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fter the presidential election, it was widely predicted that immigration reform would be on the front burner inAmerican politics, but who could have guessed that a January pronouncement by a gang of bipartisan senators wouldput it on the fast track to passage. Both political parties are keenly aware of the Latino vote and are determined to court it with vigor. So itis only natural that more and more Latinos are being showcased in the media. Suddenly, their lives and opinions matter. For The HispanicOutlook in Higher Education Magazine, their lives and opinions have always mattered. We routinely put a spotlight on Hispanic leadersboth in public service and in education. And this issue is no exception. In a preview to what could be a future presidential match-up, weprofile two rising Latino political stars – Julián Castro, Democratic mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and Marco Rubio, Republican senatorfrom Florida. Both have put educational issues as prominent items on their agendas. We also feature Julian Alcazar, management andprogram analyst for the Transition to Teaching Program, U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement. There isuniversal agreement that our nation’s future prosperity depends on a well-educated and skilled populace. The growing Hispanic populationwill play a big part in that future prosperity. And it’s never too early to ensure academic success for all, including Latinos. To this end, wealso have an article in this issue on Early College, which nurtures high school students who might otherwise never get into or succeed incollege. And in that same vein, don’t miss our next issue of HO. It is our annual tribute to the community college, the nation’s true breedingground for tomorrow’s leaders – leaders who will increasingly be Hispanic as we move forward.

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Everyone is excited about thecurrent activity on immigrationreform. It’s finally coming to

fruition, or so they say, as senatorsand the president reboot work onthis longtime problem of whichmuch has been promised and littlehas been delivered.

Nothing to get excited about fornow save for patches of hopefulanticipation here and there and thepromise once again to the variousconstituencies that deliverance isjust around the corner, which tomany stretch into infinity consider-ing the country’s history with whathas become a political cliché of“the system is broken.”

Well, the repairmen are hereagain in the form of a bipartisanSenate group that announced togreat fanfare in January that theirnewly formed committee is, politicsaside, committed to developing andintroducing legislation that willfinally harness the slippery slopethat has identified immigrationreform.

Led by New York DemocratCharles E. Schumer and consistingof four Democrats and fourRepublicans, the “Gang of 8”promises to develop permanentreform measures to our immigra-tion system once and for all.

Haven’t we heard that songbefore with similar political lyrics?

There have been a lot of legisla-

tive gangs on immigration reformin the past that have been wipedout by political realities that alwaysweighed heavier.

One of the current gang mem-bers, Cuban-American Sen. BobMenéndez, D-N.J., said on a Sundaytalk show that reform measureswill not fail this time as they have inthe past.

“First, Americans support it inpoll after poll; secondly, Latino vot-ers expect it; thirdly, Democratswant it; and fourth, Republicansneed it,” said Menéndez.

The senator’s riff has a nicepolitical rhythm, if only the dancewas that easy.

You have to give the senatorscredit for even agreeing to gettogether to discuss an immigrationissue that has lingered over severalpast administrations.

President Obama is also in onthis latest reform exercise that heindicated would have his supportexcept that neither he nor the sena-tors can say at this point what thefinal plan might look like sincethere are so many self-serving fac-tors involved and so many petition-ers weighing in.

He has told the legislators to getit done this time or else he willsend his own legislation toCongress by summer’s end to forceaction on the issue.

For now, while the parties agreethat the system is broken, they stilldon’t seem to have any innovativeideas or plans except to say whatreform should be and cannot be.But at least they are trying.

President Obama is no longerconcerned with re-election, butnevertheless, with promises to keepand in campaign mode, he flew toLas Vegas where, with great theatri-cal flair set against a background ofstarry-eyed students and Brown

faces at a local high school, hedeclared again that as he promised,immigration reform this time wasdoable save for handling some net-tlesome obstacles – mostlyRepublicans from red states.

He could have done this as easi-ly in a Washington setting, but inthis case, I suppose he and his han-dlers figured his remarks in a statewith a heavy ethnic population anda Latino Republican governor,Brian Sandoval, would have moreresonance and better drive themessage of bipartisanship.

Actually, much of whatDemocrats and Republicans aresaying and proposing has beenattempted and debated and up tonow has turned out to be mostly anexercise in futility. There are somany factors involved that alwaysseem to be irreconcilable.

The issue with the 11 millionillegal population in the U.S. is thatit’s mostly about Latinos and largelyabout Mexicans and CentralAmericans – the majority of themland-crossers. Latino groups com-prise almost 80 percent of theundocumented.

Freshman Republican Sen.Marco Rubio is one of the eightSenate gang members and faces adelicate balancing act as the dar-ling of the conservative GOP wingwhose vote was decisive in puttinghim in office in Florida and whichis largely opposed to the proposedimmigration solution.

Just how influential Rubio canbe in whichever way the action tiltsis debatable because he is a first-term legislator, the son of Cubanrefugees and with a backgroundthat frankly does not show muchexperience with the immigrationdialogue that has been played outamong the dominant Latino groupslike Mexican-Americans and

Central Americans.He is beholden to party conser-

vatives like the Tea Party, which isanathema to the type of reforms the“Gang of 8” is pursuing and almostanything pro-Latino, or so it seems,although one would think theircommon socially conservativebackgrounds would suggest other-wise.

Menéndez is also of Cubanbackground, born in New York City,but who has supported pro-immi-gration policies and sounds com-mitted to those reforms of which hesays the time has come.

Ted Cruz of Texas, only monthsinto his first term as a RepublicanU.S. senator, was born in Canada toa Cuban father and an Americanmother and raised near Houston.Like Rubio, his politics are conser-vative and Tea Party-endorsed.

He is not a “Gang of 8” memberand said he’s having problems withthe proposed path to citizenship.

“To allow those who came hereillegally to be placed on such apath is both inconsistent in the ruleof law and profoundly unfair to themillions of legal immigrants whowaited years, if not decades, tocome to America legally.”

This from a freshman Latinosenator tells us immigration reformis still much a work in progress,long in the making and lookingeven longer in resolving.

Is Immigration Reform

Mucho Ruido y Pocas Nueces?

PoliticalBeat

Carlos D. Conde, award-win-ning journalist and commentator,former Washington and foreignnews correspondent, was an aide inthe Nixon White House and workedon the political campaigns ofGeorge Bush Sr. To reply to this col-umn, contact [email protected].

by Carlos D. Conde


Page 8

Page 16

MAGAZINE®

CONTENTS

MARCH 04, 2013

How Obama’s SecondTerm Might Impact HigherEducation by Michael J.Major

8

Getting a Leg Up on College via Early CollegeHigh Schools by Frank DiMaria

Pathway to the Baccalaureate: Helping MinorityStudents Navigate Postsecondary Ed inVa. by Gary M. Stern

Julián Castro & Marco Rubio: Rising Political StarsFocusing on Ed Issues by Marilyn Gilroy

Targeting Male Student Success at Eastern ConnecticutState and NVCC by AntonyWormack and Estela López

Julian Alcazar:A Rising Star in the FederalGovernment and NonprofitWorld by Jamaal Abdul-Alim

10

13

16

20

24

WoodrowWilson National Fellowship FoundationProducing a New Breed ofTeacher by Frank DiMaria

26

Online ArticlesSome of the above articles will also be available online;go to our website: www.HispanicOutlook.com.

HispanicHispanicPoliticalPoliticalStarsStars


Page 24

Page 26

DEPARTMENTSPolitical Beat by Carlos D. Conde

Is Immigration Reform Mucho Ruido y Pocas Nueces?5

SScchhoollaarrss’’ CCoorrnneerr by Ernesto Moralez 15

Uncensored by Peggy Sands Orchowski 19

Book Review by Mary Ann Cooper

Real World Writing for Secondary Students

23

IInntteerreessttiinngg RReeaaddss 23

PPrriimmiinngg tthhee PPuummpp...... by Miquela Rivera

Encouraging Reading

Back Cover

HO is also available in digital format; go to our website: www.HispanicOutlook.com.

HHiissppaanniiccss oonn tthhee MMoovvee 28


POLITICS

When Barack Obama was elected presidentin 2008, he was regarded as the greatBlack hope by some Democrats and

great Muslim terrorist by some Republicans.However, during his first term, many Democratscame to feel that Obama’s hope was sputteringout due to his lack of political will – while asmall vocal faction of Republicans escalatedtheir assertions that Obama was not even a U.S.citizen. The correct spelling of his name wasnow Osama and because he did not engage inthe “civil dialogue” the top 1 percent desired, herepresented the second coming of Adolph Hitler.

Yet, as his recent election has showed, while theRepublicans divided themselves, Democrats cametogether to give Obama an overwhelming victory.

The question now is what will Obama’s re-election mean, an igniting of or further waningof hope, specifically in terms of higher educa-tion? Since the Hispanic vote was instrumental inreturning Obama to the presidency, followingare the perspectives of three Hispanics in highereducation. It happens that these three opinionsrange from mostly skeptical, to a more or lessbalance between being skeptical and positive, tobeing mostly positive.

“Overall, I don’t see a whole lot of changesbeing made by the new Obama administration,”says Nolan L. Cabrera, Ph.D., assistant professorin the College of Education at the Tucson-basedUniversity of Arizona with an overall enrollmentof 40,223, about 19.5 percent of which isHispanic. “I definitely think his first term wasbetter than Bush’s, but that’s a very low standardto hold someone to.”

What Cabrera addresses is not higher educa-tion per se, but the educational processes leadingup to it, which can’t help but having an adverseeffect upon the latter. “One of the most troublingaspects of Obama’s first term is his attitudetoward the K-12 pipeline, with its belief in char-ter schools, school choices, vouchers and espe-cially, testing,” says Cabrera, who works in theDepartment of Educational Studies and Practice.“Integral to his approach is trying to use businessas a model for education. It can’t be done. Noneof these have been shown to markedly improveeducational opportunities for Hispanics.

“In fact, many of these measures have areductive effect. For instance, if you are aHispanic living in a poor neighborhood, you’regoing to be less likely to put your child on a busto drive across town to a better school, especial-ly when they are apt to be shown up to be educa-tionally behind the White middle class and afflu-ent students who have had more educationalopportunities from the start. Either way, educa-tional segregation increases.

“Educational testing is a part of it. At the endof the day, it’s impossible to get around the cul-tural biases built into these tests. And the incred-ible reliance on these tests greatly narrows thecurriculum. Students and staff at White middle-class schools can take these tests in stride, butthere has to be a great emphasis on them inpoorer schools. So what has been boring now,with the emphasis upon rote learning, becomesunbearable. Students drop out of school.”

“There is a more insidious aspect to this,”Cabrera continues. “For if the poorer-performingstudents drop out, test scores go up. So that meansschools in more impoverished neighborhoodshave a vested interest in having their low-perfor-mance students drop out. Such measures mayplease the press, but teachers and administratorsat these schools feel threatened that unless they gettest scores up, they may lose their jobs. So educa-tion becomes more about rote memorization andtest strategies rather than critical thinking and ajoy in learning. I was very disappointed at thisdirection Obama took in his first term, and I don’tsee him making a lot of changes.”

On a somewhat more positive note, Cabrerasays that the deferred action on undocumentedstudents, which will allow them access to educa-tion, financial aid and citizenship, “is going tohave a very positive impact, no question about it.”

But he adds that people forget Obamadeported more undocumented people than didboth Bush administrations combined, anappalling 400,000 in 2011 alone. What puttingboth these opposing factors together reveals,Cabrera says, is the shattering of families, leav-ing youth without parents and the parental sup-port and encouragement to progress throughthe educational system.

“Here in Tucson, I see it constantly,” Cabrerasays. “You see young kids picked up by policefor ridiculous reasons, just because they believethey have to appear tough. I saw a young kidpunching a bag in the gym, the last person you’dthink would break down in public, but then hedoes, just drops his arms and starts crying.Breaking families apart like that creates hugeemotional traumas.”

A deeper and more general criticism, Cabrerasays, is Obama failed to, as he promised, pro-mote equality, especially racial equality, for fearof upsetting his right-wing opponents.

“It’s ironic that the political right has gottenaway with portraying Obama as being a race lib-eration theologian, of playing racial politics,while his supporters are disappointed he has nottaken a more proactive stance.”

One of two symptoms Cabrera offers on thisrelates to the currently pending case before theU.S. Supreme Court, Fisher v. University of Texasat Austin, in which the White plaintiff AbigailFisher claims that affirmative action policies havebeen racist toward her, for she was, as a result,forced to attend a less-prestigious college.

Cabrera also points to the incident in whichpolice arrested the 75-year-old well-knownBlack scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. for breakinginto his own house, when he was simply enteringthrough the front door. “Instead of just callingthe arrest plain stupid, Obama arranged a meet-ing of all involved, which showed what was moston his mind was placating the opposition,”Cabrera says. “What people have forgotten is thathe is not a radical revolutionary socialist, butrather a slightly left-of-center centrist. My onehope left ... since Obama was re-elected throughthe grass-roots pressure exerted by Hispanics ...I think that if and when we start makingprogress on Latino education, it will come fromthe migrant community applying pressure.”

“Obviously Obama’s re-election will head us ina different direction educationally, but there arestill a lot of questions,” says Eric Carpio, assistantvice president for enrollment management at theAlamosa, Colo.-based Adams State University, withan overall enrollment of about 3,100, about athird of whom are Hispanic. “Obama has articu-

lated pretty lofty goals, especially in terms of high-er education. But it’s a question of getting every-one on the same page. It will take a lot of cooper-ation for his goals to be actualized.”

