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Orientation promotes higher Hispanic enrollment
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At a school where the Hispanic population is just over five percent of the student body, you may be wondering what so many Latino students were doing on campus Friday.
Friday was the annual Boise State tour and college orientation known as Mirando Adelante, which translates to “Looking to the Future.”
The events, which aim to promote higher education in the Gem State, were sponsored by BSU admissions and the Organizacion de Estudiantes Latino-Americanos and were attended by 600 Idaho Latin-American high school students.
Gonzolo Callison, a Boise State junior majoring in political science, staffed the student life panel at Mirando Adelante. Callison said the purpose of Mirando Adelante is to give Hispanic students an opportunity to explore the campus and meet people.
“It’s important for them to not feel scared because our goal is to increase the minority population here on campus. We’re trying to promote higher education and we want Latino students to feel that Boise State is open to them,” Callison said.
Callison, who entered BSU as a freshman in the summer of 1999, said Upward Bound, BSU’s high school outreach program, helped him navigate his transition from Caldwell High School to Boise State.
“Another student told me about a program that came to my high school called Upward Bound that would help me find scholarships and be kind of a light on the path to higher education,” Callison said.
Ramon Silva, BSU multi-ethnic enrollment counselor, said many Latino students experience culture shock when coming to this campus. The purpose of Mirando Adelante is to make Latino students feel more comfortable at BSU.
“Just like BSU students are walking by, wondering what all of these Hispanic kids are doing on campus, a lot of these students are experiencing culture shock as well – coming from areas like Caldwell, Nampa and Parma,” Silva said.
“Although BSU’s Latino population is small, it makes up one of the most active organizations on campus.”
A group of five Latin-American students at BSU started Mirando Adelante in 1997 to promote higher education among local Latino high school students. Every year since the program began, more and more students from all over Idaho attend the annual events.
This year’s events included a talk called “The Importance of Higher Education” from keynote speaker Judge Sergio Gutierrez of the Idaho Court of Appeals. Gutierrez, a graduate of Boise State, was named one of the top 100 most-influential Latinos in the U.S. by the Hispanic Business Association.
Members of OELA took students on tour of the campus and hosted a presentation on student life. Silva said the high school students enjoy the interaction with college students.
“The lunch and OELA dance was the highlight of the day for some students,” Silva said.
They also talked about immigration issues and the BSU policy that allows immigrants to attend the university but requires them to pay out of state tuition expenses.
Jessica Adams, The Arbiter
