Office of the President

March 31, 2022

“The end of all education should surely be service to others.”
--César Chávez

Each year on March 31, we commemorate the birth of César Chávez — an individual that lived a life of true service. Chávez dedicated his life to promoting justice and left in his wake a legacy that lives on even three decades after his passing. Chávez’s never-ending efforts to support farm workers across California reverberated across the country and around the world, demanding fundamental rights for those whose labor provides the sustenance for our communities. Sometimes at great personal sacrifice to his own wellbeing, Chávez inspired a movement that transcended the labor movement, fostering activism for civil rights and environmental justice. Indeed, I take great pride in knowing that the cultural center at Cal Poly Pomona focused on supporting our Chicanx/Latinx students bears his name.

I join with the Cal Poly Pomona community in celebrating the legacy of César Chávez and more fully committing ourselves to living up to his affirmation that the true purpose of education is service to others.