We Give Thanks

November 28, 2013 | Written by: Jennifer Escobar, Community Affairs Associate, Campaign for College Opportunity

Though Thanksgiving is only celebrated once a year, every day we feel fortunate to work with so many wonderful partners and funders who share the conviction that higher education has the power to change lives.

At the Campaign, many of us have experienced this transformative power first hand and are fueled by it in our work, but we could not be successful alone.

We are grateful to our K-12 partners who work tirelessly to ensure students are academically, financially, and mentally prepared for college. We have seen the consequences of unpreparedness—years of remedial work, intensified student debt, increased stress, etc. –and know that it costs our students and our state greatly.

We are grateful to our civil rights partners who fight for the educational right of every Californian and not just the right to an education, but to a high quality education that fosters diversity. We know that to settle for anything less is to accept a society of “haves and haves not.”

We are grateful to our business partners who know that our students are our future workforce and who join us in advocating for their success. Without a strong workforce, we cannot be a stable, economically competitive state.

We are thankful for legislators like Senator Alex Padilla and Assembly member Das Williams, whose leadership in pushing for policies that help more students graduate is unparalleled. The push for change is never simple, but cannot be achieved without strong leaders.

We are thankful for faculty, counselors and college leaders across our colleges and universities, who focus on putting our students first and finding solutions, instead of accepting the status quo, and who are leading in efforts to collaborate with their colleagues in K-12, higher education and the community. Your innovation inspires us and proves that more is possible, and necessary.

We are especially thankful to the students who take the time from their busy schedules to advocate on behalf of themselves and other students. Your stories propel our work forward and your voices are invaluable.

And last but certainly not least, we are thankful to our funders for your financial support and belief in our work. Without you we could not fulfill our mission.