Adams State is a Hispanic-Serving-Institution(HSI), says Carpio. “HSIs represent 10 percent ofaccredited higher education nationwide, and morethan 50 percent of Latino students attend HSIs. Butthe stream of federal funding for HSIsthrough Title V has lessened over theyears. The same is true for the other pro-grams such as Upward Bound and TalentSearch, which target high school students;Planning and Support Services for stu-dents in college; and EducationOpportunity Centers for adults. All ofthese programs are designed to help first-generation students achieve a higher edu-cation. And Hispanics are overrepresent-ed in the immigrant population. If Obamabeefs up these programs, that will be aclear signal.

“However, over the past several years,as federal and state governments havestruggled with their budgets, we’ve seenfewer and fewer students eligible for aid,at the same time that tuition has seenunprecedented double-digit increases incost, making higher education now moreexpensive than it’s ever been.”

Carpio adds, “We are obviouslywatching the DREAM Act. Over the pastfour years, he has sent mixed messages.The number of deportations increaseddramatically. At the same time, he sayshe wants a comprehensive immigrationreform. He’s promised to sign an execu-tive order this coming summer that willmean students who have earned adegree will be able to work legally andbe on a path to citizenship. I hope as apart of his comprehensive plan that onlycriminals will be deported and not those whocame to this country seeking a better life whoare working hard to contribute to our society.

“A big potential roadblock is our ability toprovide funding. Is our country able to find newrevenue streams or other solutions so that high-er education becomes a high priority?”

On a more positive note, Carpio says, “Oneof the criticisms leveled at Hispanics is that theyhave been difficult to organize. The past electionchanged that. We’ve put Congress on notice.

“With the basic shift in demographics and the

impact the Hispanic vote had in re-electingObama, I see a change from a plea for fairness tothe exercise in political power to make it happen.I believe this trend will continue.”

“It is very clear, from my perspective, that theimpact of Obama’s second term on higher educa-tion will be very positive,” says Fidel Trujillo, Ph.D.,dean of students at New Mexico Highlands

University with a total enrollment of 3,800, about53 percent of which is Hispanic. “I can understandthe frustration at the pace and progress of his ini-tiatives, but I don’t share the skepticism. I believeObama will fulfill his goals during his second term.

“The president has made the commitment tomake college more affordable and accessible sothat, by 2020, the U.S. will have the highest pro-portion of college graduates in the world. That’sa high goal.”

Trujillo acknowledges that “college debt hasskyrocketed over the past several decades, so

now it costs a student an average of $26,000 togo through college. But Obama’s commitment toexpand federal support to universities while call-ing on universities to lower tuition costs at thesame time there will be continued investments instudent aid means we have a new president inoffice now, freed from many of the restraintsimposed on him during his first term. He

promises to expand the number of aidprograms 50 percent by 2014. Byincreasing the student population, newlife will be given to the institutions. Andthe tax credit he granted in 2009 he isnow calling on to make permanent. Thiswill help as well.”

Trujillo also applauds Obama’s man-date for immigration reform and theDREAM Act. What the president has pro-posed is simply good policy, Trujillo says.“It will help immigrants and their chil-dren, give them not only access to stu-dent aid but also a path to citizenship.From where I’m at in New Mexico, thereare almost 17,000 college students whowill benefit from the DREAM Act.”

Trujillo agrees with the criticisms ofstandardized testing but also argues thatObama’s refining of the No Child LeftBehind Act will remove the noxiousemphasis on this testing. With hisemphasis on improved education, espe-cially in terms of the U.S. emphasizingdisciplines such as STEM studies, itmeans that administrators and teacherswill have to upgrade their overall cur-riculum. And it is hoped that the built-incultural bias that exists in standardizedtests today gradually will fade away.

“From my perspective, it is clear thatObama’s educational plan is comprehen-sive, with initiatives for young children toget a head start in life, and improving the

pipeline all through K-12 as investments that willpay off in the future.” In terms of funding difficul-ties, Trujillo says, “We’re mainly talking about thewealthy who want to keep educational programsfocused disproportionately on the alreadyupward bound, in a way that has adversely affect-ed the lower class and minority populations. ButI believe that now that President Obama has hismandate, he will fight hard for all of his pro-grams that will make education an equal oppor-tunity for all Americans.”


Eric Carpio, assistant vice president for enrollment management, Adams State University

How Obama’s Second TermMight Impact Higher Educationby Michael J. Major

Getting a Leg Up on College via Early College High Schoolsby Frank DiMaria

Time and money are two commodities in short supply for many stu-dents in America’s educational system, especially those who areunderrepresented. Jobs for the Future, a national initiative that devel-

ops policy solutions and new path-ways from college readiness tocareer advancement, helps America’sneediest high school students get acollege education quickly and inex-pensively.

The Early College High SchoolInitiative, an approach to high schoolreform administered by Jobs for theFuture, offers an alternative to com-prehensive high schools. Early col-lege high schools marry high schooland college in a rigorous, supportiveprogram, with a twist. Students whoattend these progressive schools canshave two years off the time theyspend in college. While taking classestoward their high school diploma,early college high school students arealso earning up to two years’ worthof credits toward a bachelor’s degreetuition free.

Since 2002, the partner organiza-tions of the Early College HighSchool Initiative have launched orredesigned over 270 schools serving75,000 students in 28 states and theDistrict of Columbia. Designed forlow-income youth, first-generationcollege goers, English-languagelearners and students of color, earlycollege high schools are small, butthey have the potential to improvehigh school graduation rates andbetter prepare these students for high-skill careers.

High schoolers earning college credits is nothing new, but high school-ers mingling with college professors and college students on college cam-puses is rare. For years, school districts have been offering dual enroll-ment and Advanced Placement courses. Early college high schools offer farmore. Students of early college high schools find themselves immersed inthe college environment because 50 percent of early college high schoolsare physically located on college campuses.

Cecilia Le, senior project manager with Jobs for the Future, says thatdual enrollment and advanced placement are valuable, but they could yieldcredits that might not transfer to a college. Furthermore, historically these

programs have been for advanced students. “Early college high schools arean opportunity for all students,” she says. “These schools provide asmooth transition between high school and college for every student. They

target students who are underrepre-sented in higher education.”

Sixty-one percent of early collegehigh school students are on free orreduced lunch, and about half ofthem are the first in their family toattend college. Forty-three percentof early college high school studentsare Hispanic. “The exposure to col-lege rigor and expectations is a verypowerful experience for studentswho may not know anything aboutcollege or may not have anyone intheir family or community who havegone to college or graduated fromcollege or had any expectations ofgoing to college. So what we find isthat early college demystifies thecollege experience [for these stu-dents],” says Le.

Early college high schools are ashot in the arm for those from fami-lies in which college is rarely, ifever, discussed and of whom little isexpected. “The very nature of beingin a college environment actuallyraises the expectations of students,parents, teachers and professors. ...Over 80 percent of our students arefirst-generation college students; itis so powerful for them to take acollege credit class. When they goback to their mom and dad andtheir family reunions and fiestas and

they can say, ‘I’m in ninth grade, and I have six or eight or 10 or 12 collegecredit hours,’ that is just so powerful,” says Janice D. Lombardi, Ed.D.,principal at Trini Garza Early College High School in the DallasIndependent School District, in Dallas, Texas.

Early college high schools don’t just demystify the college experience,as Le puts it; they get results. In the 2010-11 school year, early college highschools nationwide had a median four-year graduation rate of 93 percent,compared to 76 percent for their school districts. Ninety-three percent oftheir graduates earned at least some college credits, and 56 percentearned two or more years of college credit.

These statistics are impressive, but they pale in comparison to those of

INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS


Cecilia Le, senior project manager, Jobs for the Future

Lombardi’s Trini Garza High School. In 2012, Trini Garza graduated everysingle one of its seniors while the state of Texas had a 78.8 percent gradua-tion rate and the district had a 76 percent rate. Eighty-six percent of the stu-dents who attend Trini Garza are onfree/reduced lunch, and the school is84 percent Hispanic, 83 percent ofwhich are on free/reduced lunch.

Trini Garza was established in2006. It is embedded on theMountain View College campus,occupying the ground floor of thewest campus of the two-year com-munity college. The school educatesabout 400 students from ninth to12th grade and receives about 500applications for entry into the ninthgrade for each fall semester. “Theapplications have increased over thecourse of the last three years asword spreads within the communityabout the success of early college,”says Lombardi.

Acceptance into Trini Garza isbased on a lottery system, with noacademic requirements. Lombardiand her staff interview all applicants,not to determine if they can handlethe rigorous academic environmentbut to make sure the students them-selves want to attend Trini Garza andare not being pushed in that direc-tion by their parents. Since the highschool, the college and the districtmake a serious commitment to eachearly college student, Lombardiseeks those willing to accept thechallenge of a rigorous academicenvironment enthusiastically. TriniGarza is open access to all and in the past has educated special educationstudents, dyslexic students and those with 504 plans. “What we offer is alittle different than a comprehensive high school. We tailor our programsto meet the needs of each individual student,” says Lombardi.

She attributes her school’s perfect graduation rate to its high expecta-tions and rigorous curriculum. But the impressive graduation rate is onlyhalf the story. Trini Garza graduates are college-ready, whether they earntwo year’s worth of college credits or fewer. Forty-six of Lombardi’s 86graduates in 2012 earned an associate degree, and more than 50 of the 86graduated on the distinguished high school graduation plan, a rigorous

curriculum in Texas. On average, Trini Garza graduates earned about 30hours in 2012. Lombardi estimates that students who earn an associatedegree while at Trini Garza save about $6,000, when she considers what

they would have paid in tuition andon textbooks.

Because Trini Garza is on theMountain View campus, its studentsattend classes with college students,many of whom have life experiencesfar different than high school stu-dents. To narrow the gap betweenthese two populations, professorsscaffold their lessons through tutor-ing and other support systems forthe Trini Garza students. “We holdtheir hand for a longer time. This isimportant because 80 percent ofour students are first-time collegegoers. And many have parents whohave not even completed highschool,” says Lombardi.

To ensure the success of all herstudents, Lombardi uses data. Notjust hard-performance data, butdata on the number of homeless stu-dents and students with learning dis-abilities. She establishes a round-table for each student at which sheand her faculty meet with students’parents. She insists that supportteams meet once a week to identifystudents who would benefit frommentoring for everything from socialto academic issues. “We help ourkids one-on-one. Everything we dois individualized. We never have aone-size-fits-all thing,” saysLombardi.

Students at Trini Garza do not choose a major. Ninth- and 10th-gradestudents are encouraged to explore as they learn their strengths and weak-nesses. Enrolling students are placed in an Associate of Arts degree pro-gram in which they are exposed to more and more courses. Some jump toan Associate of Science program. “Our goal is to get them an associatedegree so they can finish and move on to a university in Texas. All universi-ties in Texas by law are required to accept someone with an associatedegree,” says Lombardi.

Because of the many STEM initiatives at Mountain View College,Lombardi has noticed that more students are choosing engineering.


Getting a Leg Up on College via Early College High Schools

Janice D. Lombardi, Ed.D., principal at Trini Garza Early College High Schoolin the Dallas Independent School District in Texas

“We’re seeing Hispanic women and men,” says Lombardi. In fact, onefemale graduate from the first graduation class, Yazman Chalico, is now anofficer in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at the University ofTexas-Arlington.

Each school in the early college high school initiative is the result of apartnership between the school district and a postsecondary partner,which include community and technical colleges, four-year colleges anduniversities (both private and public). The postsecondary partners are keyplayers in the design and day-to-day operation of early college highschools, which treat the high school years and the first two years of collegeas a single, coherent course of study. Seventy-four percent of early collegehigh schools partner with two-year institutions; the rest, with four-yearinstitutions, most of which are public.

The relationship Trini Garza enjoys with Mountain View College hasevolved over time. Lombardi, now in her fourth year as principal, found adisconnect between the college and the high school when she arrived.“The college professors deemed high school teachers as not their equal,”says Lombardi.

Through the campus instructional leadership team, all teachers wererequired to upgrade their teaching qualifications. Those without a master’sdegree were required to earn one so they would be qualified to teach dualcredit. “We raised the bar of expectations for the teachers. Many alreadyhad master’s degrees, but amazingly the relationship with the collegebegan to blossom because [the college professors] began to view them astheir peers,” says Lombardi.

To ensure standards remain high for those Mountain View studentssharing courses with high schoolers, the agreement between MountainView and Trini Garza stipulates that dual-credit courses cannot comprisemore than three-quarters high school students, with a 50-50 split beingmost desirable. “They don’t want a high school class; they want a true col-lege class. They want that rigor,” says Lombardi. “A high tide raises allboats.” Mountain View’s professors are finding that the early college stu-dents, whether they be English-language learners or have learning difficul-ties, are some of the hardest-working students on campus, sometimes out-performing the college students. Mountain View professors are eager to

teach Trini Garza students.Today’s high school experience is far more than just academics. Friday

night football games, prom, homecoming and extracurricular activities allenhance a high school student’s journey. But those activities are not part ofthe early college experience. When she arrived at Trini Garza, Lombardisuspected that the lack of school activities had a negative effect on theamount of applications it received. To give her students a more “tradition-al” high school experience, Lombardi put on a homecoming dance theweek before winter break and invited all Trini Garza graduates to attend.“We had crazy sock day and all those silly things they do for homecoming.Those are study days, and there is nobody at the college during those days,so we have the campus to ourselves,” says Lombardi.

