Danielle Batuyong wants to help sick people. Allen Gonzalez wants to teach young people to read. And Alyssa Bowman wants to see her name in lights.

All pretty powerful dreams. Especially for a group of 5-year-olds.

Danielle of Simpson Elementary School in Rialto, Allen of Newmark Elementary in San Bernardino, and Alyssa of Rogers Elementary in Colton were among 1,550 youngsters who participated Friday in San Bernardino Valley College's third annual KinderCaminata, also known as the kindergarten parade. The event is part of a nationwide effort to show children and their parents that college begins in kindergarten.

Newmark kindergartner Leslie Avila said she is going to college.

"It's important," she said. "You learn, and you get more money and more choices."

Event coordinator Paul Rubalcaba said Leslie has the right idea.

"You need to plant the seeds as early as possible," he said. "They need to learn that if they go to college, they can be anything they want to be."

Rogers kindergartener Tara Senter said she was excited to meet a Colton firefighter.

"That's what I'm going to be when I grow up," she said. "It's an important job."

Tara also met police officers from Colton and Redlands and officers from the California Highway Patrol. The agencies were among many that volunteered to talk to children on Friday. Valley College students escorted the visitors on a campus tour of interactive career stations and hands-on activities.

Neil Slawson, a coordinator for Valley College's police academy, said everyone should get involved in a child's education.

"These are critical years in their development," he said. "It is important that we provide good role models."

Rubalcaba said he hopes events like this will help change the county's reputation for having one of the lowest college-going rates in the state. The college also offers similar events to middle and high school students, he said, in hopes of raising the numbers.

Simpson teacher Marie Rivera said she believes the outreach is working.

"I've seen a lot of kids who never thought they would go to college because their parents never did," she said "But to actually be here and meet a firefighter and meet a dancer . . . it makes them believe."

Jennifer Perez can be reached by e-mail at jperez@pe.com or by phone at (909) 890-4455.

Published 4/8/2000