IRVINE : Program on College for Latinos Saturday

A daylong conference focusing on college as an option for young Latinos will be held Saturday at Irvine Valley College.

Latino high school students are invited to attend the conference, which is sponsored by the college’s MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) and is being funded by the college’s student government.

MEChA adviser Frank Marmolejo, a history professor at the college, said Latino students are underrepresented in higher education. He said the conference represents the college’s commitment to correcting the problem and promoting cultural diversity.

“Often, Latino students feel either a sense of separation from the academic environment or a sense of cultural isolation within it,” Marmolejo said.

Marmolejo said that it would be “wonderful” if many of the students who attend the conference choose to attend Irvine Valley College but that recruitment is not the main purpose of the event.

“It is more important that they simply make the choice to investigate the advantages of a college education,” he said.

Among the speakers will be Dr. Henry Gradillas, principal at Birmingham High School in Alhambra. Gradillas taught with famed math teacher Jaime Escalante, whose story was depicted in the film “Stand and Deliver.”

Also speaking will be Guillermo C. Nerrichio, an English professor at San Diego State University.

The conference will last from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will include workshops on gangs, college services and financial aid, and health issues such as AIDS.

There will also be presentations from MECha and Irvine Valley College student government, plus entertainment and an open forum.

For more information, call (714) 559-3208 or (714) 559-3260.