Program eases path to college for Hispanics

A group of high school and middle school students recently got a glimpse at their potential scholastic futures. First, they have to take the first step.

Representatives from the PASOS al Futuro program, which translates to "steps toward the future," visited Lennard High on May 4.

The program was established in the Hillsborough County school district in 2005 and seeks to improve the college readiness among Hispanic students by demystifying the college admission and financial-aid process. Typically, the program takes place in the fall at one high school in each of the seven district school areas for students in eighth through 12th grades.

"This is the first year where we have held a spring version of the program tailored for students in grades 8 through 11," said Araseli Martinez-Pena, district bilingual guidance counselor. "We also wanted to ensure that it was hosted at our top two high schools with the highest Hispanic enrollment."

Besides the Lennard visit, PASOS stopped by Tampa's Alonso High on April 27. Martinez-Pena said she hopes to further expand the program for the upcoming 2010-11 school year.

Two more fall dates have already been added to the usual seven visits, and three spring dates scheduled for 2011. READ FULL STORY
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