When they get to high school, the students forego the usual weekend away from learning to attend the USC NAI Saturday Academy to reinforce the lessons learned in advanced math and English classes.

“We are talking about kids who are moderately at risk of failure, dropping out of highs school and not going to college,” Thomas Barrios said. “It’s a difficult task to provide rigorous academic classes because they have a lot of gaps in their understanding of math and English.”

The Neighborhood Academic Initiative was founded as a college preparatory program for students living in the USC neighborhoods.

Students and their parents apply to be a part of the program while in the sixth grade and if accepted sign a contract. This contract outlines the students’ responsibilities to “perform at the highest possible academic and social level” of which they are capable.

In turn, USC promises to provide a comprehensive 4.5 year financial aid package to the university for all scholars who graduate from the program and who meet the rigorous requirements for admission to the university.