Since 1997 the SMU Hispanic Alumni Associates have been celebrating Latino graduates of SMU with a reception and ceremony every spring. This year the ceremony grew to include the Hispanic Alumni Scholarship.
Singer and guitarist, Abundio Ortiz, made his rounds of the Bob Hope Lobby in the Meadows School of the Arts serenading Latino graduates, their families and SMU staff with Spanish songs. The Hispanic Alumni Associates reception took place on Wednesday, May 13 and provided guests with food and beverages, Latino graduates with a token of appreciation and most importantly four SMU Latino students with a $4,265 scholarship.
The Hispanic Alumni Scholarship is the first of its kind at SMU – a retention scholarship to keep Hispanic students in college regardless of financial needs. Hispanic Alumni Associates Board Chair Jesusita Santillan said the fundraising campaign for the Hispanic Alumni Scholarship began in August 2009 and concluded this March.
“We are really excited this year because this is the first time, in a while, we have been back on campus for the ceremony, we have many staff members present and this is also the first year we are tying the two [graduate ceremony and scholarship ceremony] together,” Santillan said.
Fourteen applicants applied for the Hispanic Alumni Scholarship and four were selected. Applicants must have met four criteria in order to be considered – they must be a rising undergraduate senior or graduate student, a member of College Hispanic American Students, maintain a grade point average of 3.0 and demonstrate financial need. Dan Valdez, SMU class of ’88 and development chair, headed the volunteer committee of more than 10 individuals who helped to raise $17,070 from 182 donors.
Carlos Maldonado, HAA chair elect, said there is an excitement about the recent interest of alumnus to connect with graduates and SMU. Maldonado said alumnus wonder about the legacy they left as Hispanic trailblazers in the 1940’s through today.
“The face of the student body is changing,” Maldonado said. “The reception [HAA] has grown over the years and the new scholarship opportunity is a way to connect alums with the school. Hopefully next year we won’t fit [in the Bob Hope Lobby].”
Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development Dean David J. Chard was the evenings keynote speaker. In his speech Dean Chard addressed the issue of fewer than 10 percent of Hispanics completing a secondary degree that “enables them to be effective public servants.” Dean Chard spoke of the growing Hispanic population in the United States and the importance of education.
“People say children are the future and I think in the United States Latino children are the future and it is important to educate them,” Dean Chard said.
The first ever Hispanic Alumni Scholarship was awarded to Diana Argueta, Laura Baez, Erik Burgos-Soto and Juan Ramos, who is currently studying abroad in France. Laura Baez said being involved in her sorority, as a Resident Assistant for first year students in Boaz Hall, taking a student seat on the SMU Board of Trustees and her past experience in Academic Advising Registration and Orientation (AARO) helped her application stand out. Baez said the Hispanic Alumni Scholarship is relieving a financial burden because she applies for loans in her name not her parents.
“The number of donors really impressed me mainly because there are not many Hispanics alums and being a small alumni association, compared to larger alumni associations at SMU, they were able to reach over 100 donors,” Baez said. “If you have a goal and just keep at it you can accomplish it.”
Santillan said she hopes the reception and scholarship “will continue for years to come and grow.”
