Reaching milestones often takes years of hard work and investment. From 1996 to 2012, college enrollment in Hispanic students ages 18 to 24 more than tripled by 240 percent in both two-and four-year schools, according to the Pew Research Center.
At Northwest Vista College, the College Connection program has played a crucial role helping NVC’s student demographic to better reflect the demographics of our community. For the last eight years, NVC’s Recruitment team has gone to local high schools to provide increased access to higher education by bringing various steps of the enrollment process directly to the student. For many of those students engaged by the team, college attendance may not have been part of their reality.
Recently, College Connection has received some well-deserved recognition. First it was included on a national list for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Dubbed “Bright Spots” in education, this list identifies organizations that are helping to close the achievement gap with Hispanic students. Soon after, U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro spoke on the White House floor and mentioned several of the “Bright Spots” from his district, which not only include Vista’s College Connection, but also San Antonio College’s Grants Development Department.
[image 2]Then, on Oct. 29, the program was honored at the 8th annual gala awards of the LULAC National Education Service Centers, Inc. – the educational arm of the League of the United Latin American Citizens. The event honored education leaders for their “outstanding work in creating, promoting, and encouraging educational opportunities for future Hispanic leaders.
Receiving the awards on behalf of the NVC team were recruiters Ruth Prieto and Shirley Pena. The remainder of the team honored includes Yolanda Reyes Guevara and Catherine Gonzalez. NVC’s Cindy Zamudio, a long time LULAC member and former deputy state director for women, nominated the team.
Texas State Senator Jose Menendez, the keynote speaker for the gala, also presented the College Connection team with a Resolution from the State of Texas, congratulating the team for being an honoree that night.
I’m proud of the fact that this program that was started nearly a decade ago, is still going strong and touching the lives of so many high school students. The College Connection program was initially created as part of the Closing the Gaps initiative designed to increase the number of Texas students attending college by 2015. Northwest Vista has since enhanced this program and tailored it to serve as a key higher education access point for all students in an effort to provide them with a pathway to success at Northwest Vista College.