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News

Event illuminates options for local youth

Though Houston Hispanic Forum was not about recruiting, University reps were on hand to provide info about higher education

by MAYRA CRUZ
The Daily Cougar

In a gathering behind a massive inflatable cougar head, representatives from various departments at UH helped promote the importance of pursuing higher education to Hispanic prospective students.

The University offered information to area high school and middle school students interested in attending college at the annual Houston Hispanic Forum on Saturday at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

"It's addressing a lot of the issues in our community, and one of the things is higher ed," said Danny Arocha, director of enrollment at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. "That's why I think it's important for us to be here. It's something that we as educators should be responsible for."

The event served as a method of distributing information on job opportunities and education to the Hispanic community. It showcased more than 30 higher education institutions, 29 businesses and 15 non-profit organizations, as well as local government agencies.

The Forum attracted an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 attendees, a smaller turnout than last year's 20,000. Attendance was still within the long-term average, said Rey Gonzales, one of the even't organizers.

Prospective students were informed on how to file applications for admissions and financial aid and also learned about the programs individual UH colleges have to offer.

The event was strictly informational, and the focus was not on student recruitment.

"The Houston Hispanic Forum is not as focused as many of the recruitment initiatives we might take. This is more to, I think, put our names out there -- the University of Houston," said Mary Gould, director of registration and academic records at the Bauer College of Business.

Volunteers were encouraged to discuss their college backgrounds with interested students.

"This is the first event for me, and I had a lot of fun talking to the high school students and sharing my college experience with them," computer engineering senior James Huang said.

UH representatives gave advice to the students who wanted to attend college, such as how to find the ideal major.

"Make sure that whatever area you're interested in ... meet with the advisers in that department just to make sure ... you're guided in the right way to your career," Shalon Bradley, an academic adviser at the College of Education, said.

Arocha stressed the importance of students pursuing fields in which they are interested.

"Find something that you can be passionate about," Arocha said. "Passion gets you through the rough times."

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