Windy Herman, computer art major and disabled student, encourages fellow Cerritos College students with disabilities to attend Mentoring Day on Oct. 17 at the Los Angeles City Hall.

Mentoring Day is an event specifically designed for students with any type of disability.

Attendees will receive a mentor for the day and meet with job seekers who offer employment opportunities to these students so that they too could have a way of facilitated employment just like those without a disabliity.

October being National Disability Awareness Month, Disabled Students and Programs and Services Counselor Aurora Segura said that both teachers and students should note that this seminar is crucial to all disabled students, not only at Cerritos College, but at all of the nearby colleges as well.

Herman said, “I think it would be beneficial to all the students with disabilities to attend these events because it would help them out greatly and if they attend the seminars about disability awareness also, that’s even better.”

She suffers from a disease called Spina Bifida which causes a gap in the spinal cord, preventing the spinal column from fusing together, causing her to be in a wheelchair.

Segura said, “It is important that the students know they have this opportunity to open up doors for them in so many ways.”

“I can pick up the students and drive them to the seminar myself, I just want the word to spread so that any disabled student that is interested knows they don’t have to worry about transportation or parking issues,” Segura added.

Rose Vasquez, program assistant at the Cerritos College Career Services Center, said, “Mentoring Day is such a wonderful event for students to unite with others who they have so much in common with because I believe that you are more in sync with what is happening when you have someone or something you can relate to, in this case being a disability.”

Vasquez also added that Cerritos College is not the only participant in this seminar and added that Puente Community College also participates in this event as well as other nearby colleges.

Herman said, “If they had more events like this, it would help us greatly because then we have even greater opportunities than before [these events].”

For more information on Mentoring Day or the Disabled Students Program and Services, contact Segura at 562-860-2451 ext. 4641 or at asegura@cerritos.edu.