COUNTYWIDE : Latino Students Will Be Honored

More than 300 Latino students from throughout Orange County will be honored for their academic success April 12 at Rancho Santiago College.

The third annual Distinguished Chicano/Latino Scholars Program awards will recognize students who have earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average based on a scale of 4.0. There are about 4,000 Latino students now enrolled in the college, making up about 20% of the total enrollment.

“It’s always nice to honor students who have really worked hard,” said Lynne Stedman, dean of counseling, school and college relations. “The evening is tremendously exciting for the students and also a source of pride for their families and friends.”

Stedman said the awards are the college’s way of giving Latino students some extra encouragement and recognition.

“I think it helps to eliminate some of the stereotypes that exist regarding the importance of education in the Latino community,” Stedman said. “It’s important for the college community to realize that we have scholars in our midst to whom education is very important.”

Leonard Olguin, a professor of education at Cal State Long Beach and a lecturer on cultural diversity, will be the evening’s keynote speaker.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. in Phillips Hall on the college’s Santa Ana campus at Bristol and 17th streets. A reception will follow in Room 201 of the Johnson Center.

The awards are sponsored by the college and the Santiago Club, a community service organization.