director speaking to room of students
The summit was held on July 15th on the UTPB campus with 30 students in attendance.

The University of Texas Permian Basin hosted our first Hispanic & Latinx College Summit on Friday July 15th, 2022. The event was put on for high school students to show them the benefits of earning a college degree. Topics throughout the day included first generation college students, overcoming struggles minority students might face, and first steps to beginning the college process. There were 30 students in attendance at this all-day event including students from the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Upward Bound program.

“Many Hispanic Serving Institutions around the country have similar events on their campuses,” said UTPB Recruitment and Communications Specialist, Elida Escarcega. “UTPB is proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institution. We feel it’s our duty to go the extra mile for all students and especially minority students who often face more challenges."

Students were able to go on campus tours, attend workshops that were specific to their school grade, and receive a keynote address from Sam Torres who is a UTPB alum. The workshop presenters and volunteers were all UTPB staff. The event was also a success thanks to the HSI STEM Program under Dr. Raj Dakshinamurthy. This funding helped cover the t-shirts the students received and the student’s meals throughout the day.

We would like to thank all our volunteers for making this event a success, and extend our gratitude to the workshop presenters: Dr. Tanya Lowery, Selene Corcino, Alejandro Castro, and Joshua Lujan.

If you’re interested in attending next year’s event please fill out the Hispanic and Latin X College Summit 2023 Interest Form. The exact date is to be determined, but it will be held in the summer. In order to attend, students must be a high school student or recently graduated senior.

HLCS 2023 Interest Form