Latino Summit at Harper College promotes higher education

Hundreds of area high school students recently visited Harper College for the 16th annual Latino Summit, an event that aims to instill the value of higher education and the importance of sticking with school amid the reality that Latino students seek out college less frequently than their peers.

The students, most of them high school freshmen, heard from a panel of Latino professionals who discussed obstacles they've encountered, how they incorporate their cultural identity into their professional life and advice they have.

A keynote address was given by speaker Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz, an author and entrepreneur who works to inspire others through stories of her youth and experiences.

During the second half of the all-day event on Nov. 18, summit-goers heard from a panel of college students and discussed the roles that tradition and vision play in becoming a modern Latino/a.

Juanita Bassler, a recruiting specialist at Harper and one of the Latino Summit organizers, said a majority of the students come from families in which going to college is far from a sure thing. Seeing others like them going on to do successful things is the best motivation.

"It's incredible to see the rate of retention among students who came to the summit when they were freshmen," Bassler said. "They're finishing high school, and many are continuing their education beyond that."