Dr. William Aviles
Department of Political Science, 308.865.8776 OR avilesw1@unk.edu.
“Promises and Challenges of the New Millennium” is the theme for the second annual Cultural Unity Conference set for Friday, March 26, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Conference sessions will include: scholarships and grants for under-represented students; immigration, citizenship and university life; challenges facing under-represented students at the college level; leadership and self-esteem; and challenges and opportunities for minorities in the job market.
The daylong conference, which includes lunch, is free and open to all Hispanic high school students. The conference is being organized by UNK’s Hispanic Student Association (HSA). Students can register for the conference through their high school counselors or online at:http://www.unk.edu/student_org/hsa/Update.htm
“We hope to plant the seed in students’ minds that it is a real possibility that they can attend the university and succeed,” said Dr. William Aviles, UNK assistant professor of political science and HSA adviser.
“The cultural diversity of our country is considered by many to be a great strength,” Dr. Aviles said. “Unfortunately, this diversity has not been reflected in our nation’s institutions of higher learning. Students from the Hispanic Student Association of UNK have committed themselves to expanding the cultural diversity of our college campus through this conference.”
HSA officers include: Nancy Ibarra of Lexington, president; Ashley Bellamy of Elwood, co-vice president; Manuel Andazola of Grand Island, co-vice president; Jose Perea of Grand Island, treasurer; Erica Sanchez of Alliance, secretary; and Diva De Leon of Lexington, freshman representative.
