Nurturing Success in Minority students
“Minority Students Benefit Academically From Improved Self-Esteem” - http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com
I thought this article was fascinating. It evoked a lot of emotion in me as I thought about our students in Destino. It is so true that what is often holding minority students back from succeeding in college is their lack of belief that they are actually capable of reaching their goals.
So many Latinos are coming in as Freshmen with a false view of themselves as inferior. They struggle to find their place on a campus like Texas A&M that is majority caucasian. What an impact we can make in their lives if we work at nurturing their true identity as valuable, worthy children of God.
We have done much this past year to try to help our Destino students learn how to manage their time better, not procrastinate, and make use of some basic study skills. But what have we done to try to grow their sense of belonging? What have we done to help cultivate their sense of worth? I think this may be an important key in helping Latino students graduate. If more Hispanic students finish college, the effects will be felt for generations to come.
Let’s pray for such a transformation: a future reality where Latino students come into college fully confident in who they are and what they are capable of accomplishing.
