EU visits a Latino class at HHS

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USU Eastern will visit a Latinos in Action class in Hunter High School promoting the institution’s mission of a regional, but university-affiliated education and engaging their identities as youth that are leaders within their communities on April 14. Agustin Diaz, USU Eastern recruiter, attend this class with an ambassador from the same institution as well as volunteers to provide a more community-rich experience.
The USU Eastern presentation includes a powerful experience where students exchange stories with each other in the hope that a consistent and engaged educational narrative gets produced. In this process, college students become role models to youth who have faced challenges in urban areas.
“What we hope to create is a pipeline where young people in urban locations can position themselves in higher education. This creates hope. This creates motivation to achieve that hope,” said Diaz.
This visit provides great representation of the merging state and regional interests. As the focus of specific regions becomes priority for achieving the state 2020 goal of 60 percent of adults educated, USU Eastern demonstrates authentic and earnest outreach that seeks to work with a population that many institutions often ignore.
The Hispanic high school graduation rate in Utah indicates a slow climb past 50 percent, with the population growing. Not enough is being done to accelerate educational outreach with this group. Many areas still face severe challenges with poverty and adjusting to local development with immigrant populations, Diaz said
This visit will become the first of many as USU Eastern sets goals and plans to meet the urgent need of reaching out and providing educational opportunities for low-income and minority populations. The goal is to create an experience for state-Latino youth, like in Latinos in Action at Hunter High School that not only shares college information but engages them with opportunity and through shared stories.