Fresno, Calif. -- When Erica Guzman was in the fourth grade, all she wanted to do was play like the other kids on her block. But every day after she got out of school, her parents would take her to work in the fields in California's Central Valley. There she helped pick strawberries, grapes, cucumbers, zucchinis, bell peppers, jalapeños and green tomatoes. It was the only way to help her family make ends meet.

As she got older, all Erica wanted to do was study. She kept a visual account of her work in the fields, which kept her motivated to get through school and avoid ending up, like her parents, picking fruits and vegetables for a living. This summer she reached her goal and became the first person in her family to get a college degree. She also broke the cycle of women in her family who didn't have the courage or the means to pursue an education.

The Latino Commencement Ceremony at California State University, Fresno, was a moment of pride for Erica and her parents. Likewise for hundreds of immigrant families who saw their children reach their academic potential, thanks to their hard work and perseverance.

I was lucky enough to be there and was honored to have been invited to address the graduates and their families on that special day. The 550 young Latinos who graduated on that mid-May afternoon are a living example of what can be accomplished by the children of immigrants or immigrant students if given the opportunity.

These kids were lucky. They beat the odds. But these days, you need a lot more than luck to get a secondary education. The challenge is even bigger if you are a Latino.

Hispanics are a very young community. Half of the Latino population is under the age of 25. By the year 2010 -- in just three years -- 20 percent of all teens will be Hispanic. Although that makes it a dynamic and productive sector of our society, there are reasons to be concerned.

Latino students still have the lowest levels of educational achievement of any ethnic group. Only 53 percent of Latino students who enter high school in the ninth grade will graduate in the 12th grade. Only 24 percent of young Latinos go to college, and less than that graduate.

So, as students around the country enjoy their summer vacation and start preparing for the fall semester, there are thousands of young Latinos who will not return to school. There's a long list of factors that contribute to this grim reality: money, language barriers, lack of motivation, lack of vision, absence of role models.

Then there are tens of thousands of young students whose dreams for a brighter future are stuck in the never-ending battle over immigration reform. Thousands more cannot afford to pay increasingly higher tuition costs. There are those who feel obliged to choose between paying for school and supporting their family. Some simply lack information about available scholarships or student loans.

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that in the year 2020 there will be almost 60 million Hispanics in the U.S., and by 2050 there will be more than 100 million -- almost 25 percent of the population. If the trend continues and we have only 17 percent of Latinos graduating from college, then not just the Latino community, but the country, will be in the hands of people who don't have the educational skills to keep our society progressing.

It is in the best interests of our elected officials, civic leaders and private sector to help bridge the gap for Latino students. Erica Guzman and the 2007 graduating class of California State University, Fresno, have a lot to be proud of. They are on the upside of the statistics and are a perfect example of how hard work, sacrifice, vision, steadfastness, dedication, a strong desire to succeed and the support and encouragement of those who believe in you can really turn your life around. Others like them deserve that opportunity too.

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(Maria Elena Salinas is the author of “I AM MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER: LIVING A LIFE WITHOUT SECRETS.” Reach her at www 
.mariaesalinas.com)

© 2007 by Maria Elena Salinas

Distributed by King Features Syndicate