EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 58, NO. 40
Septembe r 24, 2020
Mar y’s Mercy Cent er a nd Sa n Manuel Band of Mission Indians commemorate opening of Mar y’s Village
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PHOTO SAN MANUEL BAND
SB school board passes Student Vo t e r Registration Policy Pg. 5
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MISSION INDIANS
A ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Tuesday, Sept. 16 to celebrate the grand opening of the first transitional home for men in the city of San Bernardino. The Tribe invested $7.3 million to establish the facility. An intimate group of tribal citizens and leadership from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, as well as representatives from Mary’s Mercy Center, San Bernardino County, San Bernardino City and Crestwood
Communities came together to commemorate the completion of Phase I of Mary’s Village – San Bernardino’s first transitional housing complex for men experiencing homelessness, on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
This four-phase comprehensive project will make a significant impact in the lives of homeless men by not only providing shortterm housing, but providing vocational education, job train-
ing, comprehensive case management and other customized services to put them on the path to self-sufficiency. This first of its kind project is a collaboration Village, cont. on next pg.
Fir st generation college student Lessly Tapia Tor res r eceives
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Va l l e y C o l l e g e n a m e d To p 1 0 online community colleges Pg. 6
H OW TO R E AC H US
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CSU Tr ustees’ Award f or Outstanding Achievement dent at each of the 23 campuses, recognizes superior academic performance, exemplary community service and significant personal accomplishment.
essly Tapia Torres recalls struggling with anxiety and depression during her adolescent years. For her, a university education seemed nothing more than a distant dream until a Cal State LA alumnus helped her overcome selfdoubt.
“This award validates that I am going on the right path,” said Torres, who lives in Rialto. “My hard work, dedication and passion are reflected in this honor, and it makes me feel really good about it.”
Torres, 22, is now an exercise science major with a minor in biology at Cal State LA. On Thursday, she was named as one of the recipients of the top academic achievement award in the California State University system. She was presented the CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement on Sept. 22 during the Board of Trustees virtual meeting. The award, presented to a stu-
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ROBERT HUSKEY/CAL STATE LA
Rialto resident Lessly Tapia Torres is a member of the PreHealth Dreamers chapter at Cal State LA. She participated in the UC Riverside School of Medicine’s Future Physician Leaders program in summer 2019 and then served as a program facilitator in 2020. She also volunteers at Loma Linda University Health.
Torres looks forward to completing her undergraduate degree in the spring and then applying to medical school. Her ambition is to become a doctor and provide care to people in historically underserved communities. “I am extremely proud of Lessly and all that she has Lessly, cont. on next pg.