Trini Garza also holds a prom, has an urban debate team and wasawarded a grant from Motorola to establish a robotics team. Naturally,Trini Garza does not have a football team or the extracurriculars that com-prehensive high schools have.

Lack of extracurriculars notwithstanding, it’s clear that Trini Garza’sunderrepresented students reap significant benefits from attending an earlycollege high school. And there is an upside for Mountain View too. Thestate of Texas is focusing on community colleges, and in particular theiraccountability and students’ completion rate. Many who enroll in commu-nity college, sadly, do not persist. But Trini Garza’s perfect graduation rateenhances Mountain View’s student completion rate because 80 percent ofits students earn an associate degree. Although not all of them completethe degree in their four years at Trini Garza, their completion still countstowards Mountain View’s rate.

Students who graduate from early college high school earn both a highschool diploma and a significant number of college credits; some, even anassociate degree. Either outcome gives early college high school graduatesa leg up when they enter a two- or four-year college. Early college highschools work with colleges and universities within their states to ensurethat their graduates do not lose credits when they enroll at a four-yearschool. Many states have policies making all credits from community col-leges transferable to state schools.


Early college high

schools offer high

schoolers an opportunity

to mingle with college

professors and college

students on college

campuses, which is rare.

PPaatthhwwaayy ttoo tthhee BBaaccccaallaauurreeaattee::HHeellppiinngg MMiinnoorriittyy SSttuuddeennttss NNaavviiggaatteePPoossttsseeccoonnddaarryy EEdduuccaattiioonn iinn VViirrggiinniiaaby Gary M. Stern

In2005, Northern Virginia CommunityCollege (NOVA) joined with four-yearcollege George Mason University and

eight public school systems in northern Virginiato form Pathway to the Baccalaureate. The then-new consortium created a support system ofcounselors to help minority and other studentsgraduate from high school, move on to commu-nity college and attain four-year degrees. Eachinstitution participates in its funding.

Robert Templin, president of NorthernVirginia Community College, says that up untilthat time, the school systems of northernVirginia had been succeeding with many majori-ty students, but first-generation minority stu-dents were falling behind. Many minority stu-dents didn’t have college aspirations, weren’tfocused on attending community college andweren’t advancing to earn bachelor’s degrees.Something needed to be done to spark these stu-dents, offering them support and encouragingthem to take advantage of educational opportu-nities to improve their life.

Through Pathway, NOVA works with high schoolsin Virginia to identify at-risk students. It focuses on acase management or social work approach toaddress student needs. Students receive ongoingcounseling and developmental help.

The impetus for Pathway started during alunch in 2004 attended by NOVA’s Templin; AlanMertin, then president of George Mason; andJack Dale, who is now superintendent of FairfaxCounty Public Schools. Templin suggested thatthe three collaborate on a plan that views “stu-dents as belonging to all of us.” What if the threeorganizations collaborated to identify at-risk stu-dents and offered assistance? Pathway to theBaccalaureate developed from that conversation.

Templin described Pathway’s mission as“identifying high school students who would befirst in their family to attend college, but proba-bly won’t attend unless some support service isprovided.” Most of these students don’t have

anyone in their family to guide them since noone has attended college previously. Pathwayprovides the support, builds confidence and

know-how to help students overcome many ofthe barriers that make college difficult to attend.

In its initial year, Pathway involved 330 stu-dents but has been growing rapidly. In 2011-12,Pathway collaborated with eight local school sys-tems across Northern Virginia, covering 48 highschools. Over 6,500 students participated inPathway in 2011-12, and 85 percent of themwere expected to move on to postsecondaryeducation. In 2012-13, Kerin Hilker-Balkissoon,director of Pathway to the Baccalaureate, saidapproximately 7,500 students will participate,which includes 3,000 high school seniors.

Pathway helps a wide range of students fromvaried ethnicities including 35 percent Latinostudents, 16 percent African-American, 22 per-cent White, 20 percent Asian-American and 7

percent mixed race, said Templin.Forming collaborations among high schools,

community colleges and four-year colleges

guides students into postsecondary education,Templin suggested. “The college system is socomplex that it’s easy for students get lost,”explained Hilker-Balkissoon.

Pathway counselors rotate among four or fiveschools, spending one full day at each school, toensure that students thrive. Each Pathway coun-selor sees about 75 students per week in personand also supports students via e-mail, phoneand social media. Most high school advisorscounsel 400 to 500 students, making it easy forminority students to get overlooked.

Many Pathway students are average to goodperformers who could easily get overshadowedby other students. Students applying to IvyLeague schools likely aren’t candidates. “Many[Pathway students] lack self-advocacy skills,”

INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS


Pictured (l. to r.): Dr. Robert Templin, president, Northern Virginia Community College; Pathway student Joshua Anton; Pathway director Kerin Hilker-Balkissoon

Hilker-Balkissoon noted.To gain acceptance, Pathway considers

grades during junior year and first quarter ofsenior year to determine whether students aremotivated to succeed. Other factors includeattendance and a recommendation from aschool counselor attesting to the student’s moti-vation. Hilker-Balkissoon added, “It’s not a meritprogram. It’s for students who have a barrierand need additional support and guidance to besuccessful.” The program considers every stu-dent individually and, for example, accepted oneformer gang member who had a low GPA, butwas bright and got back on track.

Pathway offers two kinds of counselors: tran-sition counselors who help students graduatefrom high school and then move on to commu-nity college and retention counselors who advisestudents at NOVA and George Mason,and help them with academic issuesto make sure they do well there.

While Pathway students are still inhigh school, they’re assigned aPathway counselor that provides one-on-one counseling to help themadvance to postsecondary education.The counselor makes sure that eachstudent is taking the right classes inhigh school such as calculus, algebraand basic writing to help them suc-ceed in college. Students are immedi-ately co-enrolled in NOVA and beginto see themselves as college bound.

Early intervention is critical tothe program’s success. “Communitycolleges can’t wait for high school graduates toshow up before we regard them as students,”Templin said. As long as students maintain a 2.5grade point average and stay in the program,Pathway helps them succeed.

Counselors help them apply for financial aidand develop a plan to combine scholarships andgrants. In addition, Pathway offers $1 million inscholarship money. These scholarships helpsupplement what students can obtain in PellGrants and other grants.

“Pathway helps students in high school dothe necessary planning to be college-ready, aca-demically and financially,” Templin said. Headded that Pathway is making a promise that ifthey follow the program, “We’ll show them theway to make it through college without having togo into horrible debt,” he said.

Once students are accepted into Pathway,their confidence rises and they have a much bet-ter sense of what they want to accomplish in life.Many minority students think that college is an

impossible dream, too expensive, too complexand too difficult to navigate, and many settle fora job that pays something immediately to helptheir family but doesn’t have a future.

Once a student is accepted into Pathway,their family is invited to attend a meeting.Parents are informed that “your child will go tocollege. The goal isn’t to complete NOVA butattain a bachelor’s degree,” Templin said.

As freshmen at NOVA, Pathway students takea one-credit success skills class. It covers timemanagement, note taking, academic skills, studyskills, career planning and goal setting. In addi-tion, students must spend eight hours in a com-munity service project such as building a housewith Habitat for Humanity.

Demonstrating its success, Pathway studentsattending NOVA graduate at a rate of 50 percent

compared to its average graduation rate of 25percent, according to Templin, who said,“Pathway creates a highly structured environ-ment with support and expectations. Studentsrise to the expectations.” Moreover, having sev-eral institutions – the public school system,community college and four-year college – col-laborate helps students overcome any hurdles.

But nearly half of Pathway’s students don’tgraduate NOVA with an associate degree. Hilker-Balkissoon said the strongest barriers are finan-cial since tuition has risen to $145 a credit.Finding appropriate and affordable child careand juggling multiple jobs also play a role inpreventing students from earning a degree. “Lifegets in the way,” said Templin.

NOVA students who maintain a 2.85 GPA, insteadof the usual criteria of 3.0, and take certain acade-mic classes are guaranteed admission into GeorgeMason University. They must also provide recom-mendations and an essay, like other students.

Pathway has also been a boost for GeorgeMason University, explained Ann Lewis, directorof its advising and transfer center. “The fact iswe see more students coming onto campus as aresult,” she said.

To heighten the effect of the program, GeorgeMason now has a full-time Pathway counselor,financed by NOVA, that helps participants succeed.The counselor “makes sure they know there’ssomeone at Mason that can point them in the rightdirection, advise them and let them know what ittakes to be successful here,” said Lewis.

Besides attending George Mason, NOVA stu-dents also apply to the University of Virginia,Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth Universityand Howard University. The counselor arrangesan individual transfer plan to ensure transitioninto the four-year college. College visits also

offer exposure to campuses beyondGeorge Mason.

How Pathway Ignited OneStudent

When Glenda Sorto, a native ofEl Salvador who immigrated toAlexandria, Va., at age 10, was asenior at a Fairfax County highschool, she was thinking of attend-ing a two-year technical college orcontinuing to work in a restaurantwhere she served as a waitress. At aschool assembly, she heard aboutPathway and its one-on-one coun-seling and applied for the program.It has changed her life.

“No one reached out to us. Pathway providedsomeone to talk to you instead of wanderingaround and not knowing what to do,” she said.

Once Sorto was accepted into the program,her Pathway counselor made sure that the tran-sition into NOVA would be smooth. “She helpedus through the NOVA application process andwith financial aid. We attended workshops on[federal financial aid forms]. If we had a simplequestion that we didn’t understand, we had a go-to person,” she said. The guidance offered bythe Pathway counselor eased Sorto’s transitioninto college.

In addition, Pathway provided scholarshipmoney, and Sorto financed the rest of her NOVAcommunity college education. Without Pathway’ssupport, Sorto said attending college would havebeen more difficult.

In fact, Sorto majored in psychology at NOVAand earned an associate degree. She advanced toGeorge Mason University where she graduatedwith a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010.


Northern Virginia’s Pathway to

the Baccalaureate program

came about in 2005 from the

idea of identifying at-risk

students and offering assistance.

She expects to receive her master’s degree ineducation in counseling and development fromMason in spring 2014.

Sorto works part time as an advisor atPathway and might look for a job as a schoolguidance counselor. “I’d like to help high schoolstudents and motivate them to go to schoolbeyond high school,” she said. She’d like to giveback and offer the inspiration to high school stu-dents that Pathway supplied to her.

It wasn’t just the counselors who offeredone-on-one help that made a difference to Sorto.

“It’s the team as a whole. They all workedtogether to bring out the best in their students,”she said. The program has boosted her confi-dence. “It believed in me. Having someone thatbelieves in you makes a difference,” Sorto said.

Hilker-Balkissoon emphasized that counsel-ing is the most effective way to help first-genera-tion students overcome any personal issues, plantheir career and succeed in school. But Pathwayhas been piloting Pathway Connection that wouldaddress academic deficiencies, improve writingand math skills and reduce the need for devel-

opmental or remedial classes at NOVA.Despite its initial signs of success at NOVA,

Pathway says Hilker-Balkissoon hasn’t complieddata on its students’ graduation rate from four-year colleges. She said it would take seven yearsto compile data since students started as highschool seniors and were expected to spend threeyears at NOVA and three years at Mason for atotal of seven years. She said, “We’re early in theprocess for calculating longitudinal data for uni-versity graduation.”


It is well documented that public schools serving children of color are suboptimal.Socioeconomic conditions including poverty, poor environmental conditions, overcrowding ofschools and inadequate funding continue to hinder the cognitive development and student achieve-ment of Hispanic children. Concurrently, Hispanic youth are at an increased risk of obesity, dia-betes, adverse heart conditions and some cancers compared to their White counterparts. Oftensome of the same risk factors hindering the cognitive development of Hispanic children also dimin-ish the health of our children (e.g., poverty, poor environmental conditions).

For most Hispanics, health can be difficult to prioritize given the vast amount of commitments tofamily responsibilities (working younger and helping to raise siblings), issues around food access,and the pressures of acculturation – all of which disproportionately affect Hispanic youth. Myresearch and applied work as a doctoral student at the University of Colorado-Denver and as anaffiliate faculty focuses on educating the university students, many of whom are Hispanic, as well asthe broader Hispanic community in Denver and, subsequently, enhancing their health status. This isaccomplished by working with students and communities to inform them about the consequences ofadverse health behaviors and the feasibility of adopting new behaviors to improve their health. I amworking to encourage health behavior changes to not only improve their academic performance, but also to increase their self-efficacy and mentalhardiness to overcome adversities they may encounter.

Any successes I have had as a scholar have been the result of both my interactions with thoughtful people throughout my educational journeyand a deep-rooted responsibility I feel as a Hispanic to do meaningful work in communities and with those individuals who might be marginalizedyet have an unmatched richness of culture and tradition. It was through meaningful encounters with people in academia and the community that Idecided to continue my studies and pursue a doctoral degree. With these credentials, I will orchestrate my own projects as a researcher and influ-ence future students as their professor to continue their education and to understand that their health has a direct impact on the success of theirfuture endeavors.

