By Pablo Jaime Sáinz

    Monica Baltierra’s dreams of attending culinary school began at a young age, in those days when she and her mother would bake cookies and cakes.

    Now, at age 13 and an 8th grade student at Jean Farb Middle School, Monica’s goal is to attend college, where she plans to major in business to open her own bakery in the future.

    “When I graduate from college with my degrees, I will then look to open my own bakery and share the joy that I feel when I bake a cake,” wrote Monica on the essay that earned her an honorable mention in the Written Word category of the Save Me a Spot in College scholarship, which was sponsored by The Campaign for College Opportunity, which held the award ceremony at Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista this week.

    Monica is one of the students that The Campaign is targeting: Students from low-income families, and who might be the first ones to attend college in their families. The scholarship ceremony marked the launch of the “One Million More College Graduates by 2025” campaign, which will try to increase the college-attendance and graduation rates in California.

    At the event, Assemblymember Marty Bloc received a symbolic check of $5.3 billion, which represents the return on investment that California can receive by producing 1 million more college graduates by 2025, according to the campaign organizers.

    “It’s a very ambitious goal, but I’m sure we’ll achieve it,” said Bloc, who is the chairman of the California Assembly Committee on Higher Education.

    Bloc said that currently he has several bills that promote higher education and encourage students to enroll.

    Bloc, who for many years was a faculty member at San Diego State University, was recognized for his efforts to expand college opportunity and promote success across California’s public higher education systems.

    Another goal he has is to establish a university in Chula Vista.

    The campaign states that the next governor needs to commit to a specific plan to produce 1 million more college graduates by giving priority and investing in higher education in order to produce jobs, meet the state’s workforce needs, and strengthen its economy.

    “The next governor needs to have a plan for improving the state’s economy and creating jobs,” said Michele Siqueiros, executive director of The Campaign for College Opportunity. “That will require a plan to invest in college opportunity and increase college graduation rates.”

    During the event, middle and high school students from across the county received scholarships for participating in the Same Me a Spot in College contest.

    “Higher education is the fuel that feeds the economic engine in our state and helps Californians realize the American Dream,” Siqueiros said. “We need to let all Californians know about the vital role higher education plays in creating jobs and strengthening our economy while ensuring that our children have even greater opportunities than we have had.”

    In fact, Siqueiros’s story is similar to the students she’s trying to help: She is the daughter of an immigrant seamstress from Mexico who often worked long-hours to give her daughter a good education.

    For the majority of immigrant parents in the Latino community, education is highly valued, said David Valladolid, executive director of the Parent Institute for a Quality Education (PIQE).

    “Our parents would move mountains to give their children an education,” he said.

    To learn more about The Campaign for College Opportunity, visit www.collegecampaign.org.