‘Steps to College’ draws thousands to Mexican Consulate in Sacramento
Consul General of México in Sacramento, Alejandra García Williams, speaks to welcome the education fair/conference 'Steps To College 2016' at the mexican consulate on February 6. HÉCTOR NAVEJAS hnavejas@vidaenelvalle.com
SACRAMENTO Mayra Barbosa sat underneath the cool shade cast by a large white tent, while holding an array of college flyers in one hand and sipping a Starbucks coffee with the other. Her parents sat close to her as well as several of her college friends who are all students at Woodland Community College.
Listening intently to the motivational words of Lupita Cortez Alcalá, the recently appointed Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), Barbosa only paused to translate pieces of her story into Spanish for her parents.
“Her words were really inspiring and her story is so much like mine and that of my parents and so many others here,” said Barbosa.
Last Saturday, she was one of thousands of students who attended the 5th Annual ‘Steps to College’ (Pasos a la Universidad) at the Mexican Consulate in North Sacramento. Students arrived from across Northern California and parts of the Central Valley as early as 7AM to attend a day filled with motivational speakers, workshops aimed at teaching high school students about financial aid, how to transfer from a community college to a university, as well as an all-day college fair with recruiters and counselors from UC Davis to as far south as UCLA and every other California university campus in-between.
Counselors gave advice, answered questions ranging from academic rigor, to course offerings, and campus life with the end goal of luring students to apply to their university, while ensuring they take all of the necessary prerequisites.
There was also plenty of entertainment with a local Mariachi group playing throughout the morning and well over a dozen local food trucks selling everything from tostilocos to grilled corn on the cob to tacos al pastor.
Like every year before, the event is meant to educate middle to high school students about the opportunities in obtaining higher education, as well as helping their parents navigate the system in a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.
Alcalá, the event’s Keynote Speaker, shared her personal story as a way to connect with the hundreds of students and parents who sat outside the Mexican Consulate steps to listen to her educational journey.
“Every story begins with our parents,” said Alcalá.
Her mother was born in Durango, México and lived in the small pueblo of Polvora in anejido and an adobe house.
“They were poor, but very happy. Some of my most fondest memories of my childhood were during those times we would visit my abuelos,” said Alcalá.
Her father was born in Mexicalí and had the rare opportunity of obtaining a university degree in México. He became a civil engineer, but when he married, the couple decided to move to California to be able to provide their children a fighting chance at the American Dream.
On American soil, Alcalá’s father’s civil engineering degree was not considered valid. So to make ends meet, he worked at a donut shop, then picked strawberry’s under the grueling hot summer sun in Fresno, the heart of the Central San Joaquin Valley.
Alcalá was just three years old by the time her father’s degree was accepted in the United States. It took passing a number of difficult exams to finally secure a stable job in San Diego, ‘Steps to College’ draws thousands to Mexican Consulate in Sacramento | Vida en el Valle: