Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 1

Hacia Adelante:

Increasing Latino Student Success Through Programmatic Intervention  

Alejandro Ramirez, Alejandro Raskind, Sergio Gutierrez, Meryl Hansana, Luz Rodriguez

Northern Illinois University

 Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 2

Introduction

As time and history goes on in the United States, we are starting to see a change in the

demographics. Currently, Latinos account for the 2nd largest demographic population behind

Caucasian. It is Predicted that in a few decades the Latino population will double and be close to

becoming the leading demographic in the United States (Passel, 2012). In correlation with the

rising Latino population in the United States, there has been a large increase in Latino enrollment

in post-secondary education. With such a large increase in Latino students, one would expect that

there would be an increase in resources to support this growing population of students. However,

according to the substantially low graduation rate of this population, there is little to no support

towards their academic success in higher education.

In an effort to better support this population of students and increase retention and

graduation rates, our group recommended that institutions should, if they have not already,

implement a Latino Resource Center that supports the growth and development of the growing

Latino student population. Within the Latino Resource Center our programmatic intervention

includes a mentorship program, a push on Latino student involvement in student organizations,

and acknowledgement of mental health and how a sense of community may decrease mental

health issues. Although our programmatic intervention derives from multiple student

development theories, the two main overarching theories that were discussed are Critical Race

and Torres’s Model of Hispanic Identity Development Theory.

Literature Review

According to the 2010 US Census, Latinos are the 2 largest demographic population in
nd

the United States. Although the presence of the Latino community is already so large, it is

expected to double in the following decades (Passel, 2012). While the population of Latinos
 Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 3

continues to grow, one would assume that there would be an increase in Latino students, as well

as Latino college completion. However, research designed by Pew Research Center tabulations

of the March Current Population Survey (2006) suggest that only 15% of Latinos from age 25-29

have a bachelor's degree or more (Appendix A).

In order to get a better understanding of where the disconnect may be between Latinos

and college completion, one may think to look into the relationship between Latinos and high

school completion. In doing so, The U.S. Census Bureau October Current Population Survey

proved that more Latino students are graduating high school, as the dropout rates have gone from

35% in to 12% from 2000-2014 (Appendix B). The same study also demonstrates an increase of

12% in Latino college enrollment (Appendix C). While the statistics seem to support Latino

student success, it fails to look at how Latinos perform while already enrolled in college, which

seems to be where the disconnect occurs. In a study done by the National Center for Education

Statistics, which tracks the graduation rates of a cohort of college students from 1996 to 2009, it

is shown that the graduation rate of Latino students is 10-12 percent lower than the average

graduation rate. This proves that the problem is not getting Latino students to college, but rather

keeping them in college.

With that being said, our group has come up with a programmatic intervention that is

focused on providing support for Latino students during their first year, as well as throughout

their college experience at a mid-size institution. The program is supported by the overarching

Critical Race Theory and Torres’ Model of Hispanic Identity Development along with other

student development theories that further elaborate on different aspects of student development.

The Critical Race Theory is described by Purdue Writing Lab (n.d.), as a movement that focuses

on understanding how race, racism, and power interact with one another in all systems of
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American society. Meanwhile, Torres’ Model of Hispanic Identity Development is more focused

on the environmental factors and familial influences that shape one’s self-perception and place in

society (Evans et al, 2010).  Both of which work together to demonstrate how a Latino student

would begin to develop their understanding of their identity and how it they are viewed in

society. The book titled, “Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice” by

Nancy Evans was referenced a couple times in order to develop and understand the theoretical

framework behind our group’s programmatic intervention. It was not only used to gather more

information on the two overarching theories, but also on Schlossberg’s Transition Model, Kolb’s

Theory of Experiential Learning, and Ferman and Gallego’s Ethnic Identity Development of

Latinos/Hispanics/Chicanos, which assisted the overarching themes in explaining the purpose

and possible benefits of our intervention.

In order to develop our programmatic intervention, we had to start by understanding that,

“Latinos develop orientations or lenses based on experiences with social institutions including

the family, educational system, peer groups and U.S. cultural racial constructs” (Covington,

2010). While a student’s relationship with their family and understanding of the U.S. cultural

racial constructs is out of any institutions control, environmental factors such as peer groups can

be positively influenced by an institutions ability to connect marginalized students to others like

them. According to a literature review by Alcocer and Martinez (2018), there is a direct

correlation between mentoring, student adjustment, higher levels of retention, and overall

academic success, which is why our programmatic intervention includes a mentorship program.

Not only will it help increase the academic success of the Latino population, but it will also help

create better concepts of self-perception, societal worth, and cultural pride (Evans et. Al, 2010).

These outcomes can also be expected when students are involved in student organizations.
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The Latino Resource Center will promote student involvement in student organizations

because it creates opportunities for students to learn leadership and professional skills through

experience and gain positive relationships that research has suggest contributes to academic

success (Research Alliance for New York City Schools). Not only will students gain positive

relationships with their mentors and students from different student organizations, but they will

also gain a sense of belonging with the Latino Resource Center and its community as a whole. In

an article titled, “Exploring College Student Development”, inclusionary community building is

listed as one of the many initiatives campus’ should take to create a safe space for students,

which is why the Latino Resource center will make it a priority to build a strong sense of

community throughout the academic years with welcome back celebrations, as well as holiday

potlucks. In a study conducted by Ferrel and DeCrane (2016) students proposed that feeling

welcomed in a community along with seeing different involvement opportunities catered to

minorities would help them be more successful in pursuing a degree.

Overall, the goal of the programmatic intervention is to raise the retention and graduation

rates of Latino Students, but also look after their well-being by providing them with a number of

opportunities for them to get involved and feel welcomed into the community. According to

Arbona and Jimenez, not succeeding academically along with lacking social connections in

college can lead to higher levels of depression. This is why the Latino Resource Center will work

to provide both academic and personal support, including mental health workshops, in order for

students to succeed all around.

Context

        Currently, Latinos account for the 2nd largest demographic population behind Caucasian

per the 2010 US Census. As Latinos contribute as the second biggest population of the country,
 Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 6

they suffer as the worst in college completion. In a recent study by Pew Research Center

tabulations of the March Current Population Survey (2006) only 15% of Latinos from age 25-29

have a bachelor's degree or more (Appendix A). It is difficult to see how it is possible that

populations that are larger and smaller than Latino are doing better in college. It could have been

that there are not many Latinos in College, so we wanted to check if it was that there are more

Latinos that are not going to college.

Historically, Latinos have had highest dropout rates of all demographics since the 80s. In

the recent decade and a half, it has dropped down substantially. The U.S. Census Bureau October

Current Population Survey found out that the Latino high school dropout rate went from 35% in

to 12% from 2000-2014 (Appendix B). The students are getting through High School but are not

following through to college. We also then went onto check if there has been an increase in

Latino rate along that same time. In another research done by the same U.S. Census Bureau, the

Latino college enrollment has increased by about 12% during 2000-2014 (Appendix C). Since

there isn’t much of an increase of enrollment in college during the time that the dropout rate has

decreased for Hispanics, we then think that the succeeding issue comes from the colleges

themselves.

In a study done by the National Center for Education Statistics titled Graduation rate

from first institution attended for first time, full time bachelor’s degree-seeking students at 4-year

postsecondary institutions, by race/ethnicity, time to competition, sex, control of institution, and

acceptance rate: Selected cohort entry years, 1996 through 2009 (2016), they researched

graduation rates of cohorts that started college institutions from 1996 to 2009 (Appendix D).

These graduation rates were then broken down by how long it took them to graduate, what kind

of institution it was, by gender, and by the demographics. For our research, we focused on what
 Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 7

percentage of all Latino students that attended all institutions graduated. We also took it a step

farther and looked at both rates for 4-year graduates and 6-year graduates. Looking at the recent

2009 cohort of, 30.5% of Hispanic students were able to graduate within 4 years and 53.5% by

their 6 year. These percentages were about 10-12% points below the total average which is an
th

alarming statistic. We do not have a great successful diploma rate in the Latino population and

we are not seeing much of a change coming soon.

We then dive into the possible issues that may be hindering Latino success within their

college experience. For many Latinos, they maybe commencing college with little to no

knowledge as most of the population are usually first-generation students. Wherever one takes on

a certain challenge with no prior knowledge, it becomes the most difficult task. Now we put this

in regard to college where many students are commencing to live on their own for their first

time. Many Latinos can now be interacting with people of cultures that we may have never

talked to and feel like an outside on a campus they are not represented. For these Latino students,

it becomes the most difficult when they don’t have services and programs aiming at Latino

success.

As time has gone on, there have been plenty of initiatives provided for the students to

succeed, but it is now needed more than ever for Latino students. For many being the first-

generation students in their family, the feeling of loneliness on campus can negatively affect

students’ mental health. Since mental health in Latino culture is typically overlooked, there is a

dire need for Latino students to be supported mentally on top of academically. Since Latino

presence on campuses are predicted to increase, there needs to be a safe space for them on to feel

comfortable in a new environment. Therefore, our recommendation is that colleges need to open

resource centers that will bring in programs and organizations that focus on growth and
 Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 8

challenges for Latino students. Working with current students, they can help provide mentorship

assistance for those students starting of which can then turn into a continuous cycle as they get

older. We have come up with programs for our initiative that will be aimed towards assisting a

mid-size school that has an enrollment for around 15,000. We need to focus on the success of our

current students of which can then trickle to get more enrollment and collegiate success for

future Latinos.

Theoretical Framework

In order to design our programmatic intervention, it is important to consider the theories

that will guide and inform our practice. This section will thereby provide an explanation of the

overarching theoretical framework that we considered in designing our program, as well as other

theories that we took into consideration in the programmatic intervention. The programmatic

intervention is a Latino resource center with the purpose of increasing retention and persistence

of the Latino population. The resource center will include a mentorship program, encouraging

student organization involvement and a focus on mental health initiatives.

The overarching theories that informed our programmatic intervention are critical race

theory and Torres’s model of Hispanic Identity Development.  Critical race theory is a

movement that focuses on understanding how race, racism and power interact with one another

in all systems of American society. As explained by Purdue Owl, the theory works toward

eliminating oppression in all forms including race, class, gender, power, and knowledge.  It can

be used to combat racism and race issues in society. Race is socially constructed however those

socially constructed power dynamics are engraved in many systems including higher education.

Because race has been a definer of inequity in all of the social systems created in American

society, it is important to consider that systems were created to support white heteronormative
 Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 9

males. People with identities that do not fall into the rigid “white, straight, male” category are

therefore at a disadvantage because they do not hold identities that carry power and privilege in

American society. Since Latino students are at a disadvantage in the higher education system, a

cultural center focused on supporting them, validating their experiences, connecting them to

other individuals with similar experiences and providing them resources can positively affect

them and encourage them to persist and graduate. The Latino resource center is a space in which

they can continue developing their identities in their own space that allows them to feel welcome

and safe.

The resource center also enables the students to continue developing their ethnic identity.

According to Torres’s model of Hispanic Identity Development, there are three influences that

impact a students’ ethnic identity development: environment where they grew up, family

influence and generational status, and self-perception and status in society. Within these

influences, there are two processes in which the students can engage, cultural dissonance or

changes in relationships (Evans et al, 2010).  Providing a Latino resource center can encourage

students to either develop a sense of ethnic identity or to continue developing it now that they are

away from their friends and family who might have impacted the way they viewed their ethnicity

prior to attending college.

Furthermore, the resource center can be a place where students can receive support in

understanding how their relationships with their family are changing and how they perceive their

ethnic identity.  When a student is in a new space, especially a predominantly white institution,

understanding their ethnic identity can positively impact their overall experiences in college

because they gain a understanding of themselves and their role in this new environment. This

theory also applies to the development of the mental health initiatives in our program because it
Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 10

is important to understand the stigma behind mental health in the Latino community in order to

break down the preconceived notions revolving it and helping promote mental health wellbeing

to our students.

As mentioned before, part of the programmatic approach included a mentorship program

within the resource center. The mentorship program was developed with the idea that students go

through a transitional process during their first year of college that affects their development.

Schlossberg’s Transition Model focuses on four aspects: situation, self, support and strategies

(Evans et al, 2010). In this case, the student is in a new environment and situation, for many

students a change of life situation can be an overwhelming process, therefore creating a program

that will provide them with multiple resources to understand and process this change will be

beneficial and will lead to higher retention and persistence (Evans et al, 2010). In terms of the

self, during this transition the students are learning and understanding the way their

socioeconomic status, gender, age, health, ethnicity and culture shapes their identity.

Furthermore, the students are receiving social support through the community at the resource

center as well as one on one support and guidance from their peer mentor. Finally, the

mentorship program will provide students with different strategies such as learning how to

navigate the academic curriculum, learning to navigate the higher education system at their

institution as well as gaining an understanding of what it means to be a college student.

