February 02, 2016

 

Stanislaus State hosted the 11th annual Chicano Youth Conference on Jan. 30, with Pedro Nava addressing the issues of empowerment and opportunity through education within the Hispanic community.

Nava, an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education in the Educational Leadership Program at Mills College, comes from a migrant background. He grew up in Planada (Merced County,) where as a young child he would travel with his family and stay in farm labor camps for six months at a time. He credits the love and work ethic of his parents and the mentorship of his family and community for his educational success. Nava graduated from Le Grand High School. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Fresno State and his master’s from Harvard before attaining his doctorate in education with a focus on urban education from UCLA.

Each year, the conference targets middle school, high school and college students. It strives to motivate and inspire students to continue their education beyond high school while assisting in increasing high school graduation rates. It also stages leadership and cultural awareness workshops.