As expected, it has not been an easy road. It came as no surprise for me to learn that Hispanics receive less than 4 percent of the Ph.D. degreesearned in the U.S. However, through organizations like the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE), the road to a doctorate

becomes smoother and more manageable. As a 2012 AAHHE Graduate Student Fellow, I was able to meet establishedresearchers and educators who played vital roles in creating the opportunities I have had to date. Often conferences are

simply networking rodeos, but the AAHHE conference was so much more – it not only provided opportunities tomeet and interact with peers and colleagues, but it truly put students in a position to be substantial con-

tributors to the current academic discourse. Simply put, it recognized that Hispanics have a strong andpromising future in higher education.

BByy EErrnneessttoo MMoorraalleezzHealth and Behavioral Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Colorado Denver, 2012

AAHHE Graduate Fellow

SScchhoollaarrss’’ CCoorrnneerr

Julián Castro & Marco Rubio: Rising Political Stars Focusing on Ed Issuesby Marilyn Gilroy

Julián Castro, Democratic mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and MarcoRubio, Republican senator from Florida, both considered rising politi-cal stars, have put educational issues as prominent items on their agen-

das. The two politicians captured the attention of the nation this past sum-mer when each one was a featured speaker at their respective nationalconventions.

Earlier in the year, Rubio was rumored to be on Mitt Romney’s short listof vice presidential candidates. He rose to prominence in the RepublicanParty after serving nine years in the FloridaHouse of Representatives and then wonthe U.S. Senate seat in 2010, replacing MelMartínez, who decided to step down.

Castro was chosen for the keynoteaddress at the 2012 Democratic Nationalconvention in part because party leaderssaid his success story serves as an exam-ple of the American Dream. He and hisidentical twin, Joaquín, were born tounmarried parents in 1974. He wasraised mostly by his mother and grand-mother, both of whom had limited educa-tion. Castro excelled in school and even-tually went to Stanford University andHarvard Law School. He lives in SanAntonio with his wife, who is a teacher,and daughter.

Rubio was born in the U.S. in 1971 toparents who emigrated from Cuba in1956. His father and mother earned a liv-ing in working-class jobs and could notafford to pay for higher education.However, after attending several collegesand cobbling together student loans andgrants, Rubio eventually graduated fromthe University of Florida and the Universityof Miami Law School. He lives in Miamiwith his wife and four children.

Both Rubio and Castro are consideredcrucial to their parties’ future to captureand retain Hispanic voters. However ana-lysts say the two also represent the cultur-al and political split in the Hispanic populations.

“Although they often are lumped together as Hispanics, Rubio andCastro are emblematic of acute political distinctions between Mexican-Americans, who are the largest Latino group in the U.S., and Cuban-Americans, who are the most politically active,” wrote Russell Contreras ina 2012 Associated Press article.

Part of that divide plays out in positions on immigration policies –Castro supports the DREAM Act, but Rubio does not. And while both politi-cians have actively pursued an education agenda, they have differentapproaches to the issue.

Economic Development and EducationCastro has not only embraced education as an important issue, in some

cases, he has put his political career on the line. Last November, he usedhis political capital to ask SanAntonio voters to approve the Pre-K4 SA ballot initiative that called for a1/8-cent sales tax – about $7.81 peryear to the median San Antoniohousehold – to be invested over thenext eight years for full-day pre-Kinstruction for more than 22,000 4-year-olds.

Castro said the measure wasimportant to San Antonio’s economicdevelopment, citing research show-ing that by 2018, 56 percent of thejobs in Texas will require more thana high school education. The key tokeeping students in school and stem-ming the alarming high schooldropout rate, he said, was improvingearly education.

“The research is unequivocal,”wrote Castro in an Op-Ed piece. “Ifwe are going to change the educa-tional trajectory of our young peo-ple, you get the most return oninvestment by starting early, before achild falls behind, rather than tryingto catch them up later.”

Political analysts called it a riskymove on Castro’s part because therewas no certainty the measure wouldpass. Critics called it “just aBand-Aid” and not the way to dealwith the failure to adequately fund

public schools in Texas. They also said there was no specific curriculum oreven locations specified for the four model pre-K centers to be created bythe initiative. In addition, some thought cost estimates were grossly under-stated and would exceed the revenue collected by $7.81 tax.

Supporters and opponents campaigned vigorously, and the press report-ed the outcome was too close to call. Early polling showed the vote evenly

POLITICS/PROFILES


Julián Castro, Democratic mayor of San Antonio, Texas

split, but in the end, the measure passed by a margin of 53.5 percent.“This means that thousands of 4-year-olds will have a much better

chance of never falling behind in the first place,” said Castro.Mayor Castro’s programs also include help for those at various points

on the educational spectrum.“We are focusing on the entire educational spectrum to ensure that

every child has the opportunity to be successful in the 21st-century globaleconomy,” he said. “I have visited dozens of middle schools to encouragestudents to stay in the classroom andrealize their dreams. I chose middleschool in an attempt to reach studentsbefore they tend to experience prob-lems that make them more likely todrop out.”

During his first term, Castro cham-pioned Café College, a signature projectfor San Antonio’s education future.Located in a renovated building indowntown San Antonio, Café Collegeoffers free guidance to those preparingfor and applying to the higher educa-tion institution of their choice. Trainedstaff work with middle school throughsenior high school students, parentsand guardians and “stopouts” – collegestudents who for one reason or anotherstopped attending college before com-pleting their degree plans. Assistancefor transfer students and Spanish-speaking visitors is provided. A com-panion website, cafécollege.org, offersvirtual support.

“Our schools have a challenging stu-dent-to-counselor ratio of 420-to-1,”said Castro when the center opened in2010. “This center aims to fill in thegaps by providing information, technol-ogy resources and test-preparationcourses to better prepare students toenter college and ultimately create astronger brainpower community in SanAntonio.”

Café College features 5,500 square feet of meeting rooms as well asbig-screen televisions, a lounge area, a coffee bar, computer stations andWiFi throughout the building, making it a welcoming, comfortable placefor students and their parents to seek assistance.

The city collaborated on the project with the San Antonio Education

Partnership, a nonprofit organization that provides services and collegescholarships to at-risk high school students who meet attendance and aca-demic requirements.

During his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention,Castro highlighted his vision for education. He used his own background tomake the case that “great journeys can be made in a single generation” andthat opportunities start with education.

Castro’s journey received a boost from affirmative action measures thathelped him be admitted to Stanfordeven though his SAT scores were 1210,below the median average for matricu-lating students. It is one of the reasonswhy he still supports affirmative action.

“We have made a lot of progress asa country. I look forward to the daywhen affirmative action is no longernecessary,” he said. “But it is still nec-essary to support efforts to make surethat our colleges and universities havediverse student bodies that reflect theoverall population.”

Encouraging Choice andInvestment in Education

As a U.S. senator, Rubio has putforward positions and policies dealingwith education from a national per-spective. In general, he supports lessfederal and more local control of edu-cation, but he also has pushed forearly education for at-risk children. Aspart of his platform, he would like tosee more competition in the educationmarketplace. To that end, he is a sup-porter of giving parents more informa-tion about schools’ performance andoffering options for school choice.

“Parental involvement is at theheart of education, and parents shouldhave the means and ability to influencetheir children’s education,” he said in

statements that appear on his website.Rubio has tied his ideas for improving education to the need to prepare

students for jobs and to create jobs that will be there when they graduate.“If America is to remain an exceptional country, it is essential that we

grow our economy and create jobs,” he said. “But America won’t continueto be the strongest economy in the world if our education system is anything


Julián Castro & Marco Rubio: Rising Political Stars Focusing on Ed Issues

Marco Rubio, Republican senator from Florida

less than the best. We must ensure that our education system prepares ourchildren to compete for the jobs of tomorrow. A good education is critical.”

In December 2012, Rubio laid out his vision for education when heaccepted a leadership award at the Jack Kemp Foundation Dinner. Hispositions include advocating for tax reform that will encourage investmentin education, promoting alternatives to the traditional four-year collegedegree, and enacting measures to keep college affordable. Here are five ofRubio’s major ideas for improving education:

1) Implement elementary and secondary school state-level curriculumreform and new investment in continuing teacher training, which Rubiowould like to address through the 2013 reauthorization of the HigherEducation Act.

2) Allow charter schools and other innovative schools to flourish as ameans of giving parents in underperforming public schools a choice aboutwhat schools their children can attend. “The public school system for mil-lions of disadvantaged American children is a disaster,” said Rubio. “Manyof these schools deny opportunity to those who need it most.”

3) Revise the tax code so that it rewards investment in education. AsRubio points out: “if you invest in a business by buying a machine, you geta tax credit for the cost. If there is a tax credit for investing in equipment,shouldn’t there be a tax credit for investing in people?” To achieve this, hewould like to create a corporate federal tax credit to a qualifying, nonprofit501(c)(3) Education Scholarship Organization so that students from low-income families can receive a scholarship to pay for the cost of a privateeducation of their parents’ choosing.

4) Encourage career, technical and vocational education. AlthoughRubio acknowledges the advantages of a four-year degree, he would like tosee students explore educational paths leading to an industry certificationin a trade or career. He cites the example of Miami Dade College’s educa-tion-for-work programs in which employers help to design the curriculumand provide mentoring and internship opportunities. “Even if you don’t gothe traditional college route, you can secure a good living by earning aneducation that is customized to your interests and strengths,” he said.

5) Reform our federal college grant and loan programs. Make surefederal aid guidelines don’t discriminate against online course credits andhelp give parents and students more choices. Explore integrating the PellGrant program with our tax system.

For Rubio, the college affordability issue is a personal one.“The only reason why I was able to go to college was because of federal

grants and loans, he said. “But when I graduated from law school, I hadclose to $150,000 in student debt.”

Those debts were not paid off until last year, when Rubio was 41 yearsold. This is one of the reasons he co-sponsored the “Know Before You Go”Act that would ensure that future students and their families know howlong it will take them to complete their education, what their likelihood ofcompletion is, how much they can expect to make after graduation, andhow much their monthly payment on the loan is going to be.

“The government should make sure that students and families have allthe data they need to make that the most well-informed investment possi-ble,” said Rubio.



by Peggy Sands Orchowski

AMBITIONS’ ROLE MODEL: ELITE COLLEGE OR NO COLLEGE DEGREE? – The most ambitious young people who want to make a huge markin the world are facing two conflicting role models. The first: attending either Harvard or Yale as did the hundreds of U.S. leaders such asevery current chief justice. The second: following Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and other brilliant founders of the century’s leading high-tech companies who never completed college at all. The conflict is reflected in increasing questions about the cost-benefit value of post-secondary education as the price of going to college increases and jobs and salaries for college graduates decrease simultaneously. Athree-page article last December in The New York Times featured a drawing of youth wearing sweatshirts with the words “College Is ForSuckers” asking “Why pay money if I can make money?” Perhaps the ultimate compromise between an elite education and doing it your-self are MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), which offer the most elite professors from the most elite colleges lecturing for free tothousands of students. It’s up to the students how they will use that kind-of-elite education.

LUIZ GUTIÉRREZ JOINS IMMIGRATION COM AT LAST MINUTE – In 2011-12, no Latino congressional representatives served on the immigrationsubcommittees of the House and the Senate. Even the strongest most often-heard Democratic advocate for comprehensive immigration reform inCongress, Luis Gutiérrez, was not one of the four Democratic committee members. In December, he did not think he would be in 2013 either. “I really

really wanted to be on it,” the Illinois congressman told me. “But I have 20 years on the financial services committee and can’t give that up.”But in early January, Gutiérrez had second thoughts. Suddenly, immigration seemed to have become a priority in Congress and with

the president; bipartisan deals were being made with new Republican Latinos such as Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rep.Raúl Labrador of Idaho. Gutiérrez wanted to be part of it. From 2004-10, he had hoped immigration reform would be his

legacy, and he had lost. Now he feels there is a chance. On Jan. 4, Gutiérrez asked for a temporary switch in com-mittee assignments, and leaders in both parties approved.

ASIAN-AMERICANS – DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN COLLEGE? – Asian-Americansare the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S., surpassing Hispanics in 2009.

At some of America’s top universities, they make up over 35 percent of thestudent body – over 50 percent at the University of California-

Berkeley. Asian-American students have to score 140 pointshigher than Whites in their SATS in order to qualify for

some elite universities. Their numbers are capped atmany. Is this reverse discrimination?

FROM “IMMIGRANTS WHO TAKE JOBS”TO “THOSE WHO MAKE THEM” – What a differ-ence 10 years makes. In 2003, the shock of 9/11 morphedinto phobia about national security. The Department of HomelandSecurity was created and the INS was re-created to include two new divi-sions: Immigration and Citizenship SERVICES and Immigration and CustomsENFORCEMENT (first agency ever to focus on internal enforcement of immigrationlaws). The first immigration bill passed that year required all colleges who hosted foreignstudents to implement an upgraded foreign student tracking service – SEVIS. At the same time,President Bush’s warm relations with Mexican President Fox cooled as new detention centers weredeveloped along the Mexican border and the deportation of ALL illegal border crossers (not just ABMs – AllBut Mexicans) was greatly expanded. In 2007, a comprehensive immigration bill written in the Bush White Houseby Democrat Ted Kennedy was defeated. In 2008, a stand-alone DREAM Act failed to reach cloture. Only PresidentObama’s executive action granting prosecutorial discretion for some individual illegal immigrants counteracted the increasingnumber of deportations in 2011-12. What may 2013 bring? The focus seems to have changed from “immigrants who take Americanjobs” to “immigrants who create jobs for Americans.” That indicates opening more visa doors to highly educated and investor immigrants.