Another component of the Latino resource center is student organizations. Co-curricular

involvement provides students with the opportunity to engage in experiential learning. To better

understand this concept, Kolb’s Theory of Experiential Learning explains that students are able

to receive knowledge through experiences outside of the classroom. Providing students with

learning opportunities can provide a basis for effective learning when students are given relevant
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experiences. Kolb’s four stages of learning include: concrete experience, reflective observation

of new experience, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The cycle allows

students to develop a concrete experience, reflect on the importance of the experience,

conceptualize new ideas to implement, and test their newly found ideas and how they could

apply them to their career. Students will effectively learn in correlation to Kolb’s integrated

process with a step by step of the logical sequence (Evans et al, 2010).

Finally, a theory that informs the Latino resource center in promoting students’

involvement in student organizations is Ferman and Gallego’s Model of Latino Identity

Development, this theory “discusses how Latino is used as an umbrella term to identify similar

looking cultural groups and people of mixed heritage and suggest Latinos develop orientations or

lenses based on experiences with social institutions including the family, education system, peer

groups and U.S. cultural racial constructs” (Evans et al, 2010). This theory allows us to

understand how students develop an understanding of their Latino identity which student

organizations help promote. The following sections will include a thorough description of every

aspect of the programmatic intervention.

Programming

When students begin college, it is easy to become lost in the new experience of life on

campus. With more academic rigor, social distractions, and less support along with guidance

from adults, it is easy for students to feel unsure and struggle with navigating college life. By

focusing on 1) providing mentorship opportunities; 2) linking students with student

organizations; and 3) providing resources for mental health, the Latino Resource center will have

a goal of being a support system that serves students overall wellbeing and promoting student

success
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Mentorship

In a literature review by Alcocer and Martinez (2018) the authors found that mentoring

led to better student adjustment, higher levels of retention, and more academic success in

college. The motivation behind creating mentorship opportunities housed within a Latino

Resource Center would be to help facilitate interactions where more experienced students from

similar backgrounds could help guide first year students through the difficult adjustment period

of becoming a successful college student. The overall goal of pairing first year students with

mentoring juniors and seniors would be to keep these students on track and promote retention

amongst them. Some additional predicted positive outcomes that will result from this initiative

include 1) better study habits and as a result better grades; 2) better time management and

balancing skills; 3) better self-care techniques; 4) healthier decision making and prioritization

(i.e. studying for the final instead of attending a party); and 5) well-adjusted students who report

higher levels of overall satisfaction with their campus experience.

Latino students find themselves facing deficits in college success (Alcocer & Martinez,

2018). Motivated by principles from Critical Race Theory, this mentorship program seeks to

eliminate gaps in college success (Evans et. al, 2010). Utilizing components of Torres’s Model

of Hispanic Identity Development and Ferdman and Gallegos Ethnic Identity Development of

Latinos/Hispanics/Chicanos, the mentorship program will provide Latino/a/x students with

opportunities to form positive relationships with peers from similar backgrounds to promote

higher levels of college success (Evans et. al, 2010). Furthermore, through forming these positive

relationships, this mentorship intervention has a goal of fostering viewpoints of positive self-

perception, societal worth, and pride in one’s heritage amongst members of the program as

mentees meet mentors who are role models who encourage their mentees to be their best selves.
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Creating better concepts of self-perception, societal worth and cultural pride creates better

chances for students to be successful in college (Evans et. al, 2010).  

When placing students with mentors it is important to see each mentee and their given

situation as unique. Furthermore, during the pairing process, it should be considered which

mentors would be a good fit for certain unique mentees. Whenever possible mentees will be

assigned mentors from the same major or if undecided then an intended major or major of

interest will be considered when pairing mentees with mentors. Additionally, through the use of

questionnaires, such as demographic questionnaires and basic personality tests, mentees will be

paired with mentors with similar, backgrounds, personality styles, and ways of thinking. This is

intended to ease a better working relationship and help to build a stronger bond between mentees

and their mentors.  

To prepare students for their experience as mentors, trainings both prior to becoming a

mentor and throughout to program will be provided to students taking on a mentoring role in

order to keep their workings with mentees professional and effective. Bi-weekly team meeting

will be held, led by program supervisors, to keep mentors well-informed and to provide any

necessary updates or raise any group concerns. In addition to team meetings, there will be

monthly performance reviews, where a program supervisor will check in with each mentor

individually to evaluate how they are doing in their role as a mentor. These performance reviews

will typically take 10-30 minutes but may last longer depending on the severity of the topics that

need to be gone over. Similarly, mentees will receive monthly performance reviews, to keep

them on track and evaluate how their experience with the program is going. Some students may

be facing unique life circumstances that require that their mentors have extra skills and trainings.

In order to better prepare for these situations, mentors will be required to complete ally trainings
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for: 1) LGBTQ students and 2) undocumented students, to become more experienced in how to

best serve mentees who fall into these populations. As part of their regular performance reviews,

mentors will not only be evaluated on their general strengths and weaknesses while working with

mentees, but will be evaluated on how well they are able to serve as allies for students from

LGBTQ+ and undocumented student populations.

Mentors and mentees will have to go through an orientation process prior to the start of

the program. Mentors will be trained on necessary skills for being an ethical and effective

mentor. Mentees will be introduced to other students in the program and provided with

information about resources on campus. For example, students will take part in a scavenger hunt

across campus, where they will search for various important offices on campus and learn more

about what each office’s role is and how they can personally benefit from taking advantage of

that office’s resources. Additionally, both mentee and mentor students will take part in

icebreakers and team building activities with everyone in the program, to form stronger bonds

and create a larger team-feel aspect to the program.

As a reward for taking part in the mentorship program, mentors and mentees will attend

an end of the year retreat together to celebrate a successful academic year. This retreat will

consist of an overnight, cabin camping in a nearby recreation park. Students will be provided

with opportunities to take part in fun activities including rock climbing, bonfires, games, hikes,

boating, and other various outdoor activities. Eligibility requirements will consist of remaining in

the university’s standard for good academic standing (not ending up on academic probation), no

major disciplinary issues, along with having no more than 2 unexcused absences per semester

from mentorship appointments for mentees and no more than 1 unexcused absence per semester

for mentors.
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Student Organizations

The Latino Resource promotes the involvement and participation among student

organizations by joining, attending events, and becoming a member of the community. Our

programmatic intervention for a student organization incorporate the theories Critical Race

Theory, Ethnic Identity Development of Latino and Schlossberg’s transition model will focus on

an understanding on promoting social justice, cultural awareness, professional development, and

camaraderie for students that come from marginalized communities with an understanding that

institutions continue to uphold institutional discrimination. Students of color in America

throughout its history have been disenfranchised, ancestors experienced dispossession, and

constantly exposed to discrimination through several avenues and through this understanding

faculty committed to working with this student organizations can develop student leaders that are

conscious of the society they live in. Implementing the Critical Race Theory within student

organizations can help eliminate oppression within race, class, gender, power, and knowledge

while also combating racism and race issues in society.

Student organizations at the collegiate level serve to fulfill a duty for the community of

students on campus and the members of the organization. The components of a successful

student organization include a mission, constitution, student membership, faculty advisor, and

graduate advisor. Programming and program outcomes are conducted on a semester basis, while

executive and general board meetings occur once a week. During executive board meetings

students are allowed to explore ideas to create potential events, make preliminary decisions, and

discuss internal affairs. Whereas each student organization’s purpose may differ, ultimately, all

student organizations have similar benefits for those involved and are improving undergraduate

student experiences on college campuses. When students are committed to their organization,
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they are developing social capital amongst their peers in addition to a professional network

through leadership opportunities. The experiential learning opportunities for students that are

involved on their campus receive: high quality leadership training, staff and student interaction

and engagement, and enhancing student’s motivation to become campus leaders. Some of the

benefits that are overlooked include professional development, community service, and cultural

awareness for students that are involved with organizations that occur at the Latino Resource

Center.

The practice of Cultural Awareness implemented within the student organization allows

students to celebrate the diversity of their culture while also attaining a sense of inclusion and

diversity through their peers. The student organization will allow students to showcase their

culture, how and why their family celebrate traditions and cultures. The United States have

become a melting pot of diverse cultures and ethnicities, and achieving and understanding of

others is essential to the professional environment as students and professionals. Introducing

Cultural Awareness within student organizations can be done through student presentations,

celebrations of holidays within cultural centers, and exposure to other students on campus to

ultimately achieve a diverse student perspective.

