Bakersfield College student Izamar Olaguez, 20, created the organization “Knowledge is Power: Promoting Higher Education,” in order to benefit college students.

Olaguez is Miss Central California Regional 2012 for the Miss America system, which awarded her over $3,000 in scholarship money. Olaguez said she has been involved with pageantry for the past three years and intends to give up her current title so that she can compete for Miss Hollywood 2013 at the end of the month. Olaguez is a music major; singing is her talent for pageants.

According to Olaguez, “Knowledge is Power” was created by her pageant coach and herself in order to benefit and educate people about the various ways people can gain financial support to go to college. Olaguez said that she wants people to be informed of the importance for higher education in order to have a more successful future. She said she created this organization because a lot of people don’t know about the various financial opportunities for a college education.

“We wanted something that would promote me and help others, we want people to know that education is possible,” said Olaguez. “I want people to come to college and not be blind sighted because of opportunity.”

Olaguez admits that while she was in high school, she thought the only financial support for her to go to college was FAFSA and scholarships.

“I thought I had to be a straight A student or a star athlete in order to get a scholarship, but then I learned about  all the different financial support provided by the government,” said Olaguez. “It’s nice to know that there are so many options out there.” Olaguez said that she has had a private meeting with Sen. Jean Fuller where they discussed her plan to promote her platform. Sen. Fuller was previously a student at Bakersfield College.

“It’s exciting to know that no matter what school you go to, that higher education can be obtained in order for a better future.”

Olaguez said that in promotion of her platform, she sang at Shafter High School recently for a fundraising event for the graduating seniors in the MECHA Club and she said that she got to speak with some of the students about going to college.

“It was nice to see students have such hunger for higher education which really made me excited to have this platform,” said Olaguez. “This organization is important to me because financial problems are something that I and my peers are going through.”