The UA Hispanic Alumni Club

Monday, 29 March 2010 21:09

It is easy for even the most confident of students to feel lost and sometimes insecure at such a large school like The University of Arizona.  This year, with a freshman class of  7,000, it is especially important for students to find a place where they can go to receive advice, guidance and support.

The UA Hispanic Alumni Club (UAHA) has been that place for Hispanic students since 1982. Offering scholarships, academic guidance programs and even a place to meet peers. The UAHA has helped thousands of students succeed while also enjoying life here at the UA.

Oscar Lujan, the Executive Director of the UA Hispanic Alumni, said his favorite part of working at UAHA is seeing the students graduate.

“It is nice to see the kids go through all four years succeeding and then see them graduate," he said. "It’s watching dreams come true.”

Lujan said the UAHA will have handed out 40 to 50 scholarships to some of the 234 students the program is working with this year.

“We have a really good retention rate," he said. "It’s around 90 percent for the students who will stay in UAHA and will graduate in four years.”

Students do not have to apply for a membership to be a part of the UAHA, however, there is an application and review process in order to receive a scholarship from the program.

Erin Kunces, a senior at UA, says she believes the UAHA is more than just an academic program offered at the school.

“I have friends who were considering transferring because they felt overwhelmed at first," she said. "Then a couple of them heard about this program and they really found a place to make them feel like they belonged.”

Lujan said that feeling left out is not the only common problem he finds among freshmen.

“I also see when the high schools do not prepare them well enough for college," he said. "So if they come here, we can direct them to tutors, learning centers and programs to help keep up their GPA.”

Even though UAHA students come from all over, the majority come from closer locations such as Nogales, Douglas, Yuma and Phoenix. Lujan also stressed how important it is for current students to see Alumni members still being active.

"They set such a good example, even though their college days are over, they are still around, still involved and give back to the program that helped them succeed."

Lujan said that UAHA spreads the word about its program to young students in high school so that they are aware of it before they enter the university. UAHA also closely works with the Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs office to help expand their network on campus.

For more information about UAHA, visit their website or visit the UA Alumni Office in the Marvin D. "Swede" Johnson Building.

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Written by Marcy Christine Jones You are reading The UA Hispanic Alumni Club articles