The PAYS Team Member selection process consists of two rounds. The first round is a review of application materials; the second round will be an individual interview.
Team Member Application Requirements
(Must be completed by Monday, April 10, 2026):
- Applicant must
- Be a current Pomona College student and/or PAYS Undergraduate Alum
- Submit an online application
- Send Resume to Sefa Aina (Sefa.Aina@pomona.edu) and Andres Fluffy Aguilar (Andres.Aguilar@pomona.edu).
Team Member Application Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| 1st Round Application Deadline | Monday, April 10, 2026 at 11:59pm (PST) |
| Notification of applicants moving to 2nd Round | By April 17, 2026 |
| 2nd Round – Individual Interviews | Monday, April 20 - Friday, April 24, 2026 |
| Decision Notification | By May 1, 2026 |
Important Program Dates
In addition to regular program activities, TAs, CAs & the Math Tutors should note the following dates:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sunday, June 7, 2026 | Staff may begin moving-in |
| Monday, June 8 - Friday, June 19, 2026 | Training and Pre-program preparation |
| Sunday, June 21, 2026 | PAYS Summer 2025 Opening Day |
| Monday, June 22, 2026 | Classes Begin |
| Friday, July 17, 2026 | Closing Ceremony |
Elective Course
Part of your position, whether it be a Teaching Assistant, Community Advisor or Math Tutor, you will offer an elective of your choice. The elective course must abide by the following guidelines:
- Must be educational and thought provoking for our high school scholars
- Previous examples include: Representation of Mythology in the Modern World, Animal Communication: Deciphering the Language and Mind of the Animal Kingdom, Racial Capitalism: Reclaiming Indigenous Frameworks, Coding For (Y)Our Future, Soul Through Speech: A Spoken Word Workshop, The Politics of Social Movements, Drag: An Exploration of Identity Through Impersonation, and many more.
- Electives involving only arts, crafts, and games will not be accepted. Arts, crafts, and games may be used as a tool within the class; however, it should not be the entirety of the class.
- Must prepare a curriculum for seven (7) total classes
- Must have a culminating project and/or assignment for the last day of the course
You will be asked to provide a title and short description of this course in your application. This description will be provided to our current scholars to assess if that is an elective they would like to take.
Program Description
The Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) program is a year-long college-access program with a 4-week academically intensive, residential component. PAYS serves rising high school sophomores through rising seniors from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education. The program enrolls over 90 participants from Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County. Students can expect to be challenged academically and should be prepared to participate in a vibrant, academic community. Participants enroll in math and critical inquiry courses led by Pomona College professors, as well as two staff-led elective courses.
All PAYS participants live in the College’s residence halls Sunday evening through Friday late afternoon/evening.
The Draper Center seeks a team of 12 teaching assistants, 3 math tutor, and 3 community advisors. The team will be supervised by the Director, Assistant Director for Educational Outreach, and the Program Coordinator. They will also have a reporting relationship with at least two PAYS faculty members, the Program Coordinator, the Post Bac Fellow, the Assistant Director for Educational Outreach, and the Director of the Draper Center for Community Partnerships. The positions are full-time, temporary positions. Team members may not hold other positions during the time of their participation with PAYS, including any SURP and/or PCIP. The CAs, TAs, and Math Tutor will participate for the 4 week program + 2 weeks of training: $4,500.