United Way to host college prep workshops in Vista Hermosa

The free sessions will cover topics like financial aid, scholarships, and choosing the right college.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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United Way of the Blue Mountains will host a series of college preparedness workshops in Vista Hermosa, a farmworking community between Prescott and Burbank. The free sessions, held entirely in Spanish, will cover topics like graduation requirements, postsecondary options, financial aid, and understanding college acceptance letters. Childcare and dinner will be provided for participants.

Why it matters

The workshops aim to make college access more equitable for families in the Vista Hermosa community, many of whom are farmworkers, by providing them with the information and resources needed to navigate the complex college application and financing process.

The details

The workshops will take place on Thursdays from February 19 to March 26 (excluding March 5) from 5:30-8pm at the Vista Hermosa Community Center. Topics will include graduation requirements, the range of postsecondary options, how to access and understand financial aid, and tips for supporting students through the college transition.

  • The workshops will be held on Thursdays from February 19 to March 26, 2026.
  • There will be no session on March 5, 2026.

The players

United Way of the Blue Mountains

A nonprofit organization that is hosting the college preparedness workshops in Vista Hermosa.

Amy Ly

The Director of Postsecondary Access at United Way of the Blue Mountains, who is overseeing the workshop series.

Vista Hermosa Community Center

The location where the college prep workshops will be held.

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What they’re saying

“The goal of the workshops is to help families understand the range of postsecondary options for their students, and then how to access them, how to fund them, and how to support their students through that transition.”

— Amy Ly, Director of Postsecondary Access, United Way of the Blue Mountains

“We look at financial aid offer letters - real letters - because it's like comparing apples to oranges. It's wild how frustrating this is for families and how hard they are to understand and be able to decide which is a better offer. So we really break that down.”

— Amy Ly, Director of Postsecondary Access, United Way of the Blue Mountains

What’s next

Families can sign up for the workshops online at tinyurl.com/4tevjzz3. For more information, they can contact Nancy Gutierrez at nancy@uwbluemt.org or 509-593-0395.

The takeaway

These free college prep workshops in Vista Hermosa aim to make higher education more accessible for local farmworker families by providing them with the knowledge and resources to navigate the complex college application and financing process.