Latino graduates from across the country were honored on Friday in a virtual celebration put on by Excelencia in Education, a national organization that works with institutions of higher education to improve Latino college enrollment and completion.
“Forty percent of Latinos that go to college are the first in their families to go,” Excelencia co-founder and CEO Deborah Santiago said. “This is an important milestone. We thought as a national organization, what can we do? Even in these turbulent times, we cannot forget we’re feeding hope as well.”
The hour-long celebration, which was live on Facebook, featured appearances by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation President Allan Goldston and Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas. Journalist Maria Hinojosa, host of NPR’s “Latino USA,” delivered a keynote speech to the graduates. “For many of us Latino students, we dream about graduation as a capstone of many sacrifices, many sleepless nights, and the effort and sacrifices of us and also our family members,” she said. “It’s a moment when you finally see and are recognized for your achievements and your efforts.”
Hinojosa acknowledged the disappointment and uncertainty that may come with graduating during a pandemic and economic downturn, but encouraged students to reframe how they look at their missed milestones.
Ensuring Latino college enrollment and more importantly, graduation is crucial, according to experts like Santiago. According to 2015 data from Excelencia, only 22 percent of Latino adults 25 and older have an associate degree or higher, compared to 39 percent of all adults. Latinos also lag behind whites in college graduation rates; the former has a 41 percent graduation rate while the latter has a 52 percent rate.
Source: NBC News
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