October 31, 2003 Feature
Creating
a "Cultural Connection"
As part of Diversity Week at Utah State University, more than
100 multicultural high school students visited the campus to
get a taste of college life during Multicultural Campus Day.
During their three-day stay, the students toured campus, visited
classes and workshops and had a chance to break out their dancing
skills at the Diversity Carnival and dance.
"Tying this program to our annual multicultural carnival
provides an atmosphere of ‘cultural connection',"
said J.C. Vasquez, outreach coordinator for multicultural student
services.
"Students find that there is a place for them in our institution
to connect with other students from their own ethnic background.
They get to share the idea that they can be in the same place
as our Utah State students next year, helping us to put this
program together for students like them."
The students came from high schools in the Salt Lake City, Ogden
and Brigham City areas. One of the main focuses of the visit
was to give the students the opportunity to be mentored by a
university student so they could get a better understanding
of their university futures. The students attended classes with
their Utah State mentors, getting a close-up look at chemistry,
elementary education and other classes that interested them.
"The most beneficial part of the program was the interaction
of high school students with our Utah State students,"
said Vasquez.
Teresa Rodriguez, a student from Box Elder High School interested
in accounting, said she had fun during the visit, but she also
gained some practical insight from the trip to Logan. "It
is a good opportunity to plan for the future."
In order to help make those future plans run more smoothly,
the students attended workshops on financial aid, admissions,
scholarships and Multicultural Student Services at Utah State.
The students not only participated in all of the activities,
but were able to meet other students with their same interests
and cultural backgrounds. Sandra Abouo, from Logan High School
and Jolie Mbuyi from Highland High School said they enjoyed
the opportunity to meet new people.
Aside from meeting other high school students, they asked questions
to a panel of Utah State students and received a more personal
insight into the life of a college student.
"The student panel provided opportunities to ask all kind
of questions from scholarships to advice on how many credits
to take in what semester," said Vasquez. "I believe
mingling with and getting first-hand experience from our students
was the most valuable tool to expose high school students to
what is in store for them if they decide to attend USU."
They also met with university administrators, including Dr.
Juan Franco, vice president of Student Services, Registrar Dr.
Glenn Davis and Jimmy Moore, director of Admissions.
Joyce Kinkead, vice provost for undergraduate studies and research,
talked to the students about the opportunities to get hands-on
experience not only at the graduate level, but throughout their
undergraduate experience.
Following all of the workshops and other festivities, some students
extended their stay to take the ACT test in Logan.
Vasquez said the event was a great success and provided an opportunity
for the students to get to know what Utah State has to offer
multicultural students.
" This event created a window to show students the different
opportunities available for them, as well as Utah State's commitment
to diversity," said Vasquez. "Multicultural Campus
Day is definitely one of the most important programs on campus
to bring diversity to our institution."
Contact: J.C. Vasquez, jcgol@cc.usu.edu,
(435)797-5562
Writer: Tracey Fox, taf@cc.usu.edu,
(435)797-1350
utah state today/archives/October
2003/archives
prior to Sept 2002/
Brought
to you by Utah State University Public Relations and Marketing |