College campuses allow students to develop their identity, and grow as individuals

through student involvement, however providing students with professional development for life

after college is essential to student success. On campus the student organization can utilize career

fairs, reverse career fairs, internship fairs, student teaching, community service and volunteer

opportunities. These on campus opportunities provide the students with an experiential learning

opportunity that is hands on. While most of the learning on campus is done through classroom,

experiential learning opportunities provide the students with equal outcomes, and often times
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students enjoy these opportunities more because they are perceived to be more engaging. They

hold similar value to graduate level practicum and in addition to providing that experience, it

allows the undergraduate students to envision themselves in the position of success.

One of the most important overlooked characteristics for student organizations is the

camaraderie or brotherhood/sisterhood that is developed amongst the students. Research suggests

that students at all academic levels and educational backgrounds have higher levels of

satisfaction due to “positive relationships in schools that can contribute to academic success. For

example, studies have found that positive relationships between peers are linked to improved

student behavior, lower risk of dropping out. Likewise, the quality of student-teacher

relationships is associated with students’ engagement in learning, their academic expectations,

and college enrollment. Mentoring programs, in particular, show promise for improving a range

of student outcomes” (Research Alliance for New York City Schools, 2016).

Ferman and Gallego’s Model of Latino Identity Development “discusses how Latino is

used as an umbrella term to identify similar looking cultural groups and people of mixed heritage

and suggest Latinos develop orientations or lenses based on experiences with social institutions

including the family, education system, peer groups and U.S. cultural racial constructs”

(Covington, 2010). When student organizations like the one we have developed allow students to

celebrate and understand their culture within their community of peers they are able to raise

awareness on the several issues that are occurring within their communities. Covington believes

that students must be provided with a safe space on campus in addition to initiatives on campus

that assess policy and programs within “diversity programs, intercultural understanding

initiatives, inclusionary community building, fraternity and sorority management, development

Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 18

of safe spaces and anti-discrimination initiatives” (Exploring College Student Development,

2010).

Cultural awareness implemented within student organizations can help students

understand their individual identity in a society that is not very reflective of cultural perspectives.

Ethnic Identity Development of Latinos and Hispanics has become a larger topic of research as

the Latino population has steadily increased. While American society nurtures and individual

and independent identity, it does not “propel us toward understanding the way in which identity

may be differentially constituted in other cultures” (Rivera-Santiago, 1996). Student’s ethnic

identity is developed through family customs, language, and values, and while most students

come to college with all these developed cultural centers allow students to understand how their

cultural has helped curate them as individuals.

While student organizations are succeeding at providing students with individual

development, professional development, networking opportunities, and group cohesion,

nurturing a community on campus is 1 of the unforeseen concepts of success for minority

students that student organizations are helping develop. The study conducted by Ferrel and

DeCrane (2016), assesses students enrolled in traditional BSN programs including twelve

enrolled in associate degree programs, nineteen enrolled in baccalaureate program and their

demographics were 24 African American, four American Indian, three Asian, 2 Hispanic/Latino,

2 Native Hawaiian, and 6 other that were either Arabic, Somalian, and Persian. The students that

participated in the study were evaluated to reflect on their experiences and to address “What has

helped you be most successful when pursuing your degree?” and “What could be done to help

make your college education more meaningful and/ or less stressful?” (Ferrel et al., 2016, p. 41).

Their top responses included the institutions commitment to the students, deans that were
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supportive of minority affairs, faculty that is able to help students in their transitional and

guidance and support that they received from the institution. Notably a community of students in

addition to feeling welcomed in the community. While students also hoped to see different

involvement opportunities that catered to minority students that helped create their connections

to the college experience, other students hoped to celebrate cultural days that embraced students

of different cultures. Overall, students sought social support, academic support, and financial

support.

Mental Health

According to Arbona and Jimenez (2014) not succeeding academically along with

lacking social connections in college can lead to higher levels of depression in students causing

them to view their campus climate negatively along with leading them to feel as though they do

not have the ability to perform academically.   This means that recognizing and spreading

awareness surrounding how students are doing with their mental health is crucial to promoting

Latino student success and retention. Providing mentorship along with opportunities to join

student organizations can help benefit student’s mental health, but these 2 aspects of our

programmatic intervention alone cannot address this component of creating environments where

Latino/a/x students can thrive.

In order to promote greater mental health, along with overall student success, there is a

need to create a greater sense of community across a Latino Resource Center as a whole.

