Latino scholarship targets first-generation collegians
José Ramirez, a third-year student in the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU's West campus, can tell you about the value of the іAdelante! U.S. Leadership Fund to Latino students. The fund’s scholarship season is underway now and runs through an application deadline date of May 28.
“An іAdelante! scholarship is an opportunity that keeps on giving, and the experience is nothing short of great,” said Ramirez, who should know – he earned one of the scholarships last year and, as a result, attended the 2009 іAdelante! Leadership Institute in San Antonio, Texas. “What comes with the scholarship is the financial aid, the Leadership Institute, and the networking experience that is priceless.”
Since its inception in 1997, іAdelante! has provided more than $1 million in scholarship awards to Latino college students across the country. More than 80 percent of the recipients are first-generation collegians, including Ramirez, who expects to receive his B.S. in accountancy next May.
“With the Hispanic population being the largest growing minority in this country, the need for resources for our Latino youth is greater than ever,” reads an іAdelante! announcement of this year’s scholarships. “Latino college students have great potential to be successful in every aspect of their lives, but reaching that success can be challenging without the financial support to complete their degrees.”
To address the goal of graduating more Latino students from college, the organization, a nonprofit based in San Antonio, offers scholarships ranging from $1,500 to $3,000. The aid is renewable annually, as long as the recipient maintains a 3.0 grade point average and full-time enrollment status.
“іAdelante! has helped me become a more confident person when it comes to networking,” Ramirez said. “I hope that ASU students take advantage of this opportunity and apply. You never know where a simple application can take you and who you will meet along the way.”
Ramirez has already applied for a renewal of the scholarship for 2010-11.
“I’m stoked,” he said, rattling off a list of opportunities he says have come through his іAdelante! experience. “I have applied for two internships and have been introduced to HACU (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities). I also now serve on the Student Advisory Board for іAdelante!, where I help spread the word here at ASU. Students need to know about this opportunity.”
In addition to his Student Advisory Board responsibilities, Ramirez said his focus on promoting the scholarship opportunities is a way he can give back to the university.
“ASU is an interesting school,” he said, making a sweeping gesture that takes in the cafeteria crowd at ASU’s West campus. “What strikes me most is there are students and scholars from across the globe attending and interacting with each other; it enhances the college experience.
“I’m so thankful for the lessons I have learned here – to be accepting of ideas and input from your colleagues. Working alongside people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures has helped me understand that we live in a global community where everyone is not the same in any form or fashion, but each brings valuable perspective to the table.”
“I am so appreciative for the experience and the opportunities, the doors that have been opened through this scholarship,” says Ramirez. “The organization really wants to help Hispanic students succeed with their educational and personal goals.”
For more information about іAdelante!, visit http://adelantefund.org or contact Sarah Ramos at sramos@adelantefund.org or 877-692-1971.