UNC looks to attract Latino high school students

Intelligent driven and Latino — this is the type of student UNC has been looking to recruit for 40 years.

During the weekend of Sept. 19 the University conducted a recruitment program that attracted almost 30 students from Latino backgrounds" all in their senior year of high school.

The program ended at noon September 20 with a carnival celebration hosted by the Carolina Hispanic Association. The students bid farewell amid games and Latin American delicacies.

""I believe students want to come to UNC because the University not only cares about the intellectual side" but they are also thinking about how to help people and the town" said Lyndenise Berdecia, an admissions counselor.

This year is the 40th anniversary of Project Uplift, a program dedicated to enhancing University diversity.

Currently, 5.6 percent of the class of 2012 are Latino, said Jenn Kretchmar, senior assistant director of undergraduate admissions.

This represents a growth of 55.6 percent in the number of Latino students in the first-year class since 2003. The total number of incoming students has grown 10 percent in the last five years, Kretchmar said.

During Latino recruitment weekend, the high school students and their parents attended various information sessions from the admissions, financial aid and advising offices.

I came to one of these sessions four years ago. It helped me a lot because I had no clue what I had to do to apply to college and get financial aid"" said senior Ronald Batres, president of Chispa, who served as a guide during the weekend.

 I even brought my grandmother"" he said. This program helped my parents in telling them what they needed to know.""

The students had the opportunity to attend a class and spend the night at the University. Each high school student was paired with a UNC student.

Gabriela Calamaco" a 17-year-old student from Charlotte already knew she wanted to apply to UNC before participating in the program" but she said she was happy to come for a visit.

""I'm glad they did this because I'm proud of my culture" and I don't want that to be lost when I come here" Calamaco said.

Terri Houston, director of recruitment and multicultural programs at UNC, offered the students encouraging words.

We know we're the best. But we know you're the best and the brightest.""

Diversity is important in all the areas of the University" said Josmell Pérez" multicultural programs coordinator.

""We held the first caucus to introduce Latino faculty last year. We hope to see that number grow this year.""

On October 14" Berdecia and others from the admissions office will travel to Puerto Rico to recruit students from private bilingual schools. They are also expecting to establish connections between the schools' counselors and UNC" Berdecia said.

""Here the Latinos are still just a few"" but the ones we have are a family; they are a community.""



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