Every year at the University of Maryland (UMD) the office of Multicultural Involvement and Community Advocacy (MICA) has what is called the Hispanic Heritage Month Festival. This year, the MICA coordinator Ms. Pamela Hernandez and Mr. Derrick Davis, the assistant director of undergraduate admissions, were gracious enough to invite Northwestern High School to attend the finale festivities.
Upon arriving at the university we were met by Ms. Hernandez, Mr. Davis and several University of Maryland Hispanic undergraduate students. Ms. Hernandez informed our students about MICA and its purpose. Mr. Davis then spoke to the students about the admissions process and what they need to do to be a competitive applicant. Next both groups of students had a Q and A session where the Northwestern students were able to find out more about what life is like as a Hispanic student at UMD and what the students’ lives where like before they came to college and ultimately how college will impact their future.
After the Q and A session both groups of students went to the Nymburu Cultural Center. There the Northwestern students met representatives from various organizations including the Latino fraternity Gamma Phi Sigma Hermanos Unidos and the Latina Sorority Lambda Theta Alpha. The students were also able to participate in a trivia contest where they were tested on their knowledge of Hispanic Culture. Before leaving the students participated in the folkloric dance performances representative of various Hispanic nationalities. The students showed moves that were traditional to their country.
In closing, the Northwestern students found this experience to be both eye opening and inspirational. The high school students realized that some the college students experienced the same trials and tribulations in high school like they are now experiencing, yet a college education was still attainable despite life’s setbacks.
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