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Saturday, September 27, 1997

Clinton visits Pasadena community college

By MADELINE BARO / Associated Press Writer

PASADENA, Texas (AP) -- Students at San Jacinto Community college couldn't believe it when they first learned of President Clinton's visit to their campus Friday.

"I told my government professor he was a liar," student Courtney Burch said.

"I was in shock," added Jon De los Santos, a history student volunteering at the event. "I thought I misheard. I thought it was a joke."

Students just figured the president would pick a more prominent Houston-area school, like Rice University or the University of Houston, so his stop at San Jacinto's central campus on Friday was significant for them.

"I think he's going to be an inspiration to the students here," freshman Katherine Scheer said. "They're going to see that he came to a school that seems so small. It lets us know we're important."

In his speech, Clinton emphasized education and his goal of giving everyone in the United States the chance to complete high school as well as at least two years of college at schools like San Jacinto, which has 19,000 students at three campuses.

"Having high expectations of people does not put them down, it pulls them up," Clinton said.

He was introduced by Esmeralda Hernandez, a wife and mother of three who has been pursuing an associate mathematics degree at the community college since 1993. She is to graduate this spring.

She described how being able to return to school has motivated her own children, one of them a pre-med student at Baylor College of Medicine.

"So, as you can imagine, exams and study sessions are a very important affair in our home," she said.

John Martin, 39, an electrician who showed up for the speech, said he could relate to Mrs. Hernandez. He's been continuing his education at the San Jacinto South campus in Houston.

"(Clinton) cares about people like me who don't really have money and have to further their education," Martin said.

The president spoke about the $1,500 HOPE Scholarship included with the balanced budget package passed earlier this year and need-based Pell Grants, which also help pay college costs. The HOPE scholarship covers 100 percent of community college tuition and fees in Texas and six other states.

Clinton was joined on stage by Rep. Ken Bentsen, D-Houston, and Houston Mayor Bob Lanier.

Clinton commented on Houston's ongoing battle over continuing a city affirmative action contracting program. The affirmative action program is the subject of a referendum election in November.

The president referred to Thursday's 40th anniversary of the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., and Lanier's own work with integrating the University of Texas at Austin law school 50 years ago.

"I would hate to see Houston turn back the clock on the progress of the last 50 years," he said.

After his speech, Clinton headed to a private home in Houston for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser that was expected to bring in an estimated $600,000.