The number of Hispanic students at UNCW continues to grow, and for UNCW’s Hispanic student population, the opportunities available to them are expanding. Centro Hispano, a unit of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion that aims to support Hispanic students, , to their outlined vision to become The University of Choice for the Hispanic community.

 

Violetta Perez-Villa is the first person in her family to attend a four-year university.  She grew up in Eutucuaro, a small town in the state region of Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico. In the summer of 2002, when Perez-Villa was 9 years old, her family left Mexico for the United States.

 

“I remember going to ESL classes every day, and I used to hate it because they would pull me out of my art class,” said Perez-Villa, recalling her first year trying to learn English in America.

 

Perez-Villa is one of the many Hispanic students at UNCW to be the first in their family to attend college. UNCW ranks third on the list of universities in North Carolina with the largest Hispanic population, following closely behind UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Charlotte. In 2008, Hispanic students built up 3.2 percent of the total student body, and in 2012, the number climbed to 5.2 percent, showing a significant increase.

 

This rise in the number of Hispanic students might be attributed to the increasing opportunities available to them, including clubs, organizations geared toward building the Hispanic community, and financial aid incentives. In February 2012, for the fourth consecutive year, UNCW has been named one of the nation’s “Best Value” public universities by The Princeton Review. The detailed review highlights UNCW’s campus culture, facilities, and financial aid opportunities. In the 2011-2012 academic year, UNCW awarded a total of 107 million dollars in scholarships and loans.

 

“I think it’s a good reflection of what we’re doing with what we have,” said Beth Casper, Associate Director of Financial Aid, commenting on The Princeton Review’s inclusion of UNCW in The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition.

 

FAFSA, a form that all students interested in applying for college financial aid must complete, does not include a section for demographic information, refuting the common stereotype that financial aid can be awarded based solely on race.

 

“We do offer several scholarships and programs for fostering diversity based on need and merit, not race,” said Casper.

 

Dr. Edelmira Segovia, Director of Centro Hispano, reinforced Casper’s sentiment: “That’s something I preach oftentimes. I’m very quick to say there’s no such thing as a scholarship for being Hispanic. You have to be a contributing member of society.”

 

Centro Hispano is a unit in The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion that seeks to support the rapidly growing number of Hispanic students applying to and attending UNCW. Some of the organization’s contributions include service-learning opportunities, connections to professional mentors, cultural organizations, and a place for students to not only grow academically, but also become successful members of the community.

 

“Centro Hispano has been such a blessing to the University,” said Marcio Moreno, Associate Director of Admissions.

           

On the admission application for entry into UNCW, the first question in the Demographics section asks: “Are you Hispanic of any kind?” Then follows the questions about race.

 

“By separating these questions, the government is viewing Hispanic, not as a race, but as a culture, a heritage,” said Moreno. “Just like a person can be both Hispanic and African American-it becomes less about race.”

 

Moreno is the first Hispanic bilingual counselor at UNCW. His ability to speak more than one language benefits the parents of first-generation immigrants who may not speak English. From the start of his career at UNCW, Moreno sees the number of Hispanic students growing immensely.

 

“I arrived in 2005, and that freshman class has 35 Hispanic students. This year we have 127,” said Moreno. “Not having that familiar educational background, first-generation students just need some extra help, that push.”

 

As a work-study student, and an active member of Centro Hispano, Perez-Villa is familiar with that extra push: “To be honest, at the beginning of my senior year, I wasn’t even thinking about a four-year university, but my guidance counselor encouraged me, and it means a lot for me to be here.”

 

The number of first-generation students applying and attending college continue to grow, and the opportunities available to them are expanding as well, leading Centro Hispano to their outlined vision to become The University of Choice for the Hispanic community.