WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. — On a recent morning, Ezequiel Lopez-Reyes met with parents of Forest Grove High School students who participate in Juntos, an Oregon State University Extension program that empowers Latinx students and families around education.
Juntos has been active in the Forest Grove School District since 2018. In spring 2021, the program expanded to Hillsboro High School.
Lopez-Reyes, the Juntos/Open Campus coordinator for Washington County, had just presented on the importance of communication between parents and schools. One mother discovered she had missed a college application deadline. A friend turned to her and urged her to stay proactive.
“I’m going to be here advocating for my child,” the mother said. “I’m pushing for communication and not taking no for an answer. You need to do the same.”
“I’m a peleonera,” she added.
She’s a fighter.
The moment resonated with Lopez-Reyes, who graduated from Forest Grove High School in 2007.
“It brought back memories of how my mom fought for me and my brothers,” he said.
Oregon State’s Open Campus launched Juntos in 2012. Juntos — “together” in Spanish — is a multi-component program that brings Latinx families and schools together to create pathways to higher education. The program’s motto is Juntos para una Mejor Educación (Together for a Better Education).
Juntos has been active in the Forest Grove School District since 2018. In spring 2021, the program expanded to Hillsboro High School. With 19,300 students, Hillsboro is Oregon’s fourth-largest district, serving the state’s fifth-largest city, 21 miles from downtown Portland.
Embedded in OSU Extension in 19 of Oregon’s 36 counties, Juntos is unique among college-access programs because it engages Latinx students and their families in exploring postsecondary pathways and making college a shared goal. Since 2012, more than 4,800 students and families have participated, with nearly a 100% high school graduation rate and a 92% postsecondary access rate.
First suburban expansion
Hillsboro marks the program’s first expansion into a suburban district, said Gina Galaviz-Yap, Juntos statewide coordinator for OSU Extension. That shift is important in areas with changing demographics, she said.
More than half of Forest Grove’s students — 56% — are Latino, while in Hillsboro the figure is 40%.
“My dream scenario would be that Juntos is in every county across the state,” Galaviz-Yap said. “Juntos started out serving rural Latino communities, so this is a logical next step into the urban/suburban Latino population. It helps us know how we can adapt the program to meet the needs of a suburban community.”
One major difference is size, she said. While most schools have five to 10 Juntos families, more than 20 participate at Hillsboro High.
“There are just more people to serve in Washington County,” Galaviz-Yap said. “We need to find out how to continue to provide a quality program when the cohorts are larger.”
Building community partnerships
Being in a metropolitan area also creates opportunities to partner with community organizations, she added. One example is Adelante Mujeres, based in Forest Grove, which provides holistic education and empowerment opportunities to low-income Latina women and their families.
In his role, Lopez-Reyes meets weekly with middle and high school students and their families. For younger students, the focus is on transitioning successfully to high school. For older students, the emphasis is on academic success, applications, essays and financial aid. Across all ages, Lopez-Reyes stresses school engagement.
Examples include joining the PTA, attending meetings, serving on student council, joining clubs — or starting a Juntos club, as students have done elsewhere. At The Dalles High School, the Juntos Council spearheaded the school’s first Latino dance in 2019.
Sharing stories and building trust
When he meets with students, Lopez-Reyes encourages them to ask questions. They often want to know about his background, his schooling, how his parents supported him and his experiences at Portland Community College and Portland State University.
“I love sitting down with them,” he said. “The first thing I tell them is that I’m not afraid to tell my story. I spent my summers picking berries. I ask them how many of them have picked berries and a lot of them have. We talk about the issues we have, and the racism that exists in our communities. There is a disparity in opportunities for Latinos.
“I ask them how they feel about all of that and then I ask, ‘What do you see in common in this room?’ They’re all Latinos. A lot of these students will open up. It’s nice for them to know that I was in these halls, too. This is my community. I grew up here. I want to make sure they grow and have a voice.”
