Washington High School Hosts 4th Annual Resource Fair

As Top 40 music from local radio station KCAQ-FM 104.7 played loudly through the speakers, high school students and their families filled the Gonzales Center Gym from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 24, stopping from booth to booth to collect free promotional items and helpful information. The Colton Joint Unified School District’s (CJUSD) 4th Annual Resource Fair this year saw over 40 vendors and more visitors than ever before, exemplifying how the fair has grown since its humble beginnings in 2009. Nina Torres, career guidance technician at Washington Alternative High School, has chaired the event for all four years and recalls that there were only 18 vendors in the first year. This year, Torres said that the event was sponsored by Horace Mann Insurance Company and the La Sierra University Criminal Justice Department, as well as Councilman Frank Gonzales, the owner of the community center. The idea for a community resource fair started when Torres’s supervisor at the time, then-Principal Angela Dischinger, who is now the principal at Grand Terrace High School, worked with Washington High School administrators to bring the citizens of Colton information on useful resources; with the recession settling in, event planners wanted citizens to have a “one-stop shop” of information. For example, Torres explained, more than half the population in the community is eligible for reduced rates of electricity through a local program, but most were not applying for it. “Who doesn’t want cheaper electricity?” she said. The fair featured a variety of resources that covered categories such as education (including various universities and after-school tutoring programs), mentoring programs, financial assistance, health services (such as WiC, the San Bernardino County Public Health Department, and the Inland Valley Recovery Center), entertainment, and more. The variety of information available was even noted by the participating organizations. Sylvia Villegas of the Loma Linda Behavioral Center said, “There are not just children here. There are also adults, and we also get to see who else is involved—who helps the community. We reach out not just to the parents and the families, but also to [others]. We have new contacts.” The fair also featured raffles for prizes, which local businesses sponsored. Each ticket cost $1, the proceeds from which will go to various projects at Washington High School. Those who checked in at the front table were also given a “treasure hunt” map of the booths. Visitors who interacted with 20 booths and received signatures received a free ticket. Many booths were manned by Colton residents. Brian Ramirez is a third-year student at Cal State San Bernardino and works as an intern for their admissions office. “I live down the street,” he said. His job was to try to get high school seniors to visit the campus, something he did when he was their ages. He said he chose CSUSB because he observed the balance there between an active social life and studying. Richard Purper, a 20-year Colton resident and training director for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was manning their booth. Christopher “Bam” Morrison, who works events and promotions for Q-104.7, also lives down the street from the community center. “My kids come here all the time,” he said. “My daughter plays basketball in this gym, so I thought I should come by and just have some fun.” Pata Esau, who has lived in Colton for about nine years and heard about the fair “all the time,” said she probably would not have attended the event if her cousin, high school senior Lola Haatla, had not been curious about the career opportunities she knew would be presented there. “I like it so far,” said Esau. She pointed to the booth for Cal Baptist University. “I attend CBU right now, so it’s kind of neat to have it here in Colton.” Jenny Lopez was also a first-time attendee, and came on the invitation of her granddaughter, a student at Washington High School. Lopez has lived in Colton for about half of her life. “People [can easily] know what the community has to offer,” she said. “These resources are good.”