Artist Ezequiel “Cheque” Peña will be honored at La Feria de Educación, a college information fair at Fresno State conducted in Spanish and designed primarily to help increase the number of Latino students who attend and graduate from college.
The annual fair will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5, at Fresno State with about 10,000-plus students and their family members expected to attend.
Peña, a Mexican artist known as “Cheque El Nuevo Charro de Mexico,” has received numerous awards for his participation in the Latino community and in education. Among some of the awards he has received is the Mexican Heritage Artist award in 2016 from the Latin Business Association made up of successful Latino entrepreneurs. Peña will be recognized as the ambassador of the free, public fair that is presented by Fresno State, the California State University, Spanish-language television network Univision and the Chancellor’s Office, among other collaborators.
Feria de Educación is being held at two California State University campuses, Fresno State and Sacramento State (Oct. 12) in an effort to support the CSU’s Graduation Initiative 2025.
The college resource fair will include representatives from colleges and universities throughout the state, workshops on educational paths and financial aid, information on immigration services, guest speakers and special activities for children such as a visualization booth where students can pose for photos depicting their future careers.
The Kid Zone has expanded to provide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities for children who attend. The Reading Garden will feature local leaders from the community who will read to children. Live entertainment will include student performances by Fresno State’s Los Danzantes de Aztlan.
For the 13th straight year, TeamSmile will provide free dental services to as many as 300 children and youth, ages 6 to 18, who are expected to receive a dental examination and a variety of services, including cleanings and treatment for cavities, root canals and tooth extractions. Participants and their families will also receive preventative and oral health education. According to Dr. Xavier Gutierrez, team dentist with Fresno State athletics and lead coordinator for the event, as many as 52 million school hours are lost each year for students who exhibit dental pain.
Other collaborators are Kern County Superintendent of Schools Migrant Education, Tulare and Kings Counties Migrant Education Program, Merced County Office of Education and Migrant Education Program, Fresno City College, Clovis Community College, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, Golden Plains Unified School District, Fresno Unified School District and Parent Institute for Quality Education, as well as Fresno State’s Outreach and Special Programs, Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound.
Valley residents and school districts may sign up by contacting Angie Iribe at 559.278.5374 or angiemiribe@csufresno.edu. For more information, contact Martina Granados at 559.278.5374 or martinag@mail.fresnostate.edu.
