| Institutes
of higher ed' are looking for Latino students
with a thirst for knowledge and a better way of
life.
College Recruitment for Latino Students on the
Rise
By Feona Sharhran
Huff
January 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Mel Rosado
wants to be an architect. "My uncle was a contractor,"
he says. "Working with him, I realized what I
could do." However, instead of going straight
into the workforce like many Latinos are often
encouraged to do, Mel took the road less traveled.
He enrolled in college. Currently, he's an architectural
drafting student and freshman class president
at Norfolk State University (NSU), Norfolk, VA.
He's also a first-generation college student,
something his family is extremely proud of.
Gloria E. Rodriguez, assistant
director of admissions and Latino outreach counselor
at NSU, says she wishes more Latinos had Mel's
academic desire and drive to seek education beyond
high school. According to Rodriguez, many Latinos
feel like they should sacrifice their education
-- a means to a better life in the future -- in
order to take care of their families in the here-and-now.
Also, she says, they feel discouraged about attending
college because of the language barriers. But,
Rodriguez is looking to change all of that.
"I had to drop out in the
12th grade to take care of my six brothers and
sisters," Rodriguez explains. " I was
37 years old when I came to NSU. All I had was
a GED. And, in five and a half years, I got my
bachelor's and master's degrees. Now I have a
job that I am proud of and I live comfortably."
"I want to help other Latinos
go to school," she explains, and does so by advertising
on NSU's radio station, interacting with Latino
stores and churches in the community, and attending
Latino-sponsored meetings in Virginia Beach, VA,
to spread the word about NSU's Latino recruitment
efforts.
She also frequents college
fairs and travels the globe speaking to Latino
students about the value of a college education.
In April, she will attend the Latino College Expo
in New York, NY.
"NSU has excellent programs
available to help Latino students embrace learning,
such as the Academy for Collegiate Excellence
and Student Success (ACCESS) and Student Support
Service Program (SSSP) -- two programs that assisted
me with counseling, mentorship, career guidance,
and tutoring," she says. In addition to ACCESS
and SSSP, NSU also has a Spanish Club for which
Rodriguez serves as advisor. In the coming semesters,
the school will put on a Spanish version of the
play Cinderella.
Right now, Rodriguez and
Mel are planning a Merengue/Salsa Dance Contest
for NSU students, and she hopes to also develop
a Latin Night, which would introduce Latino culture
and history through various activities such as
poetry readings. She also plans to design a Web
site specifically for the Latino students.
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