Scholarships + Mentoring = Success For College Students

USA - English

• Latin America - español

AUSTIN, Texas, April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Hispanic Scholarship Consortium (HSC) today announced the appointment of Ricky Ramon as its Director of Programs & Operations to oversee all aspects of recruitment and retention of HSC scholars. He also will be responsible for parent and family involvement programs to ensure parental support and motivation for the students. The community-based HSC and its coalition partners are dedicated to providing financial and mentoring support to the increasing number of Texas' Latino students wishing to pursue a higher education.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120423/DC89616)

Hispanics are nearly 40 percent of the state's population and Latino children represented over 90 percent of the public school enrollment increase during the past decade. In Texas, 35 percent of all Latino children fall into the poverty category, which makes higher education a financial and life-style challenge. According to HSC its board members and coalition partners are committed to ensuring this growing segment of the state's future workforce and leadership are not lost for want of financial and moral support to prepare them for a meaningful role as employees, taxpayers and voters in Texas and their respective communities.

"I am thrilled to return to Texas and contribute to the educational advancement of students who are pursuing their dreams of a higher education," said Mr. Ramon, who graduated from Pearsall (Texas) High School in 1995. "Financial support is essential to the pursuit of higher education, but in my personal and professional experiences mentorship may be as important."

"We are delighted to bring someone of Mr. Ramon's caliber and experience. He brings over 12 years of educational and classroom experience — from middle to high school and university levels — and has first-hand knowledge of the cultural and social barriers confronting our scholarship recipients, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college," said HSC Executive Director Octavio A. Hinojosa Mier.

The importance of mentoring is critical to success in higher education, especially when one considers that nearly two-thirds of all U.S. students who enroll at a community or for-profit college do not earn a degree within six years and only one-third of public/private four-year college students do not earn degrees. According to Hinojosa Mier over 80 percent of HSC's scholarship recipients have completed a four-year degree, resulting in one of the highest college completion rates for scholarship granting organizations in Texas. "Ricky Ramon can help HSC take a major step towards improving on this already stellar track record," he added.

Ramon received his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and English from the University of Notre Dame in 1999; a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting & Directing from Texas Tech University in 2003; a Master of Arts degree in Performance Studies from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2006; and a Master of Education degree in Arts in Education from Harvard University in 2007. He taught English and Theatre at Pearsall H.S. where he directed the One-Act Play to its first UIL area competition in over 20 years. He was the Theatre Arts Director at Alvarado (TX) H.S. where his students advanced to the 4A UIL State and Regional levels in UIL Prose & Poetry Interpretation and UIL One-Act Play.

About The Hispanic Scholarship Consortium:

HSC was founded in 2004 as a 501 (c) 3 organization in Austin, Texas as a consortium of dedicated organizations, businesses and individuals to leverage their resources in providing scholarships to area students. Since its establishment, HSC has awarded nearly $1 million in financial assistance to Texas students, which is augmented by a network of mentors that empowers scholars to graduate from college as workforce ready professionals. Over eighty percent of HSC Scholars complete their four-year degree. For more information about HSC, please visit www.hispanicscholar.org/.

Contact: Estrada Communications Group 512.335.7776

SOURCE Hispanic Scholarship Consortium