When Deanna Jordan looks at her three little boys, she sees promise and hope. ![Deanna Jordan2]()
Jordan, a 28-year-old single mother and UCLA student who is wrapping up her undergraduate degree while simultaneously working on her master's, both in African-American studies, realizes that education and opportunity should not be taken for granted.
Her optimism, however, isn't just reserved for her children, ages 9, 7 and 5. She sees this in all kids, especially those growing up in underserved communities like the one she once lived in, children who might fall through the cracks if not for some encouragement and guidance.
Deanna Jordan works on academics with Compton students while working on two UCLA degrees and raising three children.
That's why she founded the Compton Pipeline Taskforce (CPT), a year-old program administered through UCLA's Community Programs Office. CPT is one of the office's 30 student-initiated community and student support projects offering educational, legal, social, medical and academic services to poor and predominately minority communities throughout the Los Angeles area.
Under Jordan's leadership, UCLA student volunteers travel to the city of Compton six days a week to work on academics with students at Carver Elementary School, which Jordan herself attended, Willowbrook Middle School and King–Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science.
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