For decades, my work has focused on helping students discover opportunities they may never have imagined were possible. Too often, students from small communities wonder if colleges and universities like Santa Clara University are places where they belong. The students sitting today in our classrooms throughout Gilroy and Morgan Hill are tomorrow’s teachers, engineers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, community leaders and public servants. They showed California’s educational leaders that communities like Gilroy and Morgan Hill are filled with creativity, passion and individuals making a difference. Together, we can continue creating pathways, inspiring leaders and transforming lives.