The daughter of hardworking immigrant parents, Melissa grew up in the Valley. She learned firsthand from her parents that hard work, a good education and perseverance is fundamental to success. Melissa is the first from her family to graduate from college. After graduating from Sacramento State University, Melissa returned home to the Valley to serve her community and build a better life for Valley families. She advocated for teachers, patients and working families — helping lead the fight for good wages, access to quality health care and retirement security.
For Melissa Hurtado, a good education opened the door for opportunity and a college degree. That’s why she will never stop fighting for more funding for our schools, career technical education programs that provide job training and curriculums that prepare our students for college. In the State Senate, Melissa Hurtado has worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunity:
Secured $9.9 million to establish regional pipelines for students to enter medical school.
Won $2 million for Career Technical Education Funding for Kern and Fresno Counties Community Colleges.
Donated $80,000 to establish the Central Valley Dream Scholarship which provided $1,000 to nearly 80 students in the southern Central Valley for educational expenses in the 2020-21 school year.