Latina Students to Attend CSUN Forum

More than 350 Latina junior high and high school students from throughout the San Fernando Valley have signed up to attend a special forum at Cal State Northridge intended to encourage them to go to college and pursue careers in engineering.

The “Young Latina Forum,” to be held April 28, was organized by the school’s student chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

“It’s their way of giving back to the community,” said CSUN spokeswoman Carmen Ramos Chandler. “Their main goal is to encourage these young people to see higher education as a viable option.”

But first, they have to finish high school, she said.

The forum, similar to another held last year for Latino boys, includes shows, workshops, and speakers, with an emphasis on offering role models to the girls.

Some of the schools sending students to the event include Olive Vista Middle School in Sylmar, Pacoima Middle School, Byrd Middle School in Sun Valley, Kennedy High School in Granada Hills and Monroe High School in North Hills.

Organizers hope to continue the forums every year as a means of encouraging minority students to pursue professional careers, Ramos Chandler said. Cal State Northridge has a 55% minority population--35% Latino--and the percentage of minorities on campus is expected to increase to 60% in the next school year.

The forum is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Student Union near the center of campus at 18111 Nordhoff St.