Latino Summit at Harper aims to inspire high school students

Nearly 500 students - most of them high school freshmen from 13 schools in the Northwest suburbs - at the Latino Summit at Harper College, listening to the story of a man who escaped from Cuba at age 16 to make his fortune here.

The summit aims to instill the value of higher education and the importance of sticking with school to students who seek out college less frequently than their peers.

The keynote address was delivered by Andres Lara, who arrived in this country broke, homeless and speaking no English. Now, "The Cuban Guy," as Lara is widely known, is the CEO of A. Success Training, former president of Inspiration Magazine, author of three books and has appeared on radio shows and in news articles.

Students also heard from 55 professional Latino panelists who discussed obstacles they've encountered, how they incorporate their cultural identity into their professional life and advice they have. About 60 current Latino college students relayed their experiences on various campuses. Presentations were made in English and Spanish.

Juanita Bassler, a recruiting specialist at Harper and one of the event's 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.

"We're in our 15th year now, and it has been 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."

The Latino Summit is a self-supported endeavor and each year must find funds to finance the event and the scholarships provided to deserving seniors. For information or to offer financial support, contact Claudia Rueda-Alvarez at Cruedaalvarez@maine207.org.