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Annual Hispanic Education Conference Slated Saturday
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Keynote speaker for the March 6 Hispanic Education Conference will be Dr. Daisy Gonzales, the first Latina to serve as Deputy Chancellor of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. California Community Colleges Photo

Modesto Junior College’s 37th Annual Hispanic Education Conference will be presented virtually on Saturday, March 6 at 9:30 a.m.

In 1984, the Hispanic Education Conference began as a dream of several members of the Modesto Hispanic Leadership Council and the Dean of Counseling, Mr. Juan Alvarez. Today, the Hispanic Education Conference is the largest youth conference in the central valley with participants from all over Stanislaus County and surrounding areas. The purpose of the Hispanic Education Conference is to enrich and empower current and future MJC students to be successful in pursuing higher education. MJC is a college rich in history and tradition, and it is also a federally-designated Hispanic Serving Institution with a Hispanic student population of 54 percent.

This year’s Keynote speaker is Dr. Daisy Gonzales. Dr. Gonzales is the first Latina to serve as Deputy Chancellor of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO). As Deputy Chancellor, she is responsible for overseeing the largest system of public higher education in the nation composed of 116 colleges and 73 districts. She coordinates the divisions of Academic Affairs; Student Services and Special Programs; Economic Development and Workforce Preparation; and the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI). Her primary duties include directing the progress towards the Vision for Success—the systems strategic plan to close student equity gaps over the next five to ten years. Dr. Gonzales is a first-generation college student, former foster youth, and English-learner.

There will be two virtual workshops this year. One workshop will address how students can navigate colleges and universities during the pandemic, including getting connected to resources and services. The second workshop will allow for students to hear from former MJC Latinx students who will share the experience of being brown in a white world. They will highlight their positive and negative experiences and how they each found their voice and broke many negative family cycles.

To sign up for this free event, RSVP at https://mjc.edu/studentservices/sdncl/hec/ or call (209) 575-6700 for more information.