Stockton businesses ready as Pacific University students return to campus
STOCKTON – The Miracle Mile was alive Friday night with Pacific University students back on campus and going back into the community, and local business owners there are excited about it.
They're getting ready for a big bash with everything a little Miracle Mile festival needs.
Zoyla Cifuentes is the owner of Comal Coffee right next to Stockton's Miracle Mile and is ready for students to come back.
"It gives me more life. More life, more hope," said Cifuentes.
She just opened her coffee shop less than six months ago and already has felt the impact having University of the Pacific students around does for her business.
"I did miss them for the summer. I would have a soccer team that would come in for the UOP and they would hang out here a lot," she said.
Now, her shop is expanding and she's looking to hopefully hire some Pacific students as they come back to campus this week.
"We are expanding to Spanos to the commercial building. We love to work with the youth," said Cifuentes.
Several first-year students taking advantage of the welcome week on the UOP campus.
Freshman Ticho Castillo and his classmates already know how vital Miracle Mile is to Stockton.
"We're going to go support local businesses down on the mile, and there's so many community events they hold just to uplift everybody," said Castillo.
"One of the reasons I chose this school is how involved everybody is and I felt like I belonged here," said Sebastian Cruz, a first-year student.
Maria Blandizzi is the Vice President for student life at UOP.
She says the goal is to get students integrated into the community around UOP just like the Miracle Mile.
"Our local businesses specifically on the Miracle Mile love it when our students are back on campus and are doing their grocery shopping and are going out to dinner with friends," said Blandizzi.
Cifuentes told CBS13 she is extending her shop hours tonight for Comal Coffee.
UOP says they are welcoming over a thousand students to their Stockton campus. Classes start on Monday.