On March 10, staff from the Office of Latino/Latin American Studies, OLLAS, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, UNO, brought together more than 100 Latino high school students from the Omaha-area to share one clear message: college is achievable, and support is available.
That was the theme of OLLAS’s first ever student conference, which had 15 teachers from 10 Omaha public high schools in attendance, as well as over 20 undergraduate volunteers and a variety of UNO and OLLAS alumni.
The conference was created to promote higher education and inform Latino high school students in the Omaha metro about the numerous resources and opportunities available to them as they pursue further education at UNO, said Ana Diaz-Orozco, the community engagement coordinator for OLLAS.
“The conference seeks to empower and show participants that college is attainable,” Diaz-Orozco said.
Students spent the day on campus and engaged in seminars with faculty, staff, and alumni. Ultimately, event organizers like Diaz-Orozco hope the event would help demystify the college experience for first-generation students.
OLLAS faculty and UNO staff shared information about the admission process, financial aid opportunities and the different learning communities on campus. Among the high schools in attendance were: Benson High School, Bryan High School, Buena Vista High School, Burke High School, North High School, South High School, Ralston High School, Papillion La Vista High School, Bellevue East High School, and Bellevue West High School.
The conference’s keynote speaker was Valerie Gómez, a first-generation college graduate and a fourth-year PhD student at the University of California San Diego. Gómez is the founder of Latina Grad Guide, a social impact venture that serves as a support community for Latinas in higher education.
Gómez spoke about her own higher education story as the daughter of immigrants, sharing advice and resources to help others in attendance do the same.
Contact the writer at natalie@el-perico.com