Southeastern announces Hispanic Leadership Program Board
Thursday, March 14, 2024
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – With a goal to continue the progress and promotion of the education
and leadership of Hispanic high school students in the region, Southeastern Louisiana
University’s Young Hispanic Pre-College Preparation and Leadership Program recently
announced the installation of the 2024-25 Board of Advisors.
Aristides Baraya, director of the Southeastern Latin American Business Development
Initiative, said the primary objective of the advisory board is to provide input on
the strategic direction of the Hispanic Pre-College Preparation and Leadership Program.
“The board will discuss issues of concern and areas of opportunity and support
the HLP in developing strategies to address both,” he said.
The new members of the 2024-25 Board of Advisors include the following: Javier
Chicas, CEO, Smartwashpro LLC, Hammond; Tonya Crombie, visiting professor of management,
Southeastern Department of Management and Business Administration; Miguel A. Elias,
attorney, CEO Professional Law Corporation, Kenner; Alfred “Al” Galindo, former chair
board of directors, Jefferson Parish Chamber of Commerce; Ron Abel, Southeastern Upward
Bound Program director; Saul Rubio, CEO Rubio Enterprises, Hammond; Ernesto Schweikert,
general manager TELEMUNDO TV, Metairie.
“I am thankful for the work of this board and the work of our director, Dr.
Baraya, in helping expand the opportunities and ultimately the social mobility of
Hispanic high school students of our region,” said Dean of the College of Business
Tara’ Lopez.
Southeastern has worked with the region’s Hispanic/Latino community for many
years through the HLP, developing, mentoring, and empowering young Hispanic communities
by strengthening their student skills, improving leadership capabilities, and building
a solid and literate workforce.
Baraya said the program has been an excellent opportunity for Hispanic students
to discover new faces in their lives and apply their skills in practical, real-world
applications.
“In today’s world, achieving education and stable social and economic development
generates challenges and opportunities that we must face. This is what we are particularly
building for the population of Hispanic youth in our region,” he explained.
The Hispanic population has correlated with an increase in the Hispanic student
population. From 1996 to 2016, the number of Hispanic students enrolled in schools,
colleges, and universities in the United States doubled from 8.8 million to 17.9 million.
Hispanic students now make up 22.7 percent of all people enrolled in school.
The increase in Hispanic enrollment is seen at all levels of education, from
nursery school to college, Baraya said. Hispanic enrollment rose from 14.9 percent
to 25.7 percent at the kindergarten level. The percentage of elementary school students
grades first through eighth grew from 14.1 to 25 percent. According to the Census
Bureau, high school enrollment increased from 13.2 to 23.7 percent, and college and
university students increased from 8 to 19.1 percent.