Through creating events within the resource center that are welcoming to any student on campus

who wishes to attend, the resource center can be seen as a more welcoming environment that

creates a sense of belonging for students on campus. Events such as “Welcome back” events to

kick off the semester, holiday potlucks, and mental health awareness events, particularly
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targeting “high risk” periods for mental health turmoil, such as study breakfasts at finals or

midterms would be beneficial to students overall mental health, by seeking to achieve a goal of

creating a supportive community within the resource center. Additionally, partnerships with both

on-campus or community mental health resources would be beneficial to students if they are

facing situations that require utilizing services from mental health professionals.

As explained by Torres’s Model of Hispanic Identity Development, Latino students are

susceptible to forming negative self-perceptions, particularly in relation to their worth within the

society (Evans, 2010). Furthermore, Torres’s Model of Hispanic Identity Development explains

that cultural dissonance can occur, where students feel a need to separate from their culture, to

meet the expectations of society, which can cause internal conflict for students (Evans, 2010). As

a result, this can lead to Latino students forming unhealthy relationships (Evans, 2010). By

encouraging positive relationships through building a strong community within the Latino

Resource Center, our intervention has a goal of protecting students from falling into unhealthy

thought patterns, therefore preventing cultural dissonance and the forming of unhealthy

relationships that could hold students back from being successful on campus.

At the start of each semester, the Latino Resource Center will hold a “Welcome back”

event known as “¡Bienvenidos!”, translating to “welcome” in English. This will be an open event

for students previously involved in the Latino Resource Center, students looking to get involved

with the Latino Resource Center, and any other students interested in attending the event. Each

semester, “¡Bienvenidos!” will be opened with a formal introduction to the Latino Resource

Center led by the Directory, Graduate Assistants, and undergraduate leaders. Through this

introduction the Latino Resource Center’s role on campus including resources pertaining to

mental health, the mentorship program, and becoming involved with various student
Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 21

organizations throughout the campus. A calendar with other future events hosted by the Latino

Resource Center, along with other events hosted by other departments on campus that are seen as

beneficial to students (i.e. career fairs and walk-in advising hours). On the calendar passed out to

students, a link will be listed to the Latino Resource Center’s website, Facebook, Instagram, and

Twitter, along with a Snap code that will link students to the Latino Resource Center’s Snapchat.

The motive behind providing students with these resources is to motivate them to plan ahead and

to stay connected with the Latino Resource Center to promote greater involvement. The

introduction will close with a motivational speech from an inspiring member of the Latino/a/x

community. The speaker can be either a student, staff, faculty, or an invited guest.

Following the formal introduction, “¡Bienvenidos!” will serve a traditional food from a

Latino/a/x culture, voted on by currently active students in the Latino Resource Center.

“¡Bienvenidos! Will alternate which culture’s food is served each semester to encourage students

to learn about other Latino/a/x cultures, fostering a sense of diversity and inclusion among the

Latino/a/x community. First time visitors to the Latino Resource Center will be encouraged to sit

at a table with more involved students to learn more about the advantages and opportunities

associated with being involved with the center. The once a semester “¡Bienvenidos!” events do

not have to be the only opportunities for students to gather socially at the Latino Resource

Center. To continue to strengthen a sense of community and an on-campus presence, the Latino

Resource Center will also host holiday potlucks, where students can bring in a food of their

choice to share with other attendees and socialize amongst each other. These potlucks can be

used to celebrate holidays with events tailored to various holidays but can also be great

opportunities for providing updates on events and reminders about resources offered through the

Latino Resource Center and the campus as a whole.

Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 22

In order to better serve students’ mental health and wellness, the Latino Resource Center

will promote mental health resources and self-care tactics. The center will pay particular

attention to high stress periods for students and host study breakfasts during finals and midterms

weeks. These study breakfasts are intended to give students a place to study, eat, and receive

social support while completing assignments and studying for exams. Each exams week, the

LRC will hold 3 study breakfasts, 1 will be held in the morning, another will be held at

dinnertime, and a final one will be held at midnight. By scheduling study breakfasts at different

times throughout different days, the goal is to accommodate students with various schedules and

commitments, with a hope to reach more students.

The Latino resource center will provide students with resources including how to seek

mental health service providers on-campus or in the community. Additionally, events at the

Latino Resource Center will be scheduled surrounding sensitive situations that arise on-campus

or nationally that the Latino Resource Center views as potentially having a negative effect on

Latino students. At these events students will be reminded about resources on campus and if

counselors are available from the college’s counseling center they will be invited to be there to

support the students in attendance. Students will be reminded that the Latino Resource Center is

there to support them and that there is a safe place for them on campus.

