Posted 12:54 am Sunday, February 05, 2012
Hispanic Students Get Taste Of College
By EMILY GUEVARA
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Alejandra Monjardin clutched the folders with information about college scholarships and higher education. The 18-year-old Athens High School graduate has high hopes for the future.
A talented musician -- she was recognized for two years as a Texas All-State bass clarinetist -- she wants to study music education and performance.
But her family circumstances have presented some challenges to attending college. Miss Monjardin said she and her family are in the country legally, but are not U.S. citizens.
On top of that, her father, Victor, supports his wife and two daughters on less than $30,000 per year. So the money to pay for college simply is not there.
Earlier this year, Miss Monjardin auditioned for the music program at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She said the school offered her some scholarship money, but it won't cover all of the tuition and fees.
"We don't really have (the money), so we came here to get any sort of information we could get to get the rest of the tuition (for me)," she said.
It was for this reason and many others that Hispanic families from around East Texas visited Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Tyler to learn about opportunities for higher education.
More than 70 people showed up for the "Dï¿a de la Educacï¿on," an event sponsored by the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Business Alliance, Hispanic American Association of East Texas, Tyler ISD, Tyler Area P-16 Council, Tyler Junior College and UT Tyler.
Now in its 10th year, the event provides an opportunity for Spanish-speaking parents to get information about college admissions and financial aid in their native language.
The participants, who came from Tyler, Winona, Lindale and Athens school districts, stopped by TJC first where they heard a presentation and ate breakfast.
After that, they visited UT Tyler where they heard about the college admissions process, financial aid opportunities, and the university's academic and student life programs, among many other things.
"It's a really exciting opportunity to reach out to the Hispanic community that is growing significantly in the Tyler area," said Kristen Baldwin, council manager of the Tyler Area P-16 Council, one of the event sponsors.
She said it is great to see the different community organizations collaborate for this event and watch how it has continued to grow over the years.
In Tyler, Hispanic people made up a little more than 21 percent of the community, according to 2010 census data. That compares with 15.8 percent in 2000.
Statewide, Hispanics made up more than 37.6 percent of the population. That compares with 32 percent in 2000, according to the data.
"The reality is the fastest-growing racial and ethnic groups, including African-Americans and Hispanics, generally have lower education attainment levels," according to a fact book from the Southern Regional Education Board, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with 16 member states, including Texas, to improve education from pre-K through university level.
For example, in 2009 in Texas, 27 percent of white adults ages 25 and older had a bachelor's degree or higher. That compared with 18 percent of blacks and 11 percent of Hispanics, according to the data.
All those percentages represent an increase from the 2000 levels, with blacks seeing the greatest gains.
On Saturday, the 16 tables in UT Tyler's University Center Ballroom were filled with parents and students. The tables were decorated with plastic table cloths in lively colors and Mexican food was on the lunch menu.
Zulema Rosales, 18, a John Tyler High School senior, came with her parents and two of her four siblings. She said she plans to attend UT Tyler where she will study nursing.
Her father, Otoniel Rosales, who spoke in Spanish while Miss Rosales translated, said he was surprised to see how enthusiastic the presenters were about sharing information to help students get into college and succeed once they are there.
Miss Rosales said her parents always have told her and her siblings to get an education and "be someone in life." Miss Rosales said it is her desire to obtain scholarships so that she can help her parents out with the costs of a higher education.
Sarah Bowdin, UT Tyler's director of admissions, said it is important for the university to connect with the Hispanic community because they want their student population to be representative of this community.
She said the goal of the event was to increase awareness of the opportunities that are available in Tyler to get a four-year degree, as well as financial aid, campus life and employment opportunities.
In closing the event, Jesse Acosta, UT Tyler's associate vice president for administration, told the attendees that this was only the first step.
"What you have to (remember) is you're not by yourself," he said. "We are partners in our children's education."
He said UT Tyler and TJC will work with the parents to help their children pursue their dreams.
"Thank you so much for showing your willingness to help your child and my community," he said.
