I remember at least once going to apply for an emergency loan on campus. I held my head down in shame.
is a deputy editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune and an adjunct professor and lives in Chula Vista. It was 1982, my freshman year at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I was away from home for the first time, adjusting to college life, and trying to make ends meet.
I could not fully depend on my parents to support me financially, though they helped as much as they could. Much of the information I received about scholarships, student loans and emergency loans came by word of mouth from older students at the university, specifically my friends at , a small cultural center on campus where many of us from inner-city Chicago hung out. Many of us were first-time college students. Many of our parents were immigrants, primarily Spanish speakers who were unable to help us financially.Some of the students were working on personal essays to submit with applications for the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund. I had never heard of it. But I later learned the nonprofit organization was one of the largest of its kind, distributing thousands of dollars to Latino students from coast to coast. That essay mattered. That was a huge part of the selection process along with grades and extracurricular activities. And many of us had incredible stories to share. There were stories about being the first in our family to attend college. Stories about growing up in single-parent households. And stories about cultural barriers we had to endure to get accepted to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the first place. Once we arrived, we struggled to fit in, learning Latinos wereAs I recall, the deadline to apply for the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund was usually in the fall. Most of us forgot about that scholarship until spring semester when we needed the money most. There were times we’d share meals to save money or have anxiety attacks receiving letters from the university reminding us that bills for tuition or room and board were late. Many of us held part-time jobs while going to school full time. And many of us would end up taking out student loans, but it wasn’t enough. I remember at least once going to apply for an emergency loan on campus. I held my head down in shame at the business window and made as little eye contact as possible while filling out that application. I applied for every scholarship I could find. Yet it seemed to be the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund that came through for me more than once. I can still remember feeling the joy and relief when that envelope arrived in the mail. Inside — a scholarship check with my name on it, when I needed it the most. I don’t remember exactly how much I received, but I do know it distributes from $500 to $5,000 based on need. After graduation, years later, once I started teaching media classes in San Diego at various colleges and universities, I’d see the young Latinas walking on campus and I saw myself. I often thought of their struggles. And that made me encourage all of my students to apply for scholarships including the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund.now has dozens of business partners who help it support students. The fund’s website says it has awarded over $500 million in scholarships to more than 65,000 scholars since 1975. On Thursday, the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund is hosting a networking event here in San Diego called Leaders Uniting & Networking for Advancement . It will bring together local scholarship recipients and young alumni who have participated in past programs to network with accomplished professionals in all fields. It starts at 6 p.m. at the Westin Hotel Downtown San Diego. Next time you see a Latino college student, remember, you may not know the financial toll it’s taken on their family to get them there. Donations to the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund are tax-deductible and 95 cents of every dollar goes directly to scholarships, support services, career services and programs that serve parents, K-12 students, scholars and alumni. Anyone can give. With every little bit, we can all help struggling students alleviate some stress. High achievers and students who want to further their education should not be held back because they can’t afford it. And I do believe that we can all make a difference one donation at a time.
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