By Monica Dekany
Western Sun associate editor
Golden West College has offered many opportunities to Latino students for the past few years with the Latino studies classes and the Puente Program. This year, the classes and program were in jeopardy of being cut completely. The tenacity of the students and faculty, as well as a 100 signature petition, put enough pressure on the administration to keep these resources for at least one more year.
Translated as “bridge” in English, the Puente Program provides students with intensive writing, training, mentoring and counseling and the Chicano-Latino classes educate students about customs, politics, and contributions to the American southwest. Several other schools including OCC, Cypress and Santa Ana offer similar classes and programs so GWC is not the only choice for students. State grants become available once a campus has reached 25 percent Latino student population, so it would greatly benefit our campus to make this a goal.
According to sophomore Hector Flores, “Education is not a matter of just finding a career but a way to improve how the world sees you.” Without the resources provided on campus, many of the Puente students would not succeed, and for many they are the first in their family to even attend college. Freshman student Julio Santillan had similar thoughts stating, “I believe the money should not be a direct reason for cutting these programs, especially with such a growing Latino population at Golden West.”
Despite the dedication and commitment of faculty members Abraham Tarango and Yvonne Valenzuela, the program remains at risk. Counselor Valenzuela said, “This program has been a struggle from the start with limited campus-wide support. Regardless, the students continue to work hard by volunteering and participating in leadership activities.”
Even though this program promotes diversity and serves a growing community of Latino students and has been given one more year, it is important to remember there are still many challenges ahead and it may take more than just a little pressure to keep it active.
