Hispanic Youth Symposium Set For June 30 - July 3

SMU co-hosts a symposium to promote college achievement, professional careers, and community involvement.

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DALLAS (SMU) — More than 180 students from Dallas-Fort Worth and other areas of Texas will compose the first class of the inaugural Dallas Hispanic Youth Symposium, a four-day college access program hosted by Southern Methodist University (SMU) in partnership with the Hispanic College Fund (HCF).

The symposium will begin June 30, with a VIP reception at 3 p.m. and a news conference in the Taubman Atrium of SMU’s Owen Fine Arts Center at 6106 Bishop Blvd. scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Jose Bowen, dean of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, and George Cushman, vice president of programs of the Hispanic College Fund, will speak at the news conference. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert also is expected to attend the reception and news conference.

SMU Associate Provost Thomas Tunks said the symposium will have far-reaching effects.

“Hosting the first Hispanic Youth Symposium in Texas is a wonderful opportunity for SMU to support the community and work collaboratively with many community institutions, as well as with the Hispanic College Fund,” Tunks said. “The main beneficiaries, of course, are area young people who attend. But we all benefit from the chance to work together in helping deserving young people get to college. This is our future, and we expect this effort to be ongoing.”

Hispanic Youth Conference logoThe Hispanic Youth Symposium is designed to promote college achievement, professional careers, and community involvement. During the program, students will have the opportunity to connect with Hispanic mentors, attend workshops on college admissions and financial aid, compete for $14,000 in available scholarship funds, and meet with college admissions officers from local schools.

Our past success with the Hispanic Youth Symposium has shown us how much students can benefit from attending a program like this,” said George Cushman, vice president of programs of the Hispanic College Fund. “Not only does the symposium provide students with practical knowledge, but more importantly, it builds their confidence and helps them to truly believe that they can attend college.”

Following the conclusion of this program, students will be enrolled in the year-round programming of the Hispanic Youth Institute, which is designed to increase their college knowledge and help them maintain progress toward academic and professional success.

Sponsors of the inaugural Dallas Hispanic Youth Symposium include Southern Methodist University, Southwest Airlines, Aramark, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the University of Phoenix, and the Social Security Administration.

To learn more about the Hispanic Youth Symposium, visit www.hispanicyouth.org/symposium-dallas.

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 About the Hispanic College Fund:

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 15 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 who are trained in the fields of business, science, technology, engineering, and math.

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. In 2009, the Hispanic College Fund received a coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator for exemplary fiscal responsibility. For more information, visit: www.hispanicfund.org

About SMU:

A private university located in the heart of Dallas, SMU is building on the vision of its founders, who imagined a distinguished center for learning emerging from the spirit of the city. Today, 11,000 students benefit from the national opportunities and international reach afforded by the quality of SMU's seven degree-granting schools. For more information, visit www.smu.edu

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