MJC hosts Hispanic Education Conference on October 13
The Modesto Junior College Hispanic Education Conference is scheduled for Saturday, October 13, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Performing and Media Arts Center on East Campus, 435 College Avenue in Modesto. The purpose of the free conference is to expose high school students and community parents to higher education through a variety of occupations, and motivate the youth to aspire to a successful academic life and career preparation. MJC students are also encouraged to attend.
The morning program features a performance by House of Culture Ballet Tradiciones, presentation of the Hispanic Education Legacy Award, and a keynote address by Ariana Gonzalez, MJC counselor and Vice President Central for the Latina Leadership Network, a statewide nonprofit of the California Community Colleges.
Gonzalez, born in Oakland and raised in the Central Valley, is an educator with over 10 years of service in the California Community College system. She is a member of the Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), a non-profit that serves as a base for organizing and mobilizing young people in the larger social movement for equal access to education, immigration reform and social justice.
Gonzalez holds an Associate degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from San Joaquin Delta College, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Chicana Studies from University of California, Davis and a Master of Arts in Counseling Education from California State University, Stanislaus.
The Hispanic Education Conference offers over 30 workshops, including sessions on a wide variety of career opportunities, preparing for college success, financial aid, leadership, finding purpose, developing perseverance, job interview skills and more. There are also workshops for parents (Spanish/bilingual) on how to help their children pursue a college education.
Attendees will also hear inspirational and motivational stories of pursuing a higher education despite any challenge, and information on campus and community programs that assist in student success.
Conference registration is free, and morning refreshments and lunch are provided to participants. A downloadable registration form is available at www.mjc.edu/HEC. Questions may be directed to conference co-chair Alejandra Espinoza (209) 575-6479 or espinozaa@mjc.edu.