Applications from high school students to attend the Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium topped 672, a two percent increase over 2009 numbers. Students throughout the state applied online to attend the seventh annual Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium, a four-day, three-night college empowerment program for at-promise high school students.
The program will be held at Towson University from June 29-July 2 and is hosted in partnership with the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) and Towson University.
One hundred and sixty-nine acceptance letters were mailed out to students, with approximately 135 students ultimately expected to attend the increasingly competitive program. The program is open to rising sophomores and juniors in high school throughout the state with a minimum 2.50 GPA.
To apply, students were required to complete an online application that included three short answer questions. Once accepted, students will be asked to submit a $10 confirmation fee that can be waived upon request. The balance of program costs (approximately $1,000 per student) will be underwritten with charitable gifts from local and national program sponsors.
Based on past history, it is expected that the majority of attending students will qualify for free and reduced-price lunch and have “B” grade point averages. Students were chosen to attend based on their short answer responses, demonstration of leadership potential, GPA, and grade level. All applications were reviewed by the Selection Committee, which was comprised of HSBC Bank’s MidAtlantic Hispanic/Latin Diversity Team.
“We are glad to see an increase in response to our program from students,” said Daniel Sarmiento, Hispanic College Fund program director for the Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium. “We want to give these students a pathway to college and let them know that the opportunity is there. So many students took the initiative to apply to attend; it lets us know we’re connecting with them.”
“The continual increase in student response is a call to action,” added Stina Augustsson, Hispanic College Fund national director of pre-college programs. “It’s clear that our program is in demand, but our ability to serve all of these students is only limited by the amount of funds raised. We hope to be able to accommodate for more than 200 students annually in the future. ”
The Social Security Administration is an important community partner for this symposium. In 2008, SSA Headquarters and the Region 9 Regional Commissioner collaborated with the Hispanic College Fund to organize the logistics of the Bay Area Symposium. Since then, SSA volunteers have become an integral part of Hispanic Youth Symposia success.
Many other notable community organizations and local and national corporations are dedicating their time, staff, and resources to making the Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium a success. The sponsors of this year’s Maryland Hispanic Youth Symposium include: CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Southwest Airlines, Lockheed Martin, MasterCard Worldwide, PNC Bank, University of Phoenix Foundation, Towson University, USHYEE, Constellation Energy Group, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Giant, The QED Group, HSBC Bank, and the U.S. Department of Labor.
National program partners include: Darden Foundation, Microsoft, National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Social Security Administration.
The Hispanic Youth Symposium will include opportunities for students to participate in college and career workshops, a college admission fair, connect with local Hispanic professionals and college admissions officers, and compete for $10,000 in scholarships. Following the summer initiative, all students will be enrolled in year-round programming through the Hispanic Youth Institute. The Hispanic Youth Institute will provide ongoing education and motivation to help these students apply for college and secure financial aid to attain higher education.
Founded in 1993, the Hispanic College Fund is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., with a mission to develop the next generation of Hispanic professionals. For 17 years, the Hispanic College Fund has provided educational, scholarship, and mentoring programs to students throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, establishing a career pipeline of talented and career-driven Hispanics.
The Hispanic College Fund annually awards millions of dollars, impacting thousands of students through high school to college to career. HCF has been recognized by USA Today as one of the nation’s top 25 charities and has twice received Charity Navigator’s top four-star rating for fiscal responsibility. In 2010, the College Board recognized HCF for program innovation.
