Sí Se Puede!: First Annual Community College Essay Contest Scholarship Awarded

Newswise — Sí Se Puede, Spanish for "Yes, it can be done!" is the motto of the United Farm Workers (UFW) coined by Cesar Chavez in 1972. In the spirit of Cesar E. Chavez and his dedication to justice for all people, the Cesar E. Chavez Commemoration Committee and Alliant International University are honoring the winner of the First Annual Cesar E. Chavez Community College Essay Contest at the 10th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Breakfast on Thursday, March 27th at the San Diego Convention Center.

The essay contest was established to promote the richness and diversity of U.S. American history, to honor the life and achievements of Cesar E. Chavez, and to encourage Latino students in their pursuit of higher education.

WHO: Maria Silvia Martinez, the oldest of six children and the first in her family to go to college, is the winner of the First Annual Cesar E. Chavez Community College Essay Contest. Mrs. Martinez, a fronteriza, was born in Tijuana and raised in San Diego where she graduated from Chula Vista High School in 1974. After beginning studies at a community college, she put them aside for many years to raise three children and is now a proud grandmother of four. Recently, she returned to Southwestern Community College to pursue an Associates Degree to become a legal office interpreter and translator which she will complete this May. During this time, she took a psychology course which sparked her interest to continue her education at Alliant International University this Fall and pursue a Masters degree in family therapy.

WHAT: The 10th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Breakfast will honor the achievements of Cesar Chavez on Thursday, March 27, 2008, at the San Diego Convention Center from 7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. The winner of the First Annual Cesar E. Chavez Community College Essay Contest, Maria Silvia Martinez, will read her winning essay and receive a $5,000 scholarship for tuition at Alliant International University for continued higher education studies.

The essay winner was chosen by a representative group of the Cesar E. Chavez Commemorative and Alliant International University Essay Committees. Open to San Diego, Orange and Imperial Valley County community college students, the essays were judged based on qualities such as originality, historical accuracy, personalized viewpoint and proper use of grammar on the following Essay Topic:

“Innovation. A creative capacity to find pragmatic strategies and tactics to resolve problems and situations that often seem insurmountable to others. A lasting organization is one which people will continue to build, develop and move when you are not there.” - Cesar E. Chavez.

The economy of California will be determined in large part by the growing Latino population; therefore, the need to graduate more Latinos from universities is extremely important. What can you do or universities do to help this community achieve the dream of a higher education?

Maria’s thoughtful essay embodies essay topic and the spirit of Cesar E. Chavez by offering advice of how Latinos can “Achieve The Dream” of higher education:

“Latinos come to United States because it is the “The land of opportunity,” so why are not many Latinos achieving their dream of a higher education? I have asked several Latino friends in my neighborhood why they think Latinos do not attend college, and the primary reason I was given was that they were afraid; afraid because they feel it’s like an “impossible dream.” So with this in mind, and from my own experience, I have listed below a few points which I believe universities can do to help with this “crisis.”

WHEN: 10th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Breakfast on Thursday, March 27, 2008 from 7:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: San Diego Convention Center, 111 W Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101 - (619) 525-5000,
http://www.sdccc.org.

For more information about the essay contest, contact: Guadalupe R. Corona, Systemwide Director of the Latino Achievement Initiatives (LAI) at Alliant International University, at (858) 635-4435 or via e-mail at cesarchavez@alliant.edu.

More information about the contest and curriculum is available at http://cesarchavez.alliant.edu, the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation website at www.chavezfoundation.org, and the California of Department of Education’s website at http://www.chavez.cde.ca.gov.

About Alliant International University
Founded in 2001, Alliant International University (http://www.alliant.edu) is a non-profit university that prepares students for professional careers in psychology, education, business and forensics. Alliant offers mentored field experiences and individual coaching that allows students to develop hands-on professional skills and practical experience with clients. An exceptionally diverse faculty and student body provides graduates to learn to work productively with colleagues and clients from different cultural and international backgrounds. U.S. News and World Report ranked Alliant #1 in international diversity among national doctoral universities. According to Diverse Magazine, Alliant awarded more doctorate degrees to minority students than any other U.S. university. With headquarters in San Francisco and San Diego, Alliant also has campuses in Fresno, Los Angeles, Irvine, and Sacramento ; it also hosts accredited programs in Mexico City, Mexico; Hong Kong, China and Tokyo, Japan.

About The Cesar E. Chavez Commemoration Committee
Founded in 1998, the Cesar E. Chavez Commemoration committee (http://www.sdchavezcommittee.org) embodies the principles and values of Cesar E. Chavez by educating and empowering the San Diego Community and its youth through building diverse relationships that develop socially responsible civic activism and community service.

The San Diego Cesar E. Chavez Commemoration Committee (SDCECC) is appreciative of the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians for their continued support as the title sponsor of our events and for the Latina Latino and Indigenous Peoples Unity Coalition for graciously serving as the 2008 Fiscal Sponsor. The SDCECC Committee would not be able to accomplish its mission without the dedication of their community volunteers who meet throughout the year to plan and organize the commemorative events.