DEMOCRATS RELATE TO ID GROUPS; REPUBLICANS, TO STATES – During the nomination conventions last summer, key differences betweenthe two parties could be observed. The Republicans each day met mainly in their state caucuses or around common state interests. TheDemocrats, on the other hand, met each day in identity group caucuses: the Black caucus, the Latino caucus, the women’s caucus, the gaycaucus, etc. Both conventions featured impressive new and outstanding Latino keynote speakers. But the Republican Latinos did not “run”as Latinos – they talked about their success in business and education and the American Dream. The Democratic Latinos, on the other hand,always mentioned the DREAM Act and immigration as if it was only about Latinos. The Democrats seemed to regard each identity group asbeing monolithic, with beliefs that defined Democrats such as: abortion rights equals Dem women’s vote; legalization of all illegal immi-grants equals Latino vote, etc. As a lifelong Democrat, I found myself wondering if the party is having a wee problem with diversity.

Margaret (Peggy Sands) Orchowski was a reporter for AP South America and for the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She earned a doctor-ate in international educational administration from the University of California-Santa Barbara. She lives in Washington, D.C., where she was aneditor at Congressional Quarterly and now is a freelance journalist and columnist covering Congress and higher education.

UNCENSORED

UNCENSORED

Targeting Male Student Success atEastern Connecticut State and NVCCby Antony Wormack and Estela López

Inspite of the increases of Latino enrollment in higher education,male student participation is still lagging behind. Hispanic femaleenrollment increased by 510 percent from 1976 to 2004 com-

pared to 225 percent for males during those years.The gap in Hispanic participation begins early on, when many male

Latino students do not even complete high school. For those that go on tocollege, retention and completion are still challenges. Students of color aredisproportionately first-generation college students who often do not havethe economic and academic advantages of their White peers and are thus

more vulnerable to economic conditions and other barriers that impedeacademic achievement. Low-income male students are more likely to workfull time during college. This places them at a disadvantage; researchshows that working more than 20 hours per week is detrimental to studentacademic performance.

High dropout rates in college are also linked to inferior K-12 prepara-tion and an absence of a family college tradition, conditions that apply to alarge percentage of today’s college-bound African-Americans and Latinos.Equally important considerations are household income and the availabili-ty of financial aid. According to a study by Nellie Mae, the largest nonprofit

provider of federal and private education loan funds in the country, 69 per-cent of African-Americans who enrolled in college but did not finish saidthat they left college because of high student loan debt, as opposed to 43percent of White students who cited the same reason. Cultural and familyissues also are a significant factor, including familismo, the strong senseof responsibility towards family that drives many young men to seek jobs tosupport their families.

In Connecticut, 20 percent of Latino adults (ages 25 to 64) have earnedan associate degree or higher compared to 46 percent for all adults in the

state. Data is not disaggregated by gender, but we know that the dropoutrate for males is higher. That is why two Connecticut institutions of highereducation are trying to reverse this trend by targeting programs thatengage male students, including Latinos, in ways that promote their persis-tence and success.

Two universities – Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC)and Eastern Connecticut State University – have used proactive strate-gies to narrow their Hispanic graduation-rate gaps and promoteequally strong results for students of all ethnic backgrounds. Thosestrategies include:

RACE/GENDER ISSUES


The Male Encouragement Network is a support network group for

all male students at Naugatuck Valley Community College.

Committed leadership. Strong leadership from the president andother high-level administrators to ensure student success and to create acampus culture in which all faculty and staff take responsibility for helpingstudents succeed.Intentional recruiting. With clear intentionality, these institutions

recruit Hispanic students from local, predominately Latino areas in orderto foster a diverse student body that is representative of their communities.Early intervention. NVCC has identified leading indicators of success

and red flags to track student progress. These indicators then trigger anumber of support mechanisms when the data show that students arefalling behind. For example, the institution found that students who have ahistory of dropping one or two classes each semester are highly likely toquit school. This information is used tonotify faculty and advisers and encour-ages them to intervene. Meanwhile,Eastern Connecticut State Universityidentifies struggling students early.Three weeks into the first semester offreshman year – around the time of thefirst exam – professors send progressreports to students’ advisers. The advis-ers then reach out to students whocould benefit from academic supportservices such as tutoring or visits to thewriting center.Targeted initiatives. Both institu-

tions have created student-centered ini-tiatives that promote in male students asense of belonging.

One such initiative is Men AchievingLeadership, Excellence and Success(M.A.L.E.S.), which was founded atEastern Connecticut State University in1997. This student organization aspiresto enhance the image, leadership quali-ties and communication skills of col-lege men. Students who join the organi-zation pledge to be honest and loyal,and to hold themselves accountable fortheir actions. They are also expected toearn the respect of others.

Working with advisors, students areexposed to leadership opportunitiesthrough workshops and team-buildingactivities, including an annual planningretreat. Speakers from the communityand the business sector who serve as role models are also invited to sharetheir experiences with the students. Other role-modeling opportunities areprovided through “shadowing” and observations.

Community service is another important component of the club.Members serve as tutors of at-risk students in a nearby school. They alsoparticipate in initiatives such as Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers and BigSisters, and Red Cross blood drives. Community service activities allowmembers to become role models themselves to younger students and othermales in the surrounding community.

Career preparation is another important priority of the organization.Members receive training in résumé writing, applying and interviewing forjobs, and even dressing for success. Members are expected to attend meet-ings wearing shirts and ties. Direct career counseling is also made avail-able to them.

During their annual planning session, members determine the activi-ties they want to pursue that year. By designing several of the leadershipexperiences they will be exposed to, students get directly involved in theircollege experience. According to Walter Díaz, dean of students at Easternand one of the organization’s advisors, “this increased connection withthe college experience results in higher retention and completion ratesfor these students.”

M.A.L.E.S. has a membership thatfluctuates between 40 to 50 students.About a quarter of the members areHispanics, including this year’s presi-dent, Todd Aviles. Each year, new mem-bers are recruited by their peers fromthe entering class during orientation.The organization also participates in aclub fair and organizes an annual ban-quet. In 2010, M.A.L.E.S. was recog-nized as Club of the Year at Eastern.

A number of M.A.L.E.S. alumni arenow pursuing graduate education ininstitutions such as the University ofMaryland, New York University,University of South Florida, among oth-ers. Other alumni are working at col-leges and universities, includingEastern and the University ofMassachusetts-Lowell.

Eastern Connecticut State Universitywas recently ranked No. 1 in the nationfor improving its six-year graduationrates of Hispanic students. Eastern’s57.8 percent graduation rate forHispanic students is actually aboveEastern’s overall graduation rate of52.4 percent for the entire enteringclass of 2004. Eastern’s success is dueto a number of strategies likeM.A.L.E.S. that are designed to impactdifferent sectors of their student bodyand increase its involvement with thecollege experience.

Similarly, another initiative, the Male Encouragement Network(M.E.N.), is a support network group for all male students at NVCC. Thisgroup was started a couple of years ago with external funding and fullcommunity support in response to the ever-decreasing retention ratesamongst male students. The intent of the Male Encouragement Network isto promote student leadership and success.

M.E.N. provides a safe and comfortable environment for students tohave free and open discussions about issues that affect them as males. The25-member group is diverse; however, the majority of the men are African-


Walter Díaz, dean of students at Eastern Connecticut State Universityand M.A.L.E.S. advisor

American and Latino. These young men have often faced unique challengesand difficulties.

Members are active and engaged fully in the group and in the activitiesit offers. For example, during the first year the organization was started,members themselves selected to name the organization MaleEncouragement Network and use the acronym M.E.N.

Over the past few years, the M.E.N. group has been fortunate to featureseveral guest speakers who have important connections to the city ofWaterbury, where NVCC is located. These speakers have shared their ownindividual struggles and how through perseverance and hard work theywere able overcome those challenges. These are extremely successful indi-viduals in their respective fields and are therefore exceptional role modelsfor the students. These sessions also provide an opportunity for the mem-bers of the group to hear about the different paths that these men havechosen, as they relay their journey in the pursuit of success.

After meeting with the M.E.N. network, NBA basketball player RyanGomes offered to fund a scholarship for a qualifying student and asked themembers of M.E.N. to identify the selection criteria. The GomesFoundation, Hoops for Heart Health, also donated to the college two defib-rillators and appropriate training for their usage.

Other topics for group discussion are men’s health issues; how to cre-ate a résumé and work portfolio; and how to use their individual experi-ences at NVCC to help them guide their future decisions regarding educa-tion and workplace development.

The M.E.N. group also plans both on- and off-campus events regularly.They have volunteered to clean and paint a middle school in Waterbury

and performed other community service activities. The Bridge to CollegeOffice, where M.E.N. is officially housed, works in close collaboration withfaculty and the Center for Academic Planning and Student Success to createadditional academic programming. This cross-campus collaboration iscentral to positively impacting students holistically.

NVCC is committed to improving male student retention and gradua-tion rates and will continue to offer orientation and retention programsto help these students adapt to the culture of a college campus. In addi-tion to creating M.E.N, another successful intervention includes usingupperclassmen to mentor male first-year students. By creating a welcom-ing environment, the college has already seen an 8 percent increase inLatino student enrollment and is now considered an “emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution.”

As Víctor Sáenz and Luis Ponjuan have indicated through their researchon this topic, institutions need to be intentional about creating support net-works and using research-based practices to reach out to these students.Both Eastern Connecticut State University and Naugautuck ValleyCommunity College recognize that male student success is central to theirretention work. Both institutions proactively reach out to these students byproviding them with role models, leadership activities and strong bondingopportunities with faculty, staff and members of the community throughouttheir college experience.


MCC, a dynamic institution with state-of-the-art facilities, outstanding educational programs, and astrong commitment to diversity, is seeking candidates to fill an anticipated opening for:

Chief Academic OfficerFor a copy of the vacancy announcement, including minimum qualifications and application deadline,please visit our Web site at www.mcc.commnet.edu, or call (860) 512-3610. Please send letter ofintent, resume, transcripts, email address and the names of three references to: Deborah A. Wilson,Director of Human Resources; Manchester Community College; Great Path; P.O. Box 1046,Manchester, CT 06045-1046

EOE/AA/M/F


Thefunny thing about writing isthat some students take to itlike a duck takes to water.

It’s effortless for them, as easy as having aconversation with someone. Sadly, formany students, writing is a chore. It takeson the aura of expressing themselves in aforeign language. It has nothing to do withhow intelligent a student is. Writing is aspecial art that needs to be taught if it doesnot come naturally to an individual stu-dent. Real World Writing for SecondaryStudents keeps it real for students as theyapproach one of the most difficult tasks insecuring a place in the institution of highereducation of their choice.

College admission essays – that phrase is as scary to potential collegestudents as the phrase “some assembly required” is to bewildered parentspurchasing a birthday or Christmas present for their child. College appli-cations are complicated, but possible to complete without much ado, untilthe applicant reaches the last page and sees the word “essay” on a blankcanvas. Suddenly, bright and articulate students are lost for words.

The authors of these books recognize that one of the most importantplatforms that can be used to make a successful transition from high schoolto college is to teach real-world, gate-opening writing genres. And writing agreat college admission essay can be the difference between being acceptedor rejected at any given school. This book describes a writing workshop forethnically and linguistically diverse high school students where studentsreceive instruction on specific features of the college admission essay.

The authors have stepped in to lend a hand to students, but also to highschool English teachers who can make sure that their students have the toolsto ace the admission essay. They present both the theoretical grounding andthe concrete strategies teachers look for, including an outline of specificworkshop lessons, teaching calendars and curricular suggestions. This textencourages secondary teachers to think of writing as a vital tool for all stu-dents to succeed academically and professionally. Writing skills can beapplied long after the college application is mailed. Teachers can impressupon students that great real-life writing skills can enhance a career, resultin greater customer service satisfaction and enrich personal relationships.

This book can be used to create courses and teacher professionaldevelopment. It concentrates on the ways in which writing can best servemarginalized students, examines research-based curricular and teachingapproaches for the secondary school classroom, provides a writingworkshop framework that includes lesson-planning materials,activities, handouts and bibliographic resources. It alsoincludes student perspectives and work samples,offering insight into the lives and concerns ofdiverse adolescents who find writing a struggle.

Reviewed by Mary Ann Cooper

Real World Writing for Secondary Students:Teaching the College Admission Essay andOther Gate-Openers for Higher Educationby Jessica Singer Early and Meredith DeCosta2012. 144 pgs. ISBN: 978-0807753866. $28.95 paper. TeachersCollege Press, Williston, VT. 1-800-575-6566.

IInntteerreessttiinngg RReeaaddss

Almost HomeBy H.B. Cavalcanti

In Almost Home, H. B. Cavalcanti, a Brazilian-bornscholar who has spent three decades working and living inthe United States, reflects on his life as an immigrant andplaces his story within the context of the larger history ofimmigration. With its blend of personal anecdotes andscholarly information, Almost Home addresses both indi-

vidual and policy-related issues to provide a moving portrait of theimpact of the immigrant experience. He also touches on many of the fac-tors that contribute to migration in both the “sending” and “receiving”countries.

