Eighteen Wichita area high school students got a taste of college life – and two hours of college credit – by successfully completing the 2010 Newman University Hispanic Scholar Program.
The students, who performed individualized projects in the biological, health or physical sciences, were selected for the program as part of an ongoing effort by Newman to keep Hispanic students in high school and encourage them to pursue higher education. The students were recognized at a Dec. 1 banquet and awards ceremony on the Newman campus.
The Hispanic Scholar Program was created in 2001 to address concerns about the high dropout rate among Hispanic high school students. The program is offered to Wichita and Sedgwick County Hispanic high school sophomores, juniors and seniors, and is designed to strengthen students’ pre-college science, mathematics, and English skills by making learning a fun and familiar experience.
Surendra Singh, Ph.D., professor of biology at Newman University and Hispanic Scholar Program founder and director, congratulated the participants and stressed the importance of helping Hispanic students finish high school and consider entering college.
“This group is at high risk for dropping out, which forecloses a lifetime of opportunities and, consequently makes it far more likely that their own children may be placed at risk,” he said. “This program strongly supports the Newman University goal to build a stronger and prosperous community by investing in people and enriching their quality of life.”
Newman University waives the tuition of $1,324 for each student and provides facilities and instructional materials. In addition to earning two hours of college credit, students receive a certificate of completion.
The program uses an inquiry-based, interdisciplinary approach to learning that integrates different academic disciplines. Each student conducts a literature search, performs laboratory and field experiments, collects data, analyzes results, draws conclusions and writes a paper in a scientific format. Students are encouraged to present their papers at the annual Kansas Junior Academy of Science meeting.
Students who participated in the 2010 program are listed below by high school:
Wichita East High School
Makenna Caballer
Eivet Perez
Fatima Posada
Wichita Heights High School
Alyssa Benivamonde
Bronson Escalada
Alma Garcia
Jared Medina
Mathew Molina
Guadalupe Quezada
Erika Saenz
Yvonne Sanenz
Wichita North High School
Maribel Fraire
Cynthia Gomez
Jasmine Herrera
Stephanie Linares
Lizette Serrano
Wichita Northeast Magnet High School
Isabela Nickel
Alex Urbina
