| SAF brings Latino workers to campus
diversity forum |
by
Elizabeth Ashford
Staff Writer |
The fourth annual Student
Action with Farmworkers College Day brought diversity
to campus Nov. 21.
Interdisciplinary studies associate professor Cynthia
Wood is a member of the Admissions Diversity Committee.
“My personal motivation for this project is
first to serve the higher education need of this
state’s population, which is increasingly
Latino ... second is to benefit all ASU students
to experience a student population which looks something
like the diverse real world,” Wood said.
The event promotes high school completion along
with college attendance for Latino students who
are in federal Migrant Education programs in their
high schools, Wood said.
SAF, a Durham-based non-profit organization, brings
the event as part of their education outreach program,
Wood said.
According to the SAF Web site, the group’s
mission is to bring students and farmworkers together
to learn about each other’s lives, share resources
and skills, improve conditions for farmworkers and
build diverse coalitions working for social change.
“Most of the students are from surrounding
counties, including Yadkin, Surry and Wilkes,”
Erin Hill, assistant director of admissions at Appalachian
said.
Hill said they want to expose [Hispanics] to Appalachian
and help meet the growing needs of North Carolina’s
diverse graduating class.
Alicia Sanchez is an eleventh grader that attended
SAF day and said she liked the campus and SAF’s
program
“I liked all of the information that they
give you about scholarships and how to get the [financial]
aid,” Sanchez said.
Mike Kelleher is a 4-H Program Associate of Migrant
Education and came to SAF’s College Day program
with the migrant students he works with.
“We came to get energized and to get a taste
of what college will be like for them and to encourage
them to go to college, so that they can do more
and be more than they ever dreamed they could be,”
Kelleher said.
Kelleher said he thought his students were intrigued
by what they saw on campus and that it gave them
hope that they could actually go to college.
Augusto Pena, assistant director of admissions,
is a 2002 graduate of Appalachian, and is responsible
for Hispanic recruitment and retention efforts.
“We want to educate the [Hispanic high school]
students about the value of post-secondary education
and because we want to make sure the students know
they are welcome here at the University,”
Pena said.
Pena said that the Hispanic Student Association,
the Office of Multicultural Student Development,
the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, and
the Office of Admissions all helped host SAF College
Day.
Pena said that they usually have 50-70 students
participate, and the program went from 9:45 a.m.
until 2:30 p.m.
“The first part was we saw a promotional film
for the college, which was very well done, very
professional and then we were given the itinerary
of the day, Kelleher said. “We broke up into
two or three tour groups and we went around campus
and the tour guide showed us different parts of
the campus,” Kelleher said.
Kelleher said they had lunch in Plemmons Student
Union and then attended a student and faculty panel
which provided the students with information on
scholarships available and emphasized the importance
of getting good grades in high school and getting
involved in community service.
“I liked the touring the best,” Nancy
Montoya, a high school student who attended SAF
College Day, said.
Montoya said the event helped her learn different
ways to get into college and that she had lots of
fun.
Montoya and Sanchez are from Ashe County and are
both involved in Kelleher’s 4-H program and
in its migrant program.
Kelleher said that he wanted them and others involved
in the program to start out in a college program
that they feel comfortable with and one that they
can afford.
“The number of Hispanic students enrolled
in North Carolina public schools is expected to
grow by 120 percent by the year 2008,” Pena
said.
He said that Appalachian recognizes the importance
to meet the needs of these Hispanic students after
they graduate from high school.
“Through SAF College Day, we are able to reach
out to the students and let them know that the Appalachian
Family is waiting with open arms.”
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