2012. 208 pgs. ISBN: 978-0299288945. $29.95 paper. University ofWisconsin Press, (608) 263-1110. www.Uwpress.wisc.edu.

Feminist Agendas and Democracy in Latin AmericaEdited by Jane S. Jaquette

Latin American women’s movements played importantroles in the democratic transitions in South America duringthe 1980s and in Central America during the 1990s. Thistimely collection examines how women’s movements haveresponded to the dramatic political, economic and socialchanges of the last 20 years. In these essays, leading schol-

ar-activists focus on the various strategies women’s movements haveadopted and assess their successes and failures. The author provides thehistorical and political context of women’s movement activism in herintroduction.

2009. 272 pgs. ISBN: 978-0822344490. $23.95 paper. DukeUniversity Press Books, (919) 688-5134. www.dukeupress.edu.

On the Edge of Purgatory: An Archaeology of Place inHispanic Colorado

By Bonnie J. Clark

Southeastern Colorado was known as the northernmostboundary of New Spain in the 16th century. By the late1800s, the region was U.S. territory, but the majority of set-tlers remained Hispanic families. Today their descendantscompose a vocal part of the Hispanic population ofColorado. Combining archaeological research, contempo-

rary ethnography and oral and documentary history, the author examinesthe everyday lives of this population over time. This study complicates andenriches our understanding of the role of Hispanic populations in the West.

2012. 176 pgs. ISBN: 978-0803213722. $45.00 cloth. University ofNebraska Press, (800) 755-1105. www.unp.unl.edu.

Julian Alcazar:A Rising Star in

the Federal

Government and

Nonprofit Worldby Jamaal Abdul-Alim

ForJulian Alcazar, the journey from a small city in SouthernCalifornia to the White House and corporate buildings beganwhen his mother did something simple yet profound once he

graduated from high school. Although Alcazar thought he would just get ajob at a bank to help out with the bills, Rosa Alcazar, a casino housekeep-er, had something else in mind.

“My mom just said, ‘Come with me,’” Alcazar, 24, recalled during arecent interview at a café near his job as a program analyst at the U.S.Department of Education headquarters in the nation’s capital.

“I didn’t know where we were going,” Alcazar continued. “We went tothe community college. She’s the one who signed me up. She’s the one whotook me and was like over my shoulder making sure I did it.”

Alcazar says his mother got the idea to sign him up for Mt. San JacintoCommunity College after seeing a commercial for the school on the localpublic access channel in Hemet, Calif.

By taking that simple step, Ms. Alcazar, an immigrant from Mexico, setin motion a process wherein her son eventually landed the prestigiouspositions he currently holds.

In addition to working as a management and program analyst for theTransition to Teaching Program housed within the U.S. Department ofEducation’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, Alcazar also serves associal media strategist for the White House Initiative on EducationalExcellence for Hispanics.

But it is through a third job that Alcazar is currently doing some of hismost important work in trying to improve educational and career out-comes for Hispanic youth.

That job is as a chief technology office fellow for the Latinos on FastTrack (LOFT) program that seeks to provide internship opportunities forHispanic youth. The LOFT program is overseen by the Hispanic HeritageFoundation, a White House-created nonprofit that seeks to cultivate Latino

leaders through a series of youth-led initiatives.“As a youth-led leadership organization, at the Hispanic Heritage

Foundation our motto is ‘to help a Latino help hundreds more’through our programs,” said Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO atthe foundation.

“Julian has been an embodiment of that mission and has leveraged ourLatinos on Fast Track program to engage countless Latino youth all overthe country and prepare them for leadership, community service, educa-tional success and the work force,” Tijerino said. “Mostly, he’s a rolemodel and understands his responsibility as a role model.”

Alcazar’s colleagues have similar commendations.“I would say he makes things happen,” said Jessica Barajas, manager

of the LOFT program. “He’s very inspiring and motivates our young toengage in positive activities in our communities.”

PROFILES


Alcazar oversees the

Education Department’s

Transition to Teaching program,

which helps certify recent

college graduates and career-

changers as teachers in high-

needs schools.

If Alcazar’s journey from his native Compton, Calif., to the White Houserepresents a success story, that success is owed not only to his mother butto the different mentors and Hispanic leaders in American academe that heencountered at various stages of his college life.

For instance, Alcazar’s postsecondary experience could have easilyended at Mt. San Jacinto Community College, where it often does for manystudents.

According to a federal database, the overall graduation and transfer-outrates at Mt. San Jacinto are 25 percent and 22 percent, respectively. Thegraduation rate is 26 percent for Hispanic students.

Alcazar is one of the few who defied the odds. After he completed anassociate degree in math and science at Mt. San Jacinto, he went on totransfer to California State University-San Bernardino – something he sayswould not have happened without the help of others.

“I had a couple of mentors that really supported me,” Alcazar said.“They were the ones that encouraged me to go on and get a four-yeareducation. They helped me navigate the community college and four-yearsystem.”

Alcazar said a partnership the community college had established withCalifornia State University (CSU) made it easy for him to transfer there.

Once at CSU, Alcazar met education professor Enrique G. Murillo Jr.“We met, and he shot me a very important question: ‘What’s something

you want to accomplish?’” Alcazar recalled. “I told him I want to have anevent one day where it solely focuses on Latinos and education.

“He said go by his office that Monday, and I did. He had already had ateam assembled. He was already planning something about it. It was just acoincidence that I wanted to do something.

“That Monday, I stepped in. He said, ‘You’re going to be a new additionto the team.’”

One of Alcazar’s first tasks was to help bring Juan Sepúlveda, executivedirector of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence forHispanics, to serve as a guest speaker at Latino Education & Advocacy Day,or LEAD, at CSU.

“Through that, Juan and I developed a cool friendship,” Alcazar said.Alcazar met him again when Sepúlveda served as keynote speaker at

Alcazar’s graduation in 2010.“He came to my graduation dinner,” Alcazar recalled. “That’s where he

said, ‘I really like what you did with LEAD day. I could use your talents.How would you like to come to D.C. and work for me?’”

“Thankfully, my mom was next to me. She was the one who said, ‘Yes,’”Alcazar recalled, saying he was “frozen” and thinking to himself, “Did hejust offer me an opportunity?”

“My mother said if an opportunity comes, you take it,” Alcazarrecalled. “You figure out the rest later.”

Once at the White House, Alcazar met Tijerino, of the Hispanic HeritageFoundation (HHF), and got involved with the foundation’s LOFT program.

The LOFT program is “focused on providing the public and private sec-tor work force with vetted, well-rounded, top, emerging Latino profession-als to move America forward,” the HHF website states.

“Over the years, we have engaged more than 75,000 Latino studentsand young professionals, we have trained over 10,000, and we haveplaced nearly a thousand in internships, fellowships, mentorships andfull-time positions,” Tijerino said. “An example is with ExxonMobil wehave placed 100 engineering majors in a fellowship which matches theyoung leaders with experienced engineers who are part of the

ExxonMobil Latino network.“ExxonMobil has hired a good percentage through the program.

Everything we do is a continuum which engages, connects, preparesand positions Latinos for leadership in the classroom, community andwork force.”

Other LOFT activities include leadership training, mentoring, careerpath inspiration and awareness through summits, boot camps, symposia.

“And the way that we are achieving this is through partnerships withuniversities that give us the space to actually host the events, and thenrecruit youth to come in and witness what’s happening,” Alcazar said.

Among other things, Alcazar says, the program has placed hundreds ofstudents in internships in D.C., including at the White House.

“Just this past year, we had 12 different LOFT Institute students internfor the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

“No task was too big, and no task was too small,” Alcazar said of thework the LOFT interns did at the White House, which ranged from copyingpaper to data analysis.

“It was thanks to the relationship that we already had there, and therapport,” Alcazar said. “We had a track record.”

Alcazar says the LOFT program’s network makes it easy for youngHispanic students to seek out others who can help them achieve theircareer goals.

“You feel comfortable enough to say: ‘I’m so-and-so sophomore at thiscollege, can you help me navigate to become a foreign officer?’” Alcazarexplained of how the network operates.

Youths are placed in positions in government as well as corporationswhere “thanks to the relationships we had established already through theHispanic Heritage Foundation, it gives us a slight crack in the door.”

“We’re creating opportunities for those students so that when theycome out of college, they don’t come out of college saying, ‘Oh, what do Ido now?’” Alcazar said. “They’re not looking for an internship or knockingon someone’s door because they’ve already had those opportunities.”

One such opportunity is at ExxonMobil, where Alcazar is overseeing aLOFT-run fellowship program for students who will be teamed up withsenior leaders at the firm.

Helping to run major programs is becoming par for the course forAlcazar. At the U.S. Department of Education, for instance, he helps over-see the multimillion-dollar Transition to Teaching program, which helpscertify recent college graduates and career-changers as teachers in high-needs schools in an accelerated fashion.

“I make sure that grantees are using government funds appropriatelyand they’re serving the participants and the students to the best of theirpotential,” Alcazar explained.

Alcazar sees his work as part of the Obama administration’s overallgoal of making the United States the most college-educated nation in theworld by 2020.

“The Latino community is crucial to the 2020 goal,” Alcazar said,“given that one out of every five students is Latino.”

At the same time, Alcazar knows the work ahead entails work beyondthe year 2020.

“Our work is never truly finished,” Alcazar said. Asked what else liesahead, Alcazar replied, “Empowering the Latino community to become thechange needed to help our population reach a new level of success.”


Producing a New Breed of Teacherby Frank DiMaria

Exceptional math and science teachers are hard to find, especially inrough urban neighborhoods and rural America. The fact is that many ofAmerica’s neediest high school students are taught by individuals who,

although well-intentioned, are unqualified to teach math or science. As manyas one-third of American students in high-need schools have at least one ormore teachers without even a minor in the subjects they are teaching.

While high-need high schools have difficulty attracting qualified mathand science teachers, the U.S. Department of Commerce predicts thatSTEM (science, technology, engineering and math) career fields will expe-rience a 17 percent growth by 2018, nearly double that of other careerchoices. And the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that STEM jobswill grow about 22 percent from 2004 to 2014, requiring nearly two mil-lion new STEM professionals to fill job vacancies. The reality is America’shigh schools must start attracting exceptional STEM teachers, and highschools in America’s urban centers and in its rural communities mustwork even harder than ever to fill these voids.

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF) hasbeen building coalitions at the state level that prepare the nation’s bestminds to meet its most important challenges. Today these coalitions focuson filling America’s classrooms with passionate, dedicated STEM teachers.

WWNFF recruits high-visibility individuals to become STEM teachers inhigh-need schools. Woodrow Wilson Fellows enroll in a one-year master’sdegree program at a participating university and an undergraduate pro-gram in a STEM discipline. Fellows can be fresh out of college or they canbe career changers – 60 percent are the latter. Those who complete theprogram agree to teach in state at high-need schools for a minimum ofthree years. “But we hope it will be their career,” says Arthur Levine, Ph.D.,president at the foundation.

One fellowship in particular is geared specifically to Hispanics. It’scalled the Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color, and it is made possi-ble by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Its mission is to train people of colorto be teachers in all fields, not just STEM, for the nation’s high-need highschools. Current trends indicate that by 2020 the percentage of teachers ofcolor will fall to an all-time low of 5 percent of the total teacher force,while the percentage of students of color in the system will likely exceed50 percent. Since research shows that students of color perform better –academically, personally and socially – when they are taught by teachersfrom their own ethnic groups, the goal of the fellowship is to help recruit,support and retain individuals of color as K-12 public school teachers inthe United States.

Each year, Audra Watson, the director of the program, receives 50applications from the nominating institutions. Nominees go through a rig-orous selection process that involves an interview. In the end, 25 fellowsare selected. Unlike other fellowships at WWNFF, fellows in the AspiringTeachers of Color Fellowship can study any subject and can do their fel-lowship in any of the 50 states. The fellows enroll in a one- to two-year

master’s program. “It’s in their DNA to be teachers,” Watson says of the fel-lows who have gone through the program.

One of the foundation’s most difficult tasks, however, is recruitingHispanics into the STEM majors. Although Hispanic students have beenshown to be equally likely as White students to enroll as STEM majors, theyare significantly less likely to earn a degree or certificate. According todata from the Higher Education Research Institute from 2010, only 16 per-cent of Hispanic students who began college in 2004 as STEM majors com-pleted a STEM degree by 2009 compared to 25 percent of White students.

WWNFF employs a number of strategies to make STEM fields, and thustheir fellowships, attractive to Hispanics. It uses every organization imagin-able that involves professional associations, says Levine. The foundationmaintains a presence at those schools considered Hispanic-ServingInstitutions, and it works with professors to identify Hispanic students whomay be interested in its fellowships. But these strategies don’t always work.About 25 percent of the foundation’s teachers in any given year are peopleof color with less than 10 percent being Hispanic. “We’re working with asmall pool that gets even smaller as we look towards STEM,” says Levine.

Currently, WWNFF has coalitions in four states: Ohio, Indiana, NewJersey and Michigan. But Levine is looking at others. To build these coali-tions, the foundation first pitches the idea to a state’s governor. Governorswho are interested put the foundation in touch with the state’s chief schoolofficer, the state’s chief higher education officer, legislators on both sidesof the aisle, university presidents, school districts, union members and thephilanthropists needed to fund the foundation.

