Warren High School’s Bears University Seminar (BUS) has grown from a modest six-Saturday library program into one of the most impactful college-preparation initiatives in the district. What began in 2019 as a grassroots effort by dedicated teachers to help seniors craft their college essays has evolved into a full-scale support system reaching nearly 250 students each year. The Class of 2026 marks a milestone: the first graduating class for which BUS has collected comprehensive outcome data — and the results speak for themselves.
Copy of WHS: BUS Data c/o 2026 by Kelsey HasslerOrigin
Bears University Seminar began in the fall of 2019. As is always the case behind any successful program, it was a group of dedicated educators that set out to provide support to 110 seniors starting their college essays. Students and teachers spent six Saturdays in the library, empowering students to tell their stories.
Bring It On: Adapting Through COVID
When COVID hit, the teachers knew the rising seniors were in for a doozy. The BUS teachers took it upon themselves to take on the monumental task of providing support during one of the most unstable times in our nation’s history, moving the format to summer school via Zoom. Teachers and students met weekly in 15-minute sessions, focusing primarily on the four UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) and the UC Activities List. Though the pace was exhausting — teachers moved from student to student at a rapid clip — they remained steadfast to their mission. This was their D-Day.
Incredible Success
As students and families experienced great success, the program grew quickly — achieving 115% growth over the past six years. Today, the BUS Program has seven dedicated teachers and can accommodate up to 248 students.
Summer 2025 Support Results
For the Class of 2026, BUS reached its largest cohort ever:
- 237 WHS students participated in the BUS Program — the biggest group in program history.
- Each student received a 40-minute, one-to-one Zoom session with a BUS teacher over five weeks.
- This was the first graduating class from which BUS collected comprehensive survey data (237 surveys).
First-Generation & Low-Income Students
Out of 237 surveys collected:
- 157 students identified as first-generation college students.
- 105 students received a Pell Grant.
- 26 students received a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
- 73 students received a Cal Grant B.
College Acceptances
UC Acceptances — 504 Total
- UC Berkeley: 26
- UC Davis: 41
- UC Irvine: 50
- UCLA: 21
- UC Merced: 81
- UC Riverside: 124
- UC San Diego: 53
- UC Santa Barbara: 35
- UC Santa Cruz: 73
CSU Acceptances — 723 Total
- Bakersfield: 3
- Channel Islands: 4
- Chico: 6
- Dominguez Hills: 41
- East Bay: 2
- Fresno: 6
- Fullerton: 147
- Humboldt: 6
- Long Beach: 184
- Los Angeles: 73
- Maritime: 3
- Monterey Bay: 4
- Northridge: 42
- Pomona: 71
- Sacramento: 5
- San Bernardino: 4
- San Diego: 40
- San Francisco: 18
- San Jose: 13
- San Luis Obispo: 41
- San Marcos: 9
- Sonoma: 0
- Stanislaus: 1
Private California Acceptances — 75 Total
- APU: 1
- BIOLA: 3
- Cal Arts: 1
- Cal Baptist: 3
- Chapman: 9
- Fresno Pacific: 1
- Hope International: 3
- La Sierra: 1
- La Verne: 2
- LMU: 10
- Mt. Saint Mary’s: 6
- Pepperdine: 9
- Pomona: 1
- Redlands: 1
- San Diego: 2
- San Francisco: 7
- Santa Clara: 1
- USC: 8
- Vanguard: 2
- Westmont: 1
- Whittier: 2
- Woodbury: 1
Out-of-State Acceptances — 71 Total
- Agnes Scott: 1
- Alabama: 2
- Arizona State University: 4
- Boston University: 1
- Colorado State: 1
- Culinary Institute of America: 1
- DePauw: 1
- Florida State: 2
- Fordham: 4
- George Mason: 1
- Grand Canyon University: 1
- Gonzaga: 1
- Hampton: 1
- Hawaii Manoa: 3
- Hawaii Pacific: 3
- Hillsong: 1
- Iona: 1
- Linfield: 1
- LSU: 3
- Marist: 1
- Miami (FL): 1
- Michigan State: 1
- Minnesota Twin Cities: 1
- NC A&T State: 2
- NC Central: 1
- Northeastern: 1
- NY Institute of Technology: 1
- NYU: 1
- Oregon: 6
- Oregon State: 3
- Penn State: 3
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology: 1
- SUNY Stonybrook: 1
- Syracuse: 1
- Tennessee State: 1
- Texas A&M: 1
- Tulsa: 1
- Tuskegee: 1
- University of District of Columbia: 1
- University of Nevada, Reno: 1
- University of Portland: 1
- UConn: 1
- UNLV: 2
- Washington State: 2
- Xavier: 1
Student Experience
Students were asked to rate BUS on a 1–5 scale for how helpful it was in supporting their college process. The response was overwhelmingly positive:
- 110 students rated BUS 5 out of 5
- 79 students rated BUS 4 out of 5
- 35 students rated BUS 3 out of 5
- 13 students rated BUS 2 or below
A Moment to Celebrate
The BUS team takes a moment to celebrate the culture of Warren High School — a community that welcomes students from every background and gives them the opportunity to succeed. This work reflects the hard work of every teacher, administrator, counselor, coach, support staff member, receptionist, cafeteria worker, and janitorial staff member in Warren, California.
Thank You
District Office
- Dr. Roger Brossmer, Superintendent
- Dr. Rani Maline-Bertsch
- Dr. Kathy Estevez
- Dr. Allan Tyner
- Karlin LaPorta
- Veronica Lew
- Nancy Valdez
- Dr. Daniela Sanchez
Board of Education
- Jose J. Rodriguez, President
- D. Mark Morris, Vice President
- Tyrone Conde, Clerk
- Joseph E. Manacmul, Member
- Giovanna Perez-Saab, Member
- Linda Salmon Saldaña, Member
- Nancy A. Swenson, Member
BUS Teacher Team
- Jeff Arnold
- David Cha
- Maria Franco
- Erica Gomez
- Karla Lopez
- Elizabeth Sandoval
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