California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas visited California State University Monterey Bay on Wednesday, Oct. 18, to meet with CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones. 

The meet-and-greet allowed Speaker Rivas and his staff to talk with President Quiñones about the needs of the region and of the university, which largely serves students in the tri-county area. Rivas grew up in San Benito County, the grandson of farmworkers, and is himself a graduate of the California State University system. 

The pair discussed how to serve the agriculture industry in the region, the need for expanding healthcare access and how to ensure local high school graduates are prepared for college. 

But it began with talk of soccer. The two leaders talked about the Monterey Bay Football Club and Quiñones mentioned that she had coached three soccer teams in the past. 

Then they moved on to the business of the day, with Rivas reporting that he’s heard from ag community members in his district that they need local students to become future ag tech leaders. 

Quiñones told Rivas that CSUMB is aligning to fill that need by partnering with K-12 schools and creating pathways from regional community colleges to CSUMB, and expanding the agricultural plant and soil science and mechatronics programs. She also shared that the university is focused on meeting the healthcare needs of the region by training and graduating more nursing and physician assistant professionals, while heeding students’ career and educational interests and helping them meet their basic needs through philanthropy.  

Quiñones shared with Rivas some of her own family’s transformation through education. 

"My grandmother's story really shows how one person can move the needle,” Quiñones said. “She went to college, and then her children all went to college. My generation – the grandchildren – all got degrees. And now her great-grandchildren are lawyers and doctors."

Rivas concurred that the power of education is realized through implementation.

“You take a holistic approach of lifting everyone up,” he said. “The challenge is, how do we get them here?"

Rivas' team then went to visit the CSUMB Stadium where the Monterey Bay Football Club and CSUMB’s soccer teams practice and play, while some of his staffers from the Capitol and District stayed on campus to have lunch in the campus Dining Commons with Nicole Hollingsworth, CSUMB’s director of Governmental and External Relations, Interim Provost Andrew Lawson and Interim Dean of Science Tom Horvath.

“The visit today went really well,” said Hollingsworth. “Speaker Rivas’ priorities in supporting the industry and quality of life of our region aligns with our work to ensure social mobility for our students.”

“I look forward to future conversations and finding ways we can partner with Speaker Rivas to expand educational opportunities,” Quiñones said.