SEASIDE, Ca., May 4, 2018 – CSUMB President Eduardo M. Ochoa hosted a facilitated dialogue to discuss educational attainment with South Monterey County community members at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds on Thursday, May 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Educational leaders on the panel included Greenfield Union School District Superintendent, Zandra-Jo Galvan, CEO of Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance Inc., Erica Padilla-Chavez and CSUMB College of Education Dean José Luis Alvarado.

The panel presented for the first half of the evening before the community members in the room had the opportunity to present some of the challenges that make educational attainment a challenge in South Monterey County. Those barriers included transportation, technology, childcare and proximity to campuses.

Dean Alvarado, who has been a driving force in forming programs dedicated to helping South Monterey County students overcome barriers to educational attainment such as the teacher pathway program, assured the room that educational leaders are aware of these barriers and are constantly working to help address these issues to ensure educational opportunities are accessible.

"We are always looking at the barriers preventing students here from attaining their goals, and we are committed to finding the resources to help alleviate those barriers whether they be technology, childcare or providing local access points for taking classes. A recent example of overcoming a technology need here was the iPads provided to the teacher pathway program students," said Dean Alvarado.

President Ochoa also reassured the room that although CSUMB is becoming increasingly popular with applicants from all around California and internationally, CSUMB's commitment to serving the three-county service area of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties remains a priority.

The Community Dialogues event, made possible by a generous contribution from Bud and Rebecca Colligan, is in keeping with CSUMB’s role as a community resource, providing forums for provocative discussions that can impact thought and action on issues important to our community.