“Not going to college is not an option for my children,” Mendoza said, adding that he often tells his 8-year-old daughter Sofia and 5-year-old daughter Isabella about the opportunities a college career can afford them. “A college education can never hurt you. It’s what made me successful and it gives you a chance to achieve the American dream.”
Stories like Mendoza’s are what Cal State Fullerton aims for as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
“As an HSI, we serve all students and are accessible to all students,” said Donald S. Castro, special assistant to CSUF President Milton A. Gordon. “That is the campus mission.”
Cal State Fullerton was named an Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2004. The designation is given by the U.S. Department of Education to nonprofit institutions with at least a 25 percent Latino student population, and half of those students must be at or below the poverty level. Because it is an HSI, the university is eligible to apply for federal Title V Program grants.
In 2005, Cal State Fullerton was awarded a $2.3 million Title V grant by the U.S. Department of Education to augment programs for Latino students.
The grant is being received in five annual installments. The first, for $433,910, was received last year.
Though the funds are earmarked for enhancing programs for Latinos, who make up 26 percent of the student population, all CSUF pupils will benefit regardless of their ethnicity, Castro said.
As part of the Title V grant, a survey conducted by the Social Science Research Center was completed. The survey polled parents or guardians from 502 randomly selected Latino households to reveal their expectations of Cal State Fullerton. It found, that although Latino parents have high educational aspirations for their children, few understand the means required to achieve that end. Castro now is working on a plan to address the issues raised in the survey.
Meanwhile, Castro is overseeing a related project involving the Fullerton Collaborative, a coalition of partners — Cal State Fullerton, Fullerton College, the city of Fullerton, Fullerton School District, St. Jude Medical Center and Valencia Task Force. The project, funded through a $599,525 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant includes the expansion of a community center and the ability to offer free services such as civics classes, English lessons and medical care in a low-income area of central Fullerton.
Henry Mendoza
Don Castro
