Bakersfield College Hosts EOPS Freshman Day

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

This week, the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) department at BC hosted their annual Freshman Day. Each year, new EOPS students are invited to the Panorama campus to connect with peers, meet EOPS staff, learn about programs and services, participate in workshops and activities, and much more.

Freshman Day was first launched in 2017 and has been an annual event ever since. This year, more than 200 students participated in the event which included workshops, a Cal Grant information session, lunch and keynote speaker Zach Gowen from Coolspeak. Zach shared his inspirational story of athletic achievement despite losing his leg at a young age. He encouraged students to believe in themselves and pursue their educational goals.

Brenda Portillo, Program Coordinator for EOPS, was excited to have the students participate in Freshman Day. “This welcome event is designed for new EOPS+ students to connect with peers and staff before the star of the term,” she said, “The goal is to energize, motivate, and inspire students as they begin or continue their college journey, while reinforcing that they have a supportive community and ‘village’ to help them succeed.” Brenda also emphasized the importance and significance of the event. “Students leave the event feeling more comfortable, confident, and familiar with our program, resources and staff,” she said, “In addition to the engaging and informative workshops, students receive a checklist and reminders to help them prepare for the start of the term – including reviewing financial aid information, obtaining their BC ID, connecting with campus resources, and more.”

Each attendee received a variety of free items to help them get ready for the Fall semester, including a backpack, tote bag, t-shirt, and more. A big thank you to the EOPS team for putting on this event for the students who are new to the program. Your hard work and commitment has a direct and dynamic impact on student success.

Extended Opportunity Programs and Services is a state funded program that serves educationally and financially disadvantaged students. EOPS provides services that assist students who have the potential to succeed in college. For more information about the program, please the EOPS webpage on the Bakersfield College website.