Migrant Education Dinner Raises Funds for College Expenses

The Merced County Office of Education Migrant Education Program and Binational Health Week committee raised more than $13,500 at the 2nd annual Migrant Education Program Scholarship Banquet, held at the MCOE Downtown Center.
 
Nearly 100 guests attended the annual event, which raises funds to assist migrant students from Merced, Madera and Stanislaus counties with college expenses. The event, which featured dinner, performances and auctions, also recognizes recipients’ academic achievements, community involvement and resiliency to overcome barriers.

This year, the banquet celebrated three scholarship recipients: Jolette Torres-Alvarez from Golden Valley High School, Alondra Gomez from Chowchilla High School and Fernanda Jimenez Orozco from Turlock High School.

Torres-Alvarez intends to major in Psychology at UC Merced, Gomez will pursue a degree in Zoology at UC Santa Barbara and Orozco plans to study Economics at Stanford University.

All three scholarship recipients thanked the MCOE Migrant Education Program for the assistance and support they received from program staff as well as their parents, who inspired and motivated their achievement.  

Scholarships were made possible by Gold Sponsors: Dignity Health, Mechanics Bank and AM Print & Design and Silver Sponsors: Castle Family Health Centers, Merced School Employees Federal Credit Union, El Bajio Supermarket, JM Construction, Garcia Brothers Trucking and Hidalgo Metal Materials. 

The Migrant Education Program is a federally funded program that provides support and resources to children of migrant workers to help them succeed in school and overcome gaps in their education. The program also provides academic support, tutoring, counseling and health services for migrant families.

The program thanked the following community partners for their donations and support with the event: Ruth Salazar, Movies Madera Cinema 6, Triple C Inc. Commercial Concrete, Trevino’s Mexican Restaurant, Antojitos Mexicanos Restaurant, Merced County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steve Tietjen, Major Golf Sports Center, Ten Pins Fun Center, Jungle Jim’s Adventure Lanes, AM Designs Photography, Tint Pros Fresno, McKinley Hand Carwash & Detail Fresno, La Morenita Restaurant, Mix Bakery, Little Oven Pizza, Table 59 Restaurant, Maggie’s Wreaths and William Ramirez.

Binational Health Week (BHW) was created in 2001 with the objective to raise awareness and response to the unique health care challenges of Latinos living in the United States and Canada.