Before a university can participate in WWNFF, Levine and his staff care-fully vet the school. When a university passes muster, it has to eliminate itsexisting STEM teacher education program and replace it with one that iscritically based and focuses on outcomes. Schools must comply in 18 to 21months. The new program must be co-constructed with a targeted schooldistrict that brings together arts, sciences and education, and it must focuson content and pedagogy. The university must move the new teacher edu-cation program out of the university and into the school itself. “We’re look-ing for a marriage. We want a faculty that is composed of not just profes-sors but also expert teachers. Teachers will get three years of mentoringonce they enter the job and third-party evidence assessment,” says Levine.

One might think it’s difficult to convince a university to eliminate itsexisting STEM teacher education program and replace it with one yet to betested. But Levine makes a flattering pitch that entices even the most reluc-tant schools. “We tell them that we have chosen you because we think youhave the capacity to create the programs that don’t exist yet and are goingto be necessary for the 21st century. We want you to create a model for thestate and the nation, and we’ll shine a spotlight on you,” says Levine.

Beyond promising to shine a spotlight on its new STEM teacher educa-tion program, WWNFF pays the school $500,000 (a sum matched by theschool) and provides 15 to 20 scholarships per year at $39,000 each. To

ORGANIZATIONS/INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS


maintain high accountability, the university and the school district createbenchmarks. When they reach each one, WWNFF distributes the money tothe school’s provost, who acts as a fiscal agent. When the university success-fully implements the new program, it receives the money and the fellow-ships. “If a university does not put the program in place, we tell them, ‘Youpromised to do this, and you didn’t do it,’ and they get phone calls from thegovernor, the chief state school officer and the funder,” says Levine.

To date, 17 schools have revamped their STEM teacher education pro-grams in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Five schools in New Jersey are in theprocess. WWNFF is forcing colleges and universities to find alternatives totheir current STEM teacher education programs, and some are getting cre-ative. “We’ve had some universities that have created teacher educationprograms that are so far out of the box it’s amazing,” says Levine. Others,he says, although not as creative,have substantially improved upontheir old programs.

WWNFF’s new teacher educationprograms are designed to produce anew breed of teacher, one equippedto teach in the 21st century. Today’steachers are dealing with a newAmerican demographic. High schoolstudents differ by race, numbers,nativity and learning disabilities.America’s population is shifting geo-graphically from the Northeast andMidwest to the Sun Belt. “We’ve seena reshuffling of the population fromthe inner city to suburbs and fromrural areas to suburbs,” says Levine.In the 1970s and 1980s, the majori-ty of Americans lived in urban areas.But in the 1990s, Americans beganmoving from the cities to the sub-urbs, changing the populations ininner cities. Today inner cities com-prise the poor, the isolated, peopleof color and those who have notexcelled in school.

As in past generations, the econ-omy is playing a key role in shapingtoday’s high school teacher educa-tion programs. There’s no longerany room in today’s economy, saysLevine, for high school dropouts.Few dropouts will find jobs withsalaries that can support a family.“We’re preparing people for a dif-ferent kind of economy,” saysLevine. The bottom line is thatAmericans need more education and higher skills for today’s jobs. “Theconsequence is that we are being asked to take the entire demographicthat exists, graduate all of them and bring them to the highest level in his-tory,” says Levine.

In addition to a changing American demographic and economy, the21st-century teacher is teaching at a time when the nation is transitioningfrom a national analog industrial economy to a global digital informationeconomy. Industrial economies value a repetitive process for all people –like an assembly line. America’s schools are essentially assembly lines, saysLevine. In contrast, the information economy cares only about outcomesand results, not the means to the end. This shift has caused a profoundphilosophical change in education. In the 21st century, Levine says, thefocus is not on teaching but on learning, the end result. “It is no longer

important that students have [a certain amount of seat time] being taughtat. What becomes most important now is that students have actuallylearned and mastered the material. It’s a very different expectation on thepart of teachers,” says Levine.

As states focus only on outcomes through their standards, they needdevices in place to determine if students are progressing. Students nolonger compete against their classmates for jobs; they compete globally.“Competition changes; the curriculum changes – it’s now a global curricu-lum; people in the classroom change. We need teachers with the capacityto change what happens in the classroom with a new set of skills to moveall students forward and bring learning to the highest level in history – thatdoesn’t seem like a lot,” Levine says with a chuckle.

A daunting task to say the least. But Levine refuses to shrink from thechallenge because, he says, thefoundation gets its strength throughthe coalitions it builds. All too often,new education initiatives that are notbacked by coalitions fall apartbefore they can make a real differ-ence. They fail, most often, becauseindividuals associated with themmove on to new jobs. It’s likely if thechief state school officer gets a newjob and a couple school districts getcold feet, the whole thing falls apart,says Levine. The coalitions that theWWNFF builds offer continuity. “Inour coalitions, if somebody leaves,we simply replace them; they alldon’t leave the same day. If the stategets a new chief state school officer,we invite the new chief state schoolofficer into the coalition,” saysLevine.

In Indiana, the coalition lost itsgovernor, the chief state school offi-cer, higher education executive offi-cer, president of two of its four insti-tutions and several deans. The pro-gram, however, is stronger than it’sever been.

Coalitions also make it easier forstakeholders to decide on a specificcourse of action and to implementit. For example, says Levine, oneuniversity had an innovative pro-gram but could not launch itbecause the state would not allow itto. “But the chief state school officerwas at the table and said, ‘Yes we

will,’” says Levine. And it was done.High school students in rough urban neighborhoods and in rural

America know nothing about these coalitions; nor do they need to. Whatthey do know, however, is that because of the hard work of WWNFF theyhave teachers who are qualified and passionate. Thanks to WWNFF, moreand more students in high-need high schools are being educated by teach-ers who have been prepared in their schools and who have worked withstudents like them and know their content. WWNFF teachers care abouttheir students and are effective at educating them. “These are people whohave had a full year of being in a classroom, teaching in a classroom fourdays a week, five days a week in their second term whose course work hasbeen integrated. They have worked with strong teachers in developing theskills they have and have been mentored on the job,” says Levine.


Arthur Levine, Ph.D., president, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation


APA Journal of Latina/oPsychology Appoints Santiago-Rivera as Editor

Dr. Azara Santiago-Rivera of The ChicagoSchool of Professional Psychology (TCSPP), oneof the largest nonprofitgraduate schools devot-ed to psychology andthe behavioral sciences,has been named editorof the Journal ofLatina/o Psychology,published by theAmerican PsychologicalAssociation (APA).Additionally, Santiago-Rivera became directorof TCSPP’s new National Center for Researchand Practice, Latino Mental Health in January,as part of the institution’s commitment to theunderstanding, research and advocacy ofLatino communities. As a fellow of APA,Santiago-Rivera has 20 years of experience asa scholar and researcher in counseling psy-chology and Latino mental health, with previ-ous faculty positions at the University atAlbany, State University of New York, and theUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Conde Chosen as AAMA Chair-ElectEric H. Conde, associate dean for administra-

tive affairs at the University of Florida College ofMedicine-Jacksonville,has been elected chair-elect of the AmericanAcademy of MedicalAdministrators (AAMA)for 2013. Conde is inline to serve as chair-man of the board ofdirectors for 2014.Conde did his under-graduate work at Southern New HampshireUniversity and earned a Master of Science inAdministration with a major in health servicesadministration from Central MichiganUniversity. He is a fellow and a diplomate inHealthcare Administration of the AAMA, amember of the American College ofHealthcare Executives and the National Forumfor Latino Healthcare Executives.

Providence College Names ZapataChief Diversity Officer

Rafael Zapata has been hired as the firstassociate vice president/chief diversity officerat Providence College(R.I.). As chief diver-sity officer, Zapata willbe responsible forcreating and leadingthe college’s Office ofInstitutional Diversity(OID), which ischarged with promot-ing an institutionalculture that supports diversity in its manyforms. The OID also will act as the focal pointto coordinate new and existing diversity-relat-ed programs and initiatives. Prior to comingto Providence College, Zapata served as theassistant dean and director of theIntercultural Center at Swarthmore College.He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology fromIona College and a master’s degree in sociol-ogy from Arizona State University. He also hasdone doctoral work in sociology and urbanstudies at the University of Pennsylvania.

UTPA’s Villalobos RecognizedNationally for Excellence in STEMEd

Dr. Cristina Villalobos, associate professorof mathematics at the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA),recently was recog-nized as a HispanicEngineer NationalAchievement AwardsCorporation (HENAAC)Luminary for her con-tributions to science,technology, engineer-ing and math (STEM)education and promotion of STEM careers.Villalobos, who also directs UTPA’s Center forExcellence in STEM (C-STEM), was one ofonly 18 Hispanic professionals recognizednationwide and the only honoree from highereducation at HENAAC’s Great Minds in STEMEducation conference held in Lake BuenaVista, Fla. Villalobos has a BS in mathematicsfrom the University of Texas-Austin and amaster’s and doctorate from Rice University.

Bustamante Becomes Del MarCollege’s First Mexican-AmericanStudies Graduate

Marcos Daniel Bustamante recently madehistory as the first graduate of Del MarCollege’s (Texas) newMex ican-Amer icanstudies program,which was launched infall 2011. Bustamanteserved as a studentmember in the Del MarCollege chapter of theTexas Association ofChicanos in HigherEducation and received a scholarship fromthe chapter last year. A 2009 high school grad-uate, Bustamante originally studied as an engi-neering major at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Presently, he is a Mexican-Americanstudies major at the University of Texas-SanAntonio (UTSA). Following graduation fromUTSA, Bustamante plans to go to law school.

HHIISSPPAANNIICCSS OONN TTHHEE MMOOVVEEHHIISSPPAANNIICCSS OONN TTHHEE MMOOVVEE

The College of Social & Behavioral Sciences has facultyopenings in several areas. The college is comprised ofthe following departments and academic units:

Applied Indigenous StudiesAnthropology

School of CommunicationCivil Service Institute

Community, Culture & EnvironmentCriminology & Criminal Justice

Ethnic StudiesInstitute for Human Development

Geography, Planning and RecreationMA in Sustainable CommunitiesPolitics & International Affairs

PsychologySociology & Social Work

Women’s and Gender Studies

Northern Arizona University is a 25,000-studentinstitution with its main campus in Flagstaff, a four-season community of about 65,000 at the base of themajestic San Francisco Peaks. NAU’s emphasis onundergraduate education is enhanced by its graduateprograms and research as well as distance learning. Allfaculty members are expected to promote studentlearning and help students achieve academic outcomes.The university is committed to a diverse and civilworking and learning environment.

Not all departments have openings. For more informationon openings, please visit the following websites:

http://nau.edu/sbs/http://hr.nau.edu/node/2620


TheUniversity of South Florida System is a high-impact,global research system dedicated to student success. TheUSF System includes three institutions: USF Tampa;

USF St. Petersburg; and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The institutions areseparately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the SouthernAssociation of Colleges and Schools. All institutions have distinct missionsand strategic plans. Serving more than 47,000 students, the USF System hasan annual budget of $1.5 billion and an annual economic impact of $3.7billion. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.

Administrative and Executive Positions:Director of Development (Advancement)

Sr. Director of Development-COB (Advancement)Director of Quality Enhancement-Academic Success (St. Petersburg Campus)Sr. Director Academic Learning Design & Technology (University College)

Regional Chancellor (St. Petersburg Campus)

Faculty Positions:College of Arts and Sciences College of EducationAssistant Professor (8) Assistant/AssociateProfessor (1)Assistant/Associate Professor (3) Assistant Professor (1)Assistant/Associate/Full Professor (2) Dean (1)Associate Professor/Professor (1)

College of Business College of EngineeringAssistant Professor (3) Open Rank (Full Professor) (4)Associate/Full Professor (2) Assistant Professor (3)Assistant/Associate Professor (2) Open Rank (Full/Associate/Assistant) (2)

College of Arts St. Petersburg CampusAssistant Professor (2) Assistant Professor (3)Director & Professor (1) Assistant/AssociateProfessor (1)

College of Public Health Sarasota CampusAssistant Professor (2) Assistant Professor (2)Assistant/Associate Professor (1)

College of Medicine College of NursingAssistant/Associate Professor (8) Nursing Faculty (2)Assistant Professor (11) Assistant/AssociateProfessor (1)Assistant/Associate/Full Professor (4)

Mental Health Law & Policy Coll. of Behavioral and Comm. SciencesAssistant Professor (2) Professor (1)Professor (1) Assistant Professor (2)

Associate/Full Professor (1)

Behavioral SciencesAssistant Professor (1)Associate Professor/Full Professor (1)

For a job description on the above listed positions including department,disciple and deadline dates: (1) visit our Careers@USF Web site athttps://employment.usf.edu/applicants/ jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp; or(2) contact TheOffice of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, (813) 974-4373; or(3) callUSF job line at 813.974.2879.

