Huntington Beach : College Opens Program to Encourage Minorities

Golden West College has begun a recruitment program to encourage minorities, especially Latinos, to enroll in the community college.

Americo Lopez-Rodriguez, professor of Spanish at Golden West, will head the program. Lopez-Rodriguez said the Latino population in the county is growing rapidly but that community colleges are not reaching out for these students.

“For minorities, especially the ones who had problems in high school, community colleges are the ideal place,” Lopez-Rodriguez said. Community colleges are inexpensive, offer remedial courses, and allow students to stay close to their hometowns and families, he pointed out.

The recruitment program, staffed by Lopez-Rodriguez and two assistants, will make contacts with prospective students through high schools and community agencies. Lopez-Rodriguez said he is also trying to establish a community advisory board.

It is important for parents to realize the value of their children receiving an education instead of entering the work force directly after high school, he said.

“People who attend college are better off in the long run, even if they just take one vocational course,” Lopez-Rodriguez said, adding that for many minorities, community colleges are the perfect bridge to a four-year university.

Besides Latinos, the college’s recruitment program is aimed at helping black, American Indian and Asian students, he said.