Savannah, GA—Armstrong Atlantic State University has established
a new program, Hispanic Outreach and Leadership at Armstrong Atlantic,
or HOLA, to recruit and advise Hispanic/Latino residents, the most
rapidly growing ethnic group in Southeast Georgia. While Hispanic
enrollment at AASU has increased over 200% in the last five years,
this population remains under-served and presents special challenges
to the local Savannah community.
"HOLA will substantially increase Armstrong Atlantic's ability
to offer assistance to Hispanic and Latino students by providing
financial support for the cost of tuition and all student fees,"
said Joe Buck, vice president of AASU's Division of Student Affairs.
"The program will also provide enhanced advising and support
services in the areas of academic performance and college living
adjustment."
The grant endows The Goizueta Foundation Scholars Fund, which will
provide annual need based scholarship assistance to Hispanic/Latino
students at Armstrong Atlantic. The grant also supports recruitment
activities and provides for the salary of a full time Hispanic recruiter/advisor.
Recent research from The Georgia Commission on Hispanic Affairs,
a task force created by former Gov. Roy Barnes, reported that 77%
of Hispanic students cited financial difficulties as a major reason
for leaving school.
"The most significant
benefit of the HOLA program will be to substantially decrease the
percentage of students leaving school for financial reasons,"
said Melody Ortiz, recruiter/advisor for the HOLA program. Ortiz
has been a recruiter for Armstrong Atlantic for more than two years.
She is fluent in Spanish and will concentrate her efforts on recruiting
Hispanic/Latino students and providing assistance and support to
the HOLA program.
To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate financial need and have
a 3.0 grade point average upon completion of a high school college
preparatory curriculum. Students may also transfer after completing
30 credit hours from an accredited university, college, or two-year
community college. Recipients must maintain a 3.0 grade point average
during the term of the scholarship, and commit to 30 hours of leadership
service in Hispanic oriented community projects.
The Goizueta Foundation was established by the late Roberto C. Goizueta,
who served as Chief Executive Officer of The Coca-Cola Company until
1997. The primary focus of The Goizueta Foundation is to assist
organizations that empower individuals and families at risk through
educational opportunities to improve their quality of life.
For more information, contact Melody Ortiz at 912.921.5426.
August
6 , 2003
