By Gabriel Oliveros Jr.
El Centro served up community and conversation to more than 30 students and staff lined up to enjoy a hot breakfast at Desayuno y Dichos.
On Tuesday morning Sept. 9 in El Centro (Building 12 Room 125), free breakfast representative of Hispanic culture, such as the Mexican chorizo with scrambled egg, refried pinto beans, green tomatillo salsa and Mexican cotija cheese were offered with beverages like hot coffee and water.
This event was not only about food, but making connections and conversations with people of similar backgrounds. Angeles Fuentes, the center’s director for financial aid, has been working and assisting students at Cal State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) for over 20 years. She provides the necessary assistance to help students pay their fees and assure necessary resources are being utilized.
Fuentes said, “I didn’t even know financial aid existed until my second year at a community college. So now I want to make sure all students know that financial aid is available, that the FAFSA is available, that the DREAM act application is available.”
Many students spoke about different struggles and challenges that lead them to arrive here at a university. This event was not only a free meal, but a way to motivate students to participate in more El Centro gatherings and events.
Yonatan Gonzalez, a fourth-year business major, has been representing El Centro for three years. He mentioned that El Centro is a place welcome to anyone who wants to hang out, learn more about the Chicanx/Latinx journey or participate in future events.
“This event turned out pretty good. I feel like a lot of people got to experience what we eat, usually. Like when it’s a fast meal. Huevos and beans, the tortillas,” said Gonzalez.
Jessica Garcia has been at CSUMB for about 10 years and has been working as a financial aid counselor for around five years. The highlight of her job is helping students with issues regarding tuition, loans, financial aid and more.
Garcia said, “When I was going to school, (I was a) first generation. Latina student, so I thought it was really important to come and support other students…Being here kind of being able to tell students, ‘Oh did you know you could do this, you can do that,’ I feel like it is very valuable and it’s something that I would have wanted to have been told when I was going to school.”