MSJC President Addresses Students at Signing Day

More than 300 local high school students seeking information about enrollment at Mt. San Jacinto College and other colleges attended an event at the Soboba Country Club today to celebrate National College Signing Day.

Attending to provide information were representatives from the San Jacinto and Beaumont unified school districts, Nuview Union School District, Mt. San Jacinto College, the Riverside County Office of Education, the Riverside County District Attorney’s office and the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians.

Dr. Roger Schultz (right), superintendent/president of Mt. San Jacinto College, encouraged students to believe in themselves. He praised them for wanting to go on to colleges and universities locally or outside of Riverside County.

"Get that experience, but please come back," Schultz said. "Our communities have invested in you. We all know that higher education raises the quality of life in our communities."

The event is part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher campaign, designed to inspire every student across the country to pursue and complete a postsecondary degree, whether at a traditional four-year college, a two-year community college, or through an industry-recognized training program, according to the White House’s Reach Higher campaign documents.

According to a news release from MSJC, National College Signing Day aims to encourage community leaders, schools, celebrities, and nonprofit and advocacy groups to host a "Reach Higher College Signing Day" to support students planning to attend and graduate from college.

Guest speakers included Gerry Lopez, Riverside County supervising deputy district attorney; Kenn Young, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools; Andrew Vallejos, Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Sponsorship and Higher Education coordinator; Dr. Roger Schultz, superintendent/president of Mt. San Jacinto College; John Norman, San Jacinto schools trustee; Christina Pierce, Beaumont High School principal; Catalina Cifuentes, RCOE AVID coordinator; and Jen Golden, De Anza Elementary School principal.

For more information, visit www.whitehouse.gov/reach-higher