Alejandra Ceja, executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (Initiative), will deliver keynote remarks at Mount Saint Mary's University commencement ceremony on Monday, May 11, in Los Angeles.
Ceja, a 1996 Mount Saint Mary's graduate, will urge the approximately 500 graduates to use their education, talent and skills to become upstanding citizens and make worthwhile contributions to society. Established in 1925, the Mount is the only Catholic university primarily for women in the western United States.
In September 2015, the Initiative will celebrate its 25th anniversary. In honor of this historic milestone, it has launched its Anniversary Year of Action: Fulfilling America's Future to leverage public- and private-sector commitments to action that invest in quality education programs and strategies for Hispanics.
In today's economy, a high school diploma just isn't enough. Students have to reach higher, which is why First Lady Michelle Obama is working to rally the country around the President's goal for America to once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. The Reach Higher initiative is the First Lady's effort to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, whether at a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.