Catawba invites Latina juniors to enroll in free college course
Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 13, 2022
SALISBURY — During National Hispanic Heritage Month, Catawba College is offering year four of the Unanue Scholars Program.
Latina juniors from the Rowan County public school systems are invited to apply to join Catawba’s fourth cohort of students in the spring of 2023. Students will be enrolled in a course focused on exploring their own culture while receiving instruction in academic skills crucial for success at the college-level.
Eligible students are encouraged to visit https://catawba.edu/unanue/ to learn more about the program and how students can apply. The priority deadline to apply is November 15, 2022. The application process will remain available until January 4, 2023, on a space-available basis. The course will meet on campus Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. starting on January 11, 2023 and running through April 24, 2023. There will be an online instruction component as well.
“In Latinx Leadership: Youth, Indigeneity, and Sustainability,” says Dr. Mercedes Quesada-Embid, “students will explore the innovative ways by which Latina and Latino youth are engaging with the sustainability movement across the United States and Latin America, while being introduced to foundational skills necessary for success in college.”
Unanue participants will be paired with mentors chosen from Catawba’s Latina population. There is a large Hispanic student population on campus and 56% identify as women. Through different community-building activities, such as group meals, field trips and tertulias, specifically designed to advance social capital, the mentors will serve as role models and offer advice on the realities of campus life.
Vice Provost Dr. Forrest Anderson says, “The course will be one-hundred percent free for students, count for college credit, and show students that college is attainable and doable.”
Quesada-Embid adds, “Students will discuss issues relevant to Latinx youth and recognize the ways cultural heritage and cultural identity inform individual empowerment and opportunities for solidarity.”
Catawba seeks to reach students who have been historically underserved by higher education — low-income, minority, and first-generation students. Catawba’s commitment to providing an education rich in personal attention has led to success in preparing first-generation students to thrive academically in college and beyond in their professional lives. The faculty and administration are positioned to give Hispanic youth the chance to experience college courses and succeed academically.
Learn more about the program by watching the program video:
Anderson, a veteran director of student success programs, will be administrative lead. Faculty and staff direction for the project include Michael Wilson, professor of Spanish, and Steffanie West, IT operations director and project manager, founding members of the Unanue Scholars Program.
Sierra Matteson, admissions counselor, will coordinate with local high schools to recruit students. Quesada-Embid will teach the course and guide student mentors. And Dr. Sheila Brownlow, first year experience director, will assess and evaluate program outcomes.
The program is named to honor the memory of distinguished alumna Mary Ann Unanue (’81), who rose through the ranks of Goya Foods, Inc. to the position of vice president before her death in 2009 at the age of 49.
