Tri-C Hispanic Council: Pathway to Success!

By Antonio Barrios,
Lorain La Prensa Correspondent    

August 16, 2013: The room was brimming with pride and high expectations at the joyous Hispanic Scholarship Luncheon on Friday Aug.16th  in the Thornton Center, Ford Room of the Cuyahoga Community College in downtown Cleveland.

The event is the accumulation of the work of the Tri-C Hispanic Council, whose mission is to identify, develop, and facilitate the implementation of initiatives that benefit both Cuyahoga Community College and the Latino community of Cuyahoga County (which in this instance, was the awarding of the $36,000 of scholarships to the 66 recipients, most of whom were Latinos).

The midday luncheon commenced with the Program Manager of the Hispanic Council, Esther C. Kraft, welcoming the 66 student recipients, Tri-C President, Hispanic Council staff members, and families of this year’s winners of the Hispanic Council’s Scholarships.
 

Diana Del Rosario

Scholarship recipients

Congratulations from the President of Cuyahoga Community College, Dr. Alex Johnson, who stressed the importance of Tri-C’s Hispanic Council and the work  they have done to not only increase the number of Latino students enrolled but also the diligent follow-up with these students to ensure they stay in school and on course to graduate. 

Dr. Johnson was followed by Diana Del Rosario, Dean of Student Affairs at Tri-C and also the Chair of the Hispanic Council; she congratulated the students and expressed the importance of the Hispanic Scholarship to the students.

Ms. Del Rosario explained how the work of the Hispanic Council was very much geared to having the recipients “pay forward” the success they have obtained to the many other students looking to get ahead.

The highlights of the midday luncheon were the emotionally charged testimonials of the student success stories of several student recipients—each one with their own unique stories of “trials and tribulations” they had experienced on their respective paths in higher education; at times overwhelmed with emotions, they slowly pushed away the tears, cleared their throat, and continued to tell their story.

Elizabeth Torres spoke of the closeness of her bond with her father and how his death created a shock and sense of abandonment and that she didn’t know how to keep moving forward. But with the process of learning and studying she regained her strength and direction and is now moving forward again thanks to the help of the Tri-C’s Hispanic Council’s scholarship.  She was at Bowling Green State University but move to Cleveland’s Tri-C to pursue a degree in the Culinary Arts program. She proudly stated , “I will be the first in my family to graduate from college.”

Also taking a strong stance and declaring his gratitude was Carlos Beltrán from Colombia, who was working on an Associate Degree in Government, specializing in International Relations. He spoke of his coach’s efforts to recruit him from Colombia to play soccer in Cleveland.

Another soccer recruit, Jamaican-born Richard Vanhorne, saluted his coach with outstretched arms and spoke of his thankfulness on receiving the Hispanic Council Scholarship, even though he was not of Latino descent.  With heartfelt sincerity he also thanked the Hispanic Community for accepting him. 

The working mom, wife, student, and hopeful graduate Colette Ellis explained how she and her family made the drastic move from Modesto, California to come to Cleveland in search of a new beginning. She and her husband, who is from Parma, were looking for a more affordable life style. She is currently finishing her program at Tri-C, looking to attend Cleveland State University’s nursing program. She said, “The Hispanic Council contacted me and told me of the possibility of getting a scholarship from the Hispanic Council. The people are great to talk to and they supplied me with emotional support as well.”

Colette Ellis, working Mom

There were two other stories that were not told at the podium but speaking with La Prensa they turned out to be just as interesting as the other stories. Persian Gulf veteran Edwin Sánchez, born in Puerto Rico, was working on an Associate’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, speaking about the “Steelworkers of the Future” at Tri-C.  The Veterans Administration helped him get into the program; he said that it is a partnership of Tri-C and Aresol-Mittal, a huge steelmaking interest, which has purchased many of the failing steel-producing companies in the area. “They are concentrating on new research and metallurgy to make new forms of high strength steel at a cost effective price.”

Sánchez said he is finishing up his degree and has already received job offers in the Thermal Engineering field. He stated he applied and received the Tri-C Hispanic Council’s Scholarship even thought he is much older than the other students and is now focusing on giving back to the community by mentoring students. Edwin Sánchez also stated he was accepted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and a proud father of two daughters (that are also going to college) and a five-year-old son.

The other success story is that of Magdalis Galarza, born in Lajas, Puerto Rico, who was researching for a college on the internet and discovered Tri-C. She will be finishing her degree in Restaurant Management with a minor in Culinary Arts in the fall of 2014 but has already obtained a Bachelors degree in Science at the University of Puerto Rico.

She is currently working as a lunch/dinner chef at “Fine Food & Drink” in the Shaker Square area as well as a full time student. Magdalis is planning on opening her own restaurant on the east side of Cleveland. She stated, “I am very grateful to the Hispanic Council for helping me get through college”.

Diana Del Rosario told La Prensa of the history of the Tri-C Hispanic Council and her involvement with the program. She stated, “It all started as an idea of Al López. The Tri-C Hispanic Council is going into its 20th year of assisting Latino students at Tri-C. It was Al López local Hispanic businessman/entrepreneur and the then Vice President of Administration, Frank Reis, who organized and started the funding for the creation of the Hispanic Scholarship program at Tri-C. Although it was instituted at Tri-C, they also worked very closely with the local Latino organizations such as: El Barrio, Esperanza, Inc., the Spanish American Committee, the Cleveland School District, and others to build a strong community relationship that is the solid foundation of the Hispanic Council.

When asked of her involvement in the program Ms. Del Rosario stated, “I have been here at Cuyahoga Community College for 18 years. I was brought into the program because I am good with numbers and tracking Hispanic students.” She said she applied the study of Census data analysis to improve and grow the student numbers.

On the question of her greatest satisfaction with the program she stated: “It would be helping the students and seeing the children of former students coming into the program, which clearly demonstrates the generational success of the program. Often, by word of mouth, students are referred into contact with the program, attracting many Latino students.”

The next question was what is the biggest obstacle for students attempting a college degree? She quickly stated: “It is the juggling of family, finances, and working at the same time, to keep the family going and going to school.” When asked as to the future she replied: “Securing and adding more grants, more staffing with student workers, and opening the program to more non-Latino students.”

The Tri-C Hispanic Council is making a telling impact on the local community as it moves now from a fledging program to a generational success that is moving the children of former students in their parent’s path to a better life and a new commitment to the community.

At the end of the program sitting around a table were the student speakers with Esther C. Kraft and Sylvia Loyle, eating the fine food that was prepared for the luncheon, laughing and joking about each other’s performance; it really did look like a family at home sharing a meal.

2013 Hispanic Scholarship Luncheon
Congratulations to all of our scholarship recipients 

Sylvia Royle	Esther Kraft
Iraq Vet	Magdalis Galarza,working chef
Isabelle Perez

Copyright © 1989 to 2013 by [LaPrensa Publications Inc.]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/21/13 21:20:15 -0700.