Contact: Judy Iannaccone September 14, 2017

Director, Public Affairs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Phone: (714) 480-7503
E-mail: public_affairs@rsccd.edu

SANTIAGO CANYON COLLEGE AWARDED $2.1

MILLION GRANT
Students with Migrant Farmworker Backgrounds Receive Aid for their First Year

(Orange, CA)Recently, Santiago Canyon College (SCC) was awarded a $2.1

million grant from The U.S. Department of Education for the SCC College Assistance

Migrant Program (CAMP). The $425,000 annual grant will be awarded over a five-year

period to assist students with migrant or seasonal farmworker backgrounds enrolled in

their first year of college.

SCC CAMP is among nine programs statewide at six California State University

campuses and three community colleges. SCCs program, which serves 43 students

annually, is the only community college program in Southern California. CAMP, a

federal program that was established over thirty years ago by the U.S. Department of

Education, has helped thousands of students achieve their educational goals. SCC was

awarded its first CAMP grant in July 2007 and its second five-year grant in 2012.

I was very pleased to learn that SCC CAMP was renewed for another five-year

funding cycle that will continue the support that SCC has provided to students with

farmworker backgrounds for the past decade, said John Hernandez, Ph.D., SCC

president. Through this funding many more deserving students will be able to realize
their dreams and have the opportunity and support necessary to attend college and

graduate with a degree.

To be eligible students must be a migrant or seasonal farmworker or a dependent

of a migrant or seasonal farmworker, a legal resident, a college freshman with less than

24 hours completed and a full-time student.

Among the students who have benefited from CAMP at Santiago Canyon College

is 23-year-old Santa Ana resident Cristal Peralta. After graduating from SCC in 2015,

Peralta transferred to California State University, East Bay, where she majored in

sociology. Today, Peralta is working at El Sol Science and Arts Academy of Santa Ana.

She has plans to return to college to earn a masters degree and teaching credentials with

the goal of becoming a school principal.

"Being a first generation student trying to leave home, its not easy and you need

a lot of guidance and a lot of help," said Peralta.

With this grant, SCC CAMP students will be provided English and math tutoring,

an assigned counselor, book vouchers, bus passes, financial aid assistance, a laptop loan

program, peer mentoring, school supplies, a leadership conference and workshops for

both students and parents.

When I was in the program, I didn't have a car. Thanks to CAMP, I was able to

get a bus pass without having to worry about the financial aspect. When you're

commuting, its a hassle so that definitely helped, said Peralta.

CAMP also offers a six-week Summer Bridge Program to help prepare students

for college. This three-unit, Counseling 101 transferable class introduces college
expectations, policies, and support services. The summer program includes a career

exploration component, math and reading development and cultural field trips.

The program taught me the workload we could expect in college. We had to read

a lot, we had to meet deadlines, we had to know what would be expected and what

professors would want from us, said Peralta.

Peralta remembers meeting with the CAMP counselor when she was struggling to

add one last class she needed to graduate. The counselors response helped put her at

ease, which she stated was really important because college can be very confusing and

stressful, especially when you are trying to graduate. The help the counselor provided

me that day really inspired me and helped me realize that I wanted to work in education

when I graduated from college, said Peralta.

Following the six-week summer program, SCC CAMP provides support during

the students first year and follow-up services to foster persistence to degree completion

and/or transfer.

For more information, contact the CAMP office at (714) 628-5034 or visit

www.sccollege.edu/camp.

About Santiago Canyon College

Santiago Canyon College (SCC) serves more than 17,000 credit and noncredit students each semester. In
2017, SCC was ranked #13 among the 50 Best Community Colleges in the U.S. by College Choice, a
leading authority in college and university rankings and resources. The college prepares students for
transfer to four-year institutions and careers, and provides courses for personal and professional
development, as well as customized training for business and industry. The college is recognized for its
adult education program which keeps the working adultand seniorin mind by offering flexible
schedules, and community locations. Serving the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Tustin, and Villa
Park, SCC is one of two comprehensive colleges under the auspices of the Rancho Santiago Community
College District. Visit http://www.sccollege.edu to learn more.

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