The more reserved Morales usually arrives first, but her subtle smile indicates that she has been looking forward to this all week. Medina bursts in a few minutes later, enthusiastic that her weekend is already off to a great start.

Morales and Medina are students are from Orange High School. They are part of a group selected involved in an innovative mentoring program by graduate students for Chapman’s I-TEACH program. These are Chapman students who want to be educators in low-income neighborhoods. The passion, heart, and drive behind the program is Professor Jan Osborn.

She started the Orange High School Chapman University Literacy Partnership eight years ago when she wanted to reach out to the local teenagers considered as non-college material, to help them to understand that they are intelligent and are able to go to college.

“This group is under served. . . they don’t see themselves ever belonging to a university,” said Osborn, who has taught English at Chapman for 10 years.

She enters the classroom on Friday afternoon with such energy that it is not apparent she has been busy teaching and working all week. If one student seems to be missing, she has another call to see where he or she is. There is a genuine care behind the big smile that greets the students as they casually walk through the door.