Cal State Fullerton President Milton A. Gordon addressed congregants recently at Love and Unity Church of God in Christ in Compton as part of a California State University effort to encourage early planning for college and the involvement of community members as mentors for young people.

On the same Sunday, Robert L. Palmer Jr., Cal State Fullerton vice president for student affairs, addressed members of Corona Community Church.

The fifth annual CSU “Super Sunday” campaign began in late January and continued throughout February. Dozens of CSU presidents, trustees and administrators reached out to more than 100,000 families in approximately 100 African American congregations throughout the state to encourage early preparation — as early as middle school — for college.

"The path to a college degree starts long before a student sets foot in high school,” said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “Our message to students is to start meeting CSU's eligibility requirements early, and to be prepared to compete for admission at a CSU campus."

Super Sunday is part of the CSU African American Initiative, which strives to find new ways to educate youth and parents about the value of a college degree and the steps to get to college. Now on its fifth year, the initiative has contributed to the following results:

In addition to Super Sunday, the CSU African American Initiative includes a yearlong schedule of events, including Summer Algebra Institutes, Train the Trainer workshops, and Super Saturday education fairs.