Alejandra Ceja travels a lot these days. As the executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, Ceja goes where she has to, as long as her visit brings Latinos one step closer to a better education.

"To be in this position at this level -- working for a White House commission that can advocate for better resources, that can advocate for high quality education, that can advocate for better diversity in our teaching profession, that can represent my Latinas by community -- it has definitely been the highlight of my career," Ceja told Latin Post.

Last September, President Barack Obama kicked off the initiative's 25th anniversary by announcing that $335 million had been raised for the nation's Latino community. The funds came from 150 Commitments to Action, contributions from public, private and non-profit investors who want to improve the quality of education for Hispanic students.

The goal is for the country's fastest-growing demographic, which makes up about one-quarter of the public school student body, to get the academic support they need, from cradle-to-career.

Promoting STEM Education

Ceja is on a nationwide mission to thank and encourage the teachers, parents and communities that make everyday differences in childrens' lives. She attempts to demystify the role government plays in the Latino community, especially when it comes to numerous programs people may not be aware of.

STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education is projected to increase by 17 percent by the year 2020, yet only 67 percent of Latinos currently have access to all of the courses involved, which include Algebra I, Geometry, Calculus and Biology. Less than 9 percent of Latinas graduate college with a STEM-related bachelor's degree, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

"We can't just rely on the school districts. We have to rely on the community as a whole to make sure they know," Ceja said. "The president has been clear: STEM is the future. We know where the projection are in terms of our future workforce needs, and we need to continue to have this conversation."

She added, "This community is playing a key role in the future of this country to be economically and globally competitive. One of the things we did was set an aggressive agenda to honor our anniversary, but most importantly send a message nationwide that it's important to invest in our community and not have to apologize that we're just focusing on the Hispanic community. It's important to set high expectations."

Ceja was in San Antonio on Feb. 18 and 19 to meet with commendable groups and organizations recognized as Bright Spots in Hispanic Education. She traveled to Houston, Austin and Miami within the last month, stressing the importance of STEM education and early learning from kindergarten to college.

Soon, her message will reach a regional television audience.

On March 5, San Francisco's Univision 14 Bay Area will televise Ceja's opening remarks at "Latin@s in STEM: Vias para la Inclusion (Pathways for Inclusion)." The entire town hall will be conducted in Spanish, aimed at a Latino audience who may be hearing about STEM for the first time.

From Huntington Park to Washington D.C.

Ceja's family come from the modest Mexico town of Villamar in the state of Michoacán. She grew up in the predominately Latino city of Huntington Park, California.

After a stint with the Congressional Hispanic Fellowship and jobs with the House Committee on Education and Labor and the White House Office of Management and Budget, Ceja took on an executive director role that directly affects how young Latinos and Latinas are educated.

"The voice of our Latino students is critical and we have to lift those voices from the field," she said. "I'm proud that we've been able to change the narrative on the importance of this initiative. And I hope that we continue to drive the message that this White House initiative is that forum for us to continue to challenge our country on how they're going to make sure that we all have a bright future."