The U.S Department of Education designated San Diego City College as an Hispanic-Serving Institution just in time for Hispanic, Latinx, Chicanx and Indigenous Heritage Month.

To celebrate, the college organized “Café con Colegas” on Oct. 7, an event sponsored by the School of Mathematics, Sciences, and Nursing Education with the purpose to connect with students and inform more about City College as an HSI.

 Students had the opportunity to interact with academic and faculty personnel such as MESA Program Director Rafael Alvarez and City College Vice President of Instruction Matilda “Tillie” Chavez in a more organic and relaxed environment while they shared a cup of coffee and pan dulce.

“There’s a celebration in the community for City College,” Alvarez said. “This used to be a parking lot, and now City College is a recipient for this kind of award. That to me is a celebration, that’s the kind of award that can be supported by this institution.” 

On Sept. 17 Senator Alex Padilla, who helped establish the new U.S Senate HSI Caucus, informed these institutions that they would receive a $5 million grant distributed in $1 million per year over a five-year period.

The 2021 HSI grant will help to continue initiatives on campus for the MESA Program, which focuses on the inclusion of first generation and traditionally underrepresented students.

“Students are the core but it includes everyone throughout the college, it’s not just one objective, the objective is students and student completion,” Chavez said.

  In 2016 City College was awarded a developing HSI Grant from the federal department of education to uplift low-income Latino student graduation and course-completion rates, which served as an example of the importance of this type of grant, and the direct impact it has on students.

 “With each administration you keep seeing progress, you keep seeing City College grow, you keep seeing City College being recognized for excellence,” Alvarez said.

 The MESA Program also gives students the opportunity to apply for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math related intern positions, which helps them when they apply for transfer to four-year universities.

As a formally designated HSI, City College has made the commitment to student success, social justice and educational equity toward Hispanic college students.

For more information you can visit https://www.sdcity.edu/ and https://www.ed.gov/.