2 Monterey County community colleges receive grants to help Latino students

These dollars will help the institutions provide extra services for Latino students, many of whom are the first in their family to go to college

MONTEREY PENINSULACOLLEGE AND HARTNELLARE HISPANIC.THESE DOLLARS WILLHELP THE INSTITUTIONSPROVIDE WRAPAROUNDSERVICES FOR LATIN-XSTUDENTS... MANY OFWHOM ARE THE FIRST INTHEIR FAMILY TO GO TOCOLLEGE.MONTEREY PENINSULACOLLEGE AND HARTNELLCOLLEGE SHARED THESAME GREAT NEWS THISWEEK -- BOTH ARERECEIVING TITLE VGRANTS FROM THEDEPARTMENT OFEDUCATION.INFUSING THEINSTITUTIONS WITHTHREE MILLION DOLLARSEACH OVER THE NEXTFIVE YEARS.THE PLAN IS TO USE THISMONEY TO HELP LATIN-XSTUDENTS MOVE FROMCOMMUNITY COLLEGE TOA FOUR YEARUNIVERSITY.RAUL RODRIGUEZ 03:50 SO THESEGRANTS ARE INTENDED TO DO THATKIND OF THING, TO REALLY INFUSEMONEY INTO AREAS WHERE THEY CANREALLY HAVE AN IMPACT ONSTUDENTS.AND SO THERE'S THIS DISCONNECTGRANT, WE HAVE IS REALLYINTENDEDTO GET MORE STUDENTS TOGRADUATE,TO GET STUDENTS OUT TO BETTERJOBSWHERE THEY EARN A HIGHER WAGEAND CAN SUPPORT A FAMILY AND ANDJUST HAVE THAT LIVABLE WAGE THATWE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO GET SOTHAT THEY'RE NOT STRUGGLINGECONOMICALLYAT HARTNELL THE GRANTWILL BE USED TOIMPROVE TECHNOLOGYAND SUPPORT SYSTEMSFOR STUDENTS TO MAKETHE TRANSFER PROCESSEASIER.TWO THIRDS OF THESTUDENTS AT HARTNELLCOLLEGE ARE HISPANICAND AT MPC A LITTLEMORE THAN HALF OFDEGREE SEEKINGSTUDENTS ARE HISPANIC.DIEGO ESPINOZA WITHMPC SAYS OVER THEYEARS THEY'VE BUILTOUT A STUDENTTRANSFER CENTERCALLED EL CENTRO THATHELPS STUDENTSNAVIGATE THE HIGHEREDUCATION WORLD.THE NEW MONEY WILL BEUSED TO BUILD A SIMILARCENTER AT MPC'S MARINAEDUCATION CENTER.DIEGO THIS GRANT WOULD ALLOW USTO ALLOW OUR STUDENTS TOCOMPLETEA WHOLE DEGREE AT THE MARINEEDUCATION CENTER WHILE RECEIVINGTHE SAME QUALITY OF SERVICESTHATTHEY WOULD RECEIVE AT THE MAINCAMPUSMPC STUDENT LUISDANIEL GARCIA IS THEFIRST IN HIS FAMILY TOGO TO COLLEGE AND HESAYS THE SERVICES AT ELCENTRO HAVE BEENINDISPENSABLE.LUIS DANIEL GARCIA 38:43TUTORING ACADEMIC COUNSELINGMENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING YOUKNOW RESOURCES LIKE THAT USSTUDENTS COMING FROM LOW INCOMEAREAS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SO ICAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT THECENTERAS WELL AS THE WHOLE CAMPUS HASHELPED ME OUT INCREDIBLYUSING THE NEW GRANTMPC PLANS TO REMODA SPACE AT THE MARINASITE TO MAKE A SECONDLOCATION LIKE ELCENTRO WITH ACCESS TOPEER MENTORS ANDCOUNSELORS.IT WILL ALSO BUILD OUTA WET LAB AND STEM LABAT THE CENTER SOSTUDENTS CAN TAKESCIENCE COURSESNEEDED TO COMPLETEDEGREES WITHOUTHAVING TO TRAVEL TOMONTEREY.MPC TRUSTEE YURIANDERSON SAYSBRINGING THESESERVICES TO MARINA ISVITAL BECAUSE OF THECOMMUNITY THESATELLITE CAMPUSSERVES.YURI ANDERSON 28:24 LOWINCOME, PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO ARENAVIGATING THE EDUCATION SYSTEMFOR THE FIRST TIME AND BYBRINGINGTHE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITYMPC IS REALLY SAYING WE CAREABOUT OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT AND WEWANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONEWHO LIVES HERE HAS ACCESS TOHIGHQUALITY EDUCATION.MPC SAYS THERE IS ANACHEIVEMENT GAP FORITS LATIN-X STUDENTS ...WHILE THEY MAKE UP 51PERCENT OF DEGREESEEKING STUDENTS --LATIN-X STUDENTSACCOUNT FOR JUST 31PERCENT OF TOTALDEGREES AWARDED.MEANTIME....CO