"I would not be where I am today without financial assistance and scholarships," Cardenas recalls of his own collegiate experience. "We help students apply and we try to pair up new students with those like them who are already here, successfully navigating their way through college."

When Tammy Camacho first began life at Fullerton, she "didn't even know that I should be taking notes during class," she recalls. Now coordinator of the Chicano Resource Center and an alumna, she notes that the center's knowledgeable veterans hang around to help newer students "who don't know how to navigate the library or who haven't developed the study skills to help them succeed. While our job at the center is to assist them with research, students who meet here often form informal groups and provide support to one another."

José Rodriquez, now a Fullerton senior, found the outreach of professors and students helpful when he was in high school and continues to rely on it now as he faces graduation and job-hunting. "I attended a program at Cal State Fullerton that encouraged Hispanic kids to go on to college," he says. "I wasn't the greatest student in high school, and while I had a vague idea of going on to college, I didn't really know what to do or what to expect. But after I spoke with the professors and students, I had a better idea of what to do."

After spending three years at a community college, Rodriquez transferred to Cal State Fullerton, where he will graduate in June with a bachelor's degree in sociology. In addition to his studies, he works at a local elementary school as a teacher's aide.

"I was typical of a lot of Hispanic kids," he recalls. "I wasn't a high achiever and my parents weren't able to help much. Kids like me tend to get pushed to the side. But because the faculty and staff reached out to me, I'll be graduating soon." He says he is proud that all four of his siblings plan to attend college, encouraged, in part, by his example.