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100 New Mexico students to learn about college and career opportunities
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - New Mexico Lt. Governor Diane Denish and Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce CEO Alex O. Romero will co-chair the upcoming New Mexico Hispanic Youth Symposium in July. The inaugural symposium will be held at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque July 9-12, 2008. It is being hosted by the Hispanic College Fund and New Mexico Math Engineering Science Achievement (NM MESA).
“I am pleased to chair this important event,” Lt. Governor Denish said. “The Hispanic College Fund gives youths a chance to deepen their knowledge in areas that form the backbone of our current and future economy. These students will take a step toward successful, well-paying careers - and help us attract forward-looking businesses.”
The four-day symposium will provide 100 New Mexico Hispanic and Native American high school students with essential information about college and professional careers through workshops, inspirational mentors, and leadership opportunities. Attendance at the symposium includes a year-round follow-up program to further assist the students with preparing for college.
“The Hispanic Youth Symposium helps students realize that they can attend and succeed in college and in their chosen career. It’s an honor to co-chair this important event. The fields of business, science, technology, engineering and math offer great career opportunities for the future and this symposium helps prepare them for the road to success,” said Alex O. Romero, CEO of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce.
Lt. Governor Denish chairs the Children’s Cabinet, which combines the forces of state agencies that touch every aspect of children’s lives. The goal is to ensure both a stable society and a stable economy by raising healthy, well-educated children ready to move into the workforce. She has spoken at NM MESA events throughout her tenure.
Alex O. Romero is a former banking executive and longtime community leader. He has led the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce since 2004. The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce is a promotional partner of the Youth Symposium.
“Our co-chairs this year are both wonderful role models for the youth attending,” said Fern Barrueta, Hispanic College Fund CEO. “Lt. Governor Denish, the first woman to serve as New Mexico’s Lt. Governor, is a strong advocate for education issues. Alex Romero is a well-respected business leader in the state and we are honored he can support us.”
The program enjoys widespread community support. New Mexico Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (NM MESA) Inc. is partnering with the Hispanic College Fund to help identify and recruit students and to coordinate year-round educational programs. The University of New Mexico is subsidizing the cost of meeting space and dorm rooms.
Sponsors of the event include the National Nuclear Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy, the New Mexico Legistature, Wells Fargo, General Dynamics C4 Systems, the University of New Mexico, the USDA, Applied Research Associates, Sandia National Laboratories, Inquiry Facilitators, the New Mexico State Human Resource Management Council, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the NM Optics Industry Association, and Google.
To participate, students must be residents of New Mexico; have a GPA of 2.5 or higher; complete an application and essay; submit $10.00 (waived on request); and be Hispanic or Native American or relate to Hispanic culture.
To learn more about the Hispanic Youth Symposium in New Mexico, visit http://www.hispanicyouth.org/symposium-new-mexico.
For information on how to sponsor the Hispanic Youth Symposium, call Kathryn Grady at (202) 527-0372 or email her at kgrady@hispanicfund.org.
About the Hispanic College Fund
Founded in 1993, the Hispanic College Fund provides Hispanic high school and college students with the vision, resources, and mentorship needed to become community leaders and achieve successful careers in business, science, technology, engineering, and math. For 15 years the Hispanic College Fund has provided scholarships and programs to students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, establishing a career pipeline of talented and career-driven Hispanics.
The Hispanic College Fund has an annual budget of $6 million with 20 full-time employees. In 2006, the Hispanic College Fund received the Brillante award for “Nonprofit of the Year” from the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and in 2007 was recognized by USA Today as one of the nation’s top 25 charities.
Website: www.hispanicfund.org
About New Mexico Math, Engineering, Science Achievement
New Mexico Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement (NM MESA), Inc. is a non-profit organization and part of a national initiative promoting educational enrichment for pre-college students from historically under-represented ethnic groups. NM MESA prepares these students for college majors and careers in mathematics, engineering, science and related fields. NM MESA is a statewide program with year-round activities that include tutoring; academic, university, and career counseling; field trips; academic competitions; leadership development, summer programs; teacher professional development; and scholarship incentives.
Website: www.nmmesa.org
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Contact: Lisa Sandoval, Director of Communications, (202) 296-5400 ext. 117
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