Ana Garcia took a long pause before she spoke to more than 500 students during a 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis event in the gym of Galt High School.
鈥淚鈥檓 taking this moment in 鈥 and I鈥檓 looking at my nephew,鈥 said the 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis graduate and employee. 鈥淚t feels so good to be home.鈥
Garcia helps motivate and prepare middle and high school students for higher education as assistant regional director of the , or EAOP, but returning to her high school alma mater was personal.
The academic preparation program at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis organized the Nov. 8 event as part of , a systemwide effort to encourage students in communities with low rates of college attendance to get a high-quality college education.
鈥淪铆 se puede,鈥 said Garcia, using the Spanish-language slogan of determination that means "Yes, we can."
Garcia told the Galt High Warriors that she had been just that, a warrior, all her life. Born in Mexico, she was one of 12 siblings whose parents did not graduate from college. And as an immigrant, she learned English as a second language. Garcia, who graduated from the high school in 2001, was first denied admittance to 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, 鈥渉er dream school.鈥 With perseverance and three letters of recommendation, she finally got accepted.
Although struggles surrounding a family illness and her decision to openly identify as a lesbian contributed to poor grades and academic dismissal from 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, Garcia eventually returned to graduate with a double major in Spanish and Chicana/o studies in 2012. She went on to earn a master鈥檚 degree in counseling from California State University, Sacramento.
Garcia urged her fellow Warriors to use the help offered by their teachers and counselors and to support each other to achieve their dreams. 鈥淗elp each other reach your goals,鈥 she said.
Garcia and Walter Robinson, associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at 新澳门六合彩内幕信息 Davis, also did live interviews with the television program Good Day Sacramento, which covered the event. The morning鈥檚 activities included the assembly, classroom presentations about higher education, a college information fair and a lunch for senior students.
Media Resources
Julia Ann Easley, News and Media Relations, 530-752-8248, jaeasley@ucdavis.edu