Students need to know what opportunities exist for them after high school so they can think about their next steps. For some, that next step is higher education, such as attending college to earn an advanced degree.
Sometimes, learning about such a possibility from a peer or mentor helps make it more achievable.
That was a purpose behind Exito Latino, a one-day event at Columbus Learning Center on Sept. 6. The third-annual event attracted 170 Latino students from high schools in Columbus, Seymour and Shelbyville.
Exito Latino allowed the high school students to hear from and speak with Latinos currently in college or now professionally employed after college. The interaction allowed the current high school students to learn how these mentors navigated challenges.
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The high school students could attend discussion sessions about paying for college, finding scholarships, navigating college and overcoming obstacles.
What Exito Latino did was to show that the goal of college can be achieved, and that it can lead to professional careers.
That’s important for a minority population that has been increasing in Bartholomew County for about 20 years. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the local Latino population has grown by about 4,000, to roughly 5,500, from 2000-2017, representing more than 6 percent of the total local population.
Exito Latino is a helpful program that’s worth continuing and ongoing support. The more aware students are about higher education possibilities, the more likely they are to pursue them and achieve those goals. That benefits the students and the community.
