By Emilie Diaz
College of the Canyons continues to set new standards and break barriers for California community college students.
COC has been ranked 31st out of 100 in the Hispanic outlook and higher education magazine for enrolling the largest number of Hispanic students and granting the most degrees. Programs such as canyons promise provide first time college students with the opportunity to attend COC with paid tuition for the first two years.
Ann Marchesan says, “We really recognize the fact that when you’re first generation college student, meaning that you’re the first in your family to attend college, which a lot of Latinx Hispanic students fall under that category, they need extra help and support and resources more than our students that have parents that got their bachelor’s or master’s degree. It is very new to them navigating higher education and it’s confusing, you know, between the different departments and admissions and records and financial aid and promise and counseling and our basic needs center. There’s almost like an overload of resources that are available to students which is amazing.”
Professors at COC feel the same.
Dr. Johnson says, “So I teach women’s history on campus and I’m especially interested in a population of young women who are trying to achieve their educational goals and So programs like Canons promise and other students services programs that we have on campus can really help young women who may have family obligations who may have other expectations that are sort of inhibiting their pursuit of their educational dreams.”
Jackie Moraga Hispanic former canyons promise student is now continuing at UC Davis.
Jackie Moraga says, “and being part of canyons promise also got me introduced to Mesa where I got my job and it qualifies as work study. and that was really helpful because at Davis work study, works a little different, but it’s definitely the prepared me to be able to apply for that and start working. Now that I’m at, UC Davis able to pursue my bachelor’s degree for environmental science.”
For Canyons News, I’m Emilie Diaz.