USF is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution,committed to excellence through diversity in education and employment.

www.usf.edu • 4202 E. Fowler Ave,Tampa, FL 33620

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Tennessee Tech University (TTU), the state’s technological university, invitesnominations and applications for the position of Provost and Vice President forAcademic Affairs. Tennessee Tech is a comprehensive university with an enrollment ofmore than 11,500 students and offers more than 43 bachelor’s and 20 graduate degreeprograms within six academic divisions: Agricultural and Human Sciences, Arts andSciences, Business, Education, Engineering, and Interdisciplinary Studies andExtended Programs/Regional Development. US News & World Report most recentlychose TTU as one of the Top 15 Public Regional Universities in the South according tothe 2012 report. The University has been chosen as a “Best Southeastern College” byThe Princeton Review for several years. Tennessee Technological University is amember of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee and isgoverned by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

The University is committed to the life-long success of students in its undergraduate,master’s, specialist, and doctoral degree granting programs through high-qualityinstruction and learning experiences. The University is engaged in scholarly activity,especially basic and applied research, creative endeavors, and public service, withspecial emphasis on community and economic development.

The Provost and Vice President is the chief academic officer, reports directly to thePresident, and serves as the chief executive office in the absence of the President.Working with the President and the President’s Cabinet, the Provost will lead universityefforts to improve undergraduate student experiences, transform technology, createdistinctive programs and invigorate faculty, and expand financial resources andmodernize infrastructure.

The required qualifications for the position are an earned doctorate from an accreditedcollege or university with accomplishment in teaching, research, and service thatsupports appointment as a full professor in one of the colleges; a proven track record ofnationally-recognized scholarly achievement; and demonstrated progressive leadershipresponsibilities at senior levels of administration. A list of the preferred qualificationscan be found in the position description at http://www.tntech.edu/provost/home/.

The Provost should have the ability to support the President in the implementation ofthe strategic plan and to develop and execute academic strategies. He/she should bringexperience in student success, have a deep commitment to diversity, and understandcurrent higher education issues, trends, and future directions.

The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

APPLICANT REVIEWConfidential applications and nominations will be accepted until the position is filled.Candidate screening will begin immediately. For best consideration, applications andnominations should be provided by March 12, 2013.

HOW TOAPPLYAcomplete application will include a letter describing relevant experiences and interest inthe position; current curriculum vitae; and the names of five references with titles, mailingaddresses, business/home telephone numbers, and email addresses. Individuals who wishto nominate a candidate should submit a letter of nomination, including the name, position,address, telephone number, and email address of the nominee. Greenwood/Asher &Associates, an executive search firm, is assisting Tennessee Tech in the search.

Applications and letters of nominations should be submitted to:Jan Greenwood or Betty Turner AsherGreenwood/Asher & Associates, Inc.42 Business Centre Drive, Suite 206Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

Phone: 850-650-2277 / Fax: 850-650-2272Email: [email protected]: [email protected]

For more information about Tennessee Tech University, please visithttp://www.tntech.edu/

Tennessee Tech University is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer


Anticipated Lecturer Positions2013-2014

Kean, a comprehensive New Jersey state university, iscommitted to excellence and access and to developing,maintaining and strengthening interactive ties with thecommunity. Kean University takes pride in itscontinuing effort to build a multicultural professionalcommunity to serve a richly diversified studentpopulation of almost 16,000.

A Lecturer is a ten-month, full-time employee whoteaches and provides student and learning supportservices during the assigned periods. The Lecturerholds a strong commitment to teaching; maintainsoffice and advising hours for students; activelyparticipates in the university community; and doesrelated work as required. This is a non-tenure trackposition that may be renewed on an annual basis.Teaching assignments and related responsibilities mayinclude day, evening, weekend and online courses.Interest or experience in using advanced instructionaltechnologies to improve the teaching/learning processis highly desirable. Courses may be taught at the Unioncampus and/or the Ocean County College campus inToms River, New Jersey or other locations. Positionsare effective September 1, 2013.

College of Business and Public ManagementSchool of Management, Marketing andInternational Business: Management

School of Criminal Justice and Public Administration:Criminal Justice

College of EducationDepartment of Special Education and Literacy:

Literacy Studies and College Developmental ReadingSchool for Global Education and Innovation:Teaching English as a Second LanguageSchool of Curriculum and Teaching:ESL and Bilingual Education, K-12

College of Natural, Applied and Health SciencesSchool of Natural Sciences (Two Positions): Biology

College of Humanities and Social SciencesDepartment of Communication (Three Positions):

Public Relations; Journalism; GeneralistSchool of General Studies (Three Positions):

English (Two Positions); Mathematics (One Position)School of Psychology (Two Positions)

College of Visual and Performing ArtsDepartment of Theatre: Scene Design

Robert Busch School of Design: Design Foundations

Nathan Weiss Graduate CollegeGraduate Social Work: MSW/Field Coordinator

Application Information for All Positions

For detailed job descriptions and application information,please visit: http://www.kean.edu/KU/Faculty-Positions.Review of applications will begin immediately andcontinue until appointment is made. Official transcriptsfor all degrees and three current letters ofrecommendation are required before appointment.

Kean University is an EOE/AA Institution

Five Concourse Parkway Suite 2900 Atlanta, GA 30328770.804.1996 parkersearch.com

Dean, College of Business

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is conducting a global search for its next Deanof the College of Business. The College is AACSB accredited in both business andaccounting. Texas A&M - Corpus Christi invites letters of nomination, applications(letter of interest, resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), orexpressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University.Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until theappointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications besubmitted prior to March 15, 2013. For a complete position description, please visit theCurrent Opportunities page at www.parkersearch.com.

Ryan Crawford, PrincipalParker Executive Search

[email protected]: 770-307-7031 | Fax: 770-804-1917

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is an equal opportunity employercommitted to Excellence.

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department iscurrently seeking highly motivated individuals to join ourteam. We offer great career advancement opportunities,highest quality training, and an excellent benefitspackage. Individuals will be trained and certified in bothfire suppression and emergency medical services. Comefor the experience, stay for a career with one of the finestFire Departments nationwide.

Firefighter/EMT: $50,942Firefighter/Paramedic: $50,942 *after 9 months $56,163(Must already be NREMT-P or NREMT-I or VA Statecertification as an EMT-P or EMT-I)

We are only accepting applications for the Firefighter/EMT position from March 2, 2013 thru the close ofbusiness on March 15, 2013. Visit our website atwww.fairfaxcounty.gov/fr/recruitment for directions onhow to complete the two step application process. WereALWAYS accepting applications for the Firefighter/Paramedic position.

Minimum Qualifications: Be 18 years or older, possessa High School Diploma or G.E.D, and have a validDriver’s License.

For more information or general inquiries, please visitour website or contact the Recruitment Section at (703)246-3939 and ask to speak to a recruiter.

Web: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fireEmail: [email protected]

Fairfax County is an Equal Opportunity/AffirmativeAction Employer, committed to workplace diversity.

Bring your expertise and passion for teaching to a greatcollege located in the cities of Plano, McKinney and Frisco,Texas. Join a college that values Learning, Service andInvolvement, Creativity and Innovation, AcademicExcellence, Dignity and Respect, and Integrity, along withoutstanding colleagues including three United StatesProfessors of the Year, a Texas Professor of the Year, twoFullbright Scholars, and five Minnie Stevens Piper winnersplus 1,000 additional outstanding dedicated professors.

We are currently seeking Full-time Professors for thefollowing anticipated positions to begin in the Fall of 2013:

For complete position descriptions and to apply online, visit http://jobs.collin.edu

Collin County Community College District is anequal opportunity employer and seeks

applications from all qualified candidatesregardless of race, color, sex, religion, age,national origin, disability or veteran status.

• English • Biology (Anatomy & Physiology) • Biology (Microbiology) • Nursing• Respiratory Care • Physical Education/Sports Medicine • Developmental Math• Math• Geology • Management• Engineering• Criminal Justice


Westchester Community College is committed to hiring innovative administrators,faculty members, and staff. Women, minorities and those dedicated to diversityand multiculturalism are strongly encouraged to apply. Full-time positions includeexcellent bene�ts. Hiring subject to availability of funds.

Administrators and Staff:•Accounting Control Specialist, Bursar’s Of�ce (Faculty Student Association)•Assistant Director/Program Specialist, English Language Institute•Assistant Director/Program Specialist, Ossining Extension Center•Director of Leadership Giving and Campaigns, Westchester Community CollegeFoundation

Part-time/Hourly Position:•Adjunct Counselor•Senior Technical Assistant, Sculpture/Ceramics (Center for the Arts, White Plains)

Adjunct Faculty:Summer and fall 2013 openings. Specify day/evening/weekend availability.

Credit adjuncts:(Masters and one-year related experience required unless otherwise indicatedon website): Accounting, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Computer InformationSystems, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Economics, Emergency Medical Services,Emergency Medical Technician (EOC, Yonkers), Finance (Personal Finance), FoodService Administration (Culinary Arts, Dietetics, Nutrition), Geography, Mathematics,and Nursing.

Non-Credit adjuncts (Bachelors required): Classes for lifelong learners mayinclude children, adults, and seniors in various locations with day, evening andweekend options. Also interested in candidates with ESL teaching experience orwith corporate training background, and ideas for new classes. Visit website forinformation. Submit proposals for new classes at www.sunywcc.edu/CE; for ESL,submit resume only to [email protected]; do not submit a resumewithout a class proposal.

For details, visit www.sunywcc.edu/jobs. Applications accepted untilpositions are �lled. Resumes to Human Resources, Westchester Community College,75 Grasslands Road, Valhalla, NY 10595; fax 914-606-7838; email Word documentsto [email protected]. Please indicate position of interest on envelope orin email “subject” �eld. AA/EOE.

WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Administrator, Staff &Faculty (Adjunct) Positions

H I S P A N I C O U T L O O K • 0 3 / 0 4 / 2 0 1 3

P.O. Box 68 Paramus, NJ 07652-0068

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man whocannot read.” – Mark Twain

I once asked a 16-year-old Latino client what he read.“Nothing,” he grunted back. “I hate reading. It’s boring.”“If I offered you a new truck, free, would you accept that?” I asked.“No, I don’t want a truck. But I would take a Maserati.”“Consider this,” I replied. “Reading is the set of keys to whatever you

want out there. If you can read, you can do anything.”He looked at me, eyebrow raised. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t

know.”Years later, the young man completed his GED. “I decided to go

ahead and read,” he smiled, diploma in hand.It is easy to be fooled into minimizing the importance of skilled read-

ing. We can justify it by claiming that anything can be found online, invideo or via some other media not requiring much reading. We know,though, that reading is fundamental. Even computer whizzes admit thatreading is essential.

What does it take to encourage young Latinos to read, read and readsome more?

First, let them choose. Young Latinos are accustomed to readingselections chosen for them. While a curriculum mandates assignedselections, a class that allows the student to choose some of what theyread will increase the chances that they will better understand the sub-ject at hand. Canterbury Tales may be classic literature by most stan-dards and pique the curiosity of many Hispanics, but Southwest litera-ture might hit closer to home for readers seeking to connect with thecontext and characters.

Adults need to assure that young Latino readers are enjoying materialat the level appropriate for their current skill – neither too hard nor tooeasy. Parents are wise to seek suggestions from teachers who know thestudent and children’s librarians informed about literature and collec-tions, both printed and digital. While adults can strengthen their rela-tionship with Hispanic students by offering a personal favorite from theirown youth, a teacher and librarian will be abreast of emergent trends,popular series that can hook a student and age-appropriate topic-specif-ic readings tailored to the student’s abilities and interests.

It is best not to be too choosyabout Latino students’ personalreading selections as long as they aredevelopmentally, socially and cultur-ally appropriate. If a student is interested in the way things work, classicPopular Mechanics is a good choice. Those who love fashion have ahuge selection of fashion magazines and websites. Many publications aresuitable for youngsters, including those focusing on sports, video gam-ing, outdoor life, technology, travel and culinary arts. Rule of thumb: If aLatino student shows an interest, the adult can help find topic-relatedreading materials to engage the student more easily and encourage theirchances of reading.

Reading doesn’t happen just with books, either. A young Latina wholoves the popular comic-book-like novelas can later segue into theclassics, sans illustrations. Adults can encourage novela readers towrite their own stories, true or fictitious. And while people like DustinHoffman’s character in the classic movie Rainman might study thephone book, any reading counts. If a young Latino reader is engaged, itis worth the time and effort.

Dedicated reading time with family and friends helps make readersout of the most skeptical, resistant students. If reading is a social thing –whether through book clubs, time spent together in class or at home, orit occurs online (yes, even social networking requires reading), spend-ing time mastering the craft is more likely when it is accompanied byothers. Reading can become a popular, socially accepted (and evenexpected) activity, no longer reserved for nerds or bookworms. Forsocially oriented Latinos, reading with others feels natural.

Fun also counts. While not all students – Latino or otherwise – canafford electronic reading tablets or other devices, those owning onemay be enchanted perusing the world with just a click. Whether it is aninterest e-board or another website of choice, the young Hispanic read-er who is excited with an electronic tool that promotes reading is stillahead of the game.

Finally, make reading material available. Stashing print materialaround the house, in the backpack or duffel assures that a Latino stu-dent can always find something of interest. Before long, he may leavesomething to read in his Maserati.

ENCOURAGING READINGPPrriimmiinngg tthhee PPuummpp......

Miquela Rivera, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist withyears of clinical, early childhood and consultativeexperience. She lives in Albuquerque, N.M.

03/04/2013 Four More Years.

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