List Honors Higher Education Institutions Making Strides to Support Student Parents
Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
September 14, 2023
List Honors Higher Education Institutions Making Strides to Support Student Parents
WASHINGTON - September 14, 2023 - Generation Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility, announced today that San Diego Mesa College is among one of fourteen colleges chosen in its inaugural FamilyU Seal recipients. The FamilyU Seal program is a national certification for higher education institutions making significant strides in intentionally serving parenting students. The Seal also recognizes nonprofit organizations that are directly serving parenting students and in doing so are achieving outstanding outcomes.
“As the Leading College of Equity and Excellence, seeing and serving the whole student is crucial to our mission,” stated Dr. Ashanti T. Hands, President of San Diego Mesa College. “This seal is a symbol of our active commitment to make space for – and be equitable to - our student-parents, so that they can succeed, not just for themselves, but for their families as well.”
San Diego Mesa College and the other higher education institutions selected for the 2023 FamilyU Seal were evaluated in accordance with the framework of Generation Hope’s FamilyU program, which works to build a more inclusive and supportive higher education ecosystem for student parents. The recipients on this year’s list exhibit a dedication to investing in student parents and cultivating environments that better serve this population. In 2022, San Diego Mesa College was included in the second cohort of higher education institutions participating in their FamilyU technical assistance program to increase the number of parenting college students who complete their programs and graduate.
“Over the years, it has been thrilling to witness more institutions and nonprofit organizations investing in the success of student parents, as Generation Hope has been working to guarantee they have the support and resources they need to graduate and experience economic mobility since 2010,” said Nicole Lynn Lewis, Founder and CEO of Generation Hope. “We are thrilled to honor those institutions and nonprofit organizations through the FamilyU Seal program that are not only acknowledging parenting students but also aiding their pathway to and through college.”
The higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations selected for the 2023 FamilyU Seal are:
Read the full Press Release in the Generation Hope Newsroom.
About Generation Hope
To ensure all student parents have the opportunities to succeed and experience economic mobility, Generation Hope engages education and policy partners to drive systemic change and provides direct support to teen parents in college as well as their children through holistic, two-generation programming. @supportgenhope
About Basic Needs at San Diego Mesa College
The Stand, at San Diego Mesa College seeks to alleviate basic needs insecurity for our students by providing a safe and secure environment where all students have access to free resources both on campus and in the community including but not limited to food, professional clothing, transportation, childcare, housing, personal health, books and school supplies to help them succeed both in the classroom and in the community. We accomplish this by providing direct student support where student can meet with a basic needs counselor as well as a food pantry and clothing closet at San Diego Mesa College that assists students with no-cost food and clothing resources. Resources from The Stand are available to all students. We also provide education to the campus and local community about basic needs insecurity. #WeAreMesa
Follow San Diego Mesa College on Social Media:
Facebook.com: sandiegomesacollege
Twitter.com: sdmesacollege
Instagram.com: sdmesacollege
Youtube: youtube.com: sdmesacollege
Snapchat: sdmesacollege
LinkedIn: San Diego Mesa College
Tags: San Diego MEsa College, Generation Hope, higher education equity
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
List Honors Higher Education Institutions Making Strides to Support Student Parents
At San Diego Mesa College, alumni stories are as extraordinary as the students themselves. Amongst these testimonies, Sandra Perez's journey stands out as evidence to resilience and commitment to creating a brighter future.
By Josh Edler Davis Hello GramFam, I am Joshua Edler Davis, and I am proud to serve as Editor-In-Chief for The Gramblinite. I am a senior mass communications major from San Diego. This is my second year attending Grambling State University. I am a graduate of Grossmont College and am an alumnus of Morse High School in San Diego. My transition to Grambling was facilitated by getting involved with the mass communications department. The TV Center, KGRM, and The Gramblinite all have the resources for students to create content. My first experience as a journalist was at San Diego Mesa College, where I worked as a Staff Writer. I was able to gain experience covering local news and writing opinion pieces. After I finish school I plan to pursue a career as a political journalist. I also played one season of basketball while attending Mesa College.
