Jennifer Kitzmann
Staff Writer
The Mosaic Cultural Institute, formerly IMRCD, is working on putting together a new support group called Latinas Unidas to support student’s educational needs and employment issues.
“We had an informational meeting in April to see if there was any interest in starting this group and received a favorable response,” MCI administrator Sylvia Lopez said.
Although the Latino Student Forum does provide opportunities to educate the University community about issues that are important to the Latino community, the group Latinas Unidas will be taking a step further to help students on a more personal level.
“We have 36 percent of Latinos on campus and this is a great way to be proactive in addressing the educational needs in the Latin community,” executive director for the Mosaic Cultural Institute, Maria Grandone-Llorente said.
The club will provide a forum where students can feel safe to discuss issues that are affecting them, such as family support, health and social issues and is dedicated to the Latino student in providing them with developing a mentor relationship in helping them with their goals toward the educational process.
“This is also a venue where resources that may be underutilized by the Latina population will be brought to them so that they can become more familiar with them and aid in their success at ULV,” said Lopez. “Students will a have access to a learning enhancement center, health center and counseling center.”
These efforts will encourage the members toward active participation and involvement in the association and the University community.
Latinas Unidas is said to start in the fall of 2005 and the scheduled dates will be determined at the beginning of the fall semester.
Jennifer Kitzmann can be reached at jlynnjen88@msn.com.