Latinos, not excluding students of color and all minorities are not accustomed to the

diverse campus upon their arrival. Some students experience difficulty in the classroom while

adapting to the curriculum, others may experience a culture shock due to the different

demographics represented on campus, and some may simply miss their family dynamic back

home. Under these circumstances it is easy to understand why students find it difficult to stay

motivated, and have little academic persistence, this is represented by the low retention rates on
Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 23

campus for minorities. Understanding these concerns, it is essential for student success and

retention to administrate mental health checks within student hosted meetings allow the students

to develop a safe space while also forming a bond of trust and accountability with their peers.

Diversity dialogues allow the students to address some of the issues they experience as first-

generation college students in addition to expressing the pressures they experience on campus.

Mental health issues can go unnoticed and setting up a conversation amongst peers allows

students to communicate some of the issues that are not often discussed in academic

environments. While some student’s culture shuns the idea of expressing mental health issues,

giving students an understanding that it is okay to share these emotions with others will help

students persist in the academic environment.

Program Outcomes

The program commits to fostering a community of empowerment for Latinos that are

minorities at institutions of higher learning. The inception of the Latino Resource Center will

provide students with a mentorship program in addition to student involvement and development

that provides retention, mental health awareness, cultural awareness, social justice, and

experiential learning opportunities. The mentorship while providing guidance for incoming

freshman will instill persistence within first- and second-year students ultimately improving

student retention, graduation rates, and academic success. Facilitated at the Latino Resource

Center students will receive opportunities to engage in conversations with students from similar

backgrounds.

Student organizations develop cultural awareness for the students and in correlation with

the resource center provide a background of cultural celebrations. Exposing students to the

unique celebrations through student cultures will embrace student identities. Student
Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 24

involvement with organizations at the Latino Resource Center also provides

brotherhood/sisterhood, experiential learning opportunities, professional development, and

professional student engagement that allows students to envision themselves within leadership

roles. The overall goal of the all of the programs within the Latino Resource Center are meant to

promote the positive self-perception, societal worth, and cultural pride in addition to serving as

allies for students from all communities.

Conclusion

With the ultimate goal of student success within the Latino population, measured by

retention and graduation rates, this intervention program through the Latino Resource Center will

provide students with a safe environment to not only develop their identities as Latinos, but their

intersecting identities as Latino college students. The critical Race Theory along with Torres’s

Model of Hispanic Identity Development Theory work together to acknowledge that the Latino

population is at a disadvantage in society and explain how a Latino student understanding of

their ethnic identity is important in their identity development. Without the proper support and

encouragement of ethnic identity development students run the risk of cultural dissonance, which

can lead to identity confusion (Evans et al. 2010). Therefore, the Latino Resource Centers’ first

goal is to create a welcoming space for Latino students who may already be struggling to find a

place in such a white dominated educational system. Providing a safe space alone, can lower

stress and anxiety of Latino students who are entering a new environment with little knowledge.

        Along with the Latino Resource Center’s ability to act as a home away from home for

Latino students, the different forms of programmatic interventions proposed within the resource

center are intended to support the overall growth, development, and academic success of Latino

students who are typically left in the dark. The goal of the mentorship program is to increase the
Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 25

likeliness of a student’s retention by giving them the opportunity to connect with someone who

has gone through similar experiences as them. This will not only allow students to see that they

can succeed in college, despite their background, but also give students a resource and guide on

how succeed in college. With similar outcomes as the mentorship program, the Latino Resource

Centers push on student involvement in student organizations will be with the intent to help

students find a better sense of belonging on campus, as well as give them the opportunity to learn

lifelong skills that they may not learn inside a classroom. By giving these students the tools to

succeed along with a strong culturally aware support system, the chances of these students

persisting their education is predicted to increase.

While these methods of intervention are predicted to increase the persistence of Latino

students, none of that matters if the students are not doing well mentally and emotionally.

Therefore, by holding welcome back events, as well as regular holiday potlucks, and mental

health workshops the Latino Resource Center will boost mental health by not only recognizing it,

but by emphasizing community. A strong sense of community is expected to raise students’ level

of comfort with their peers and give them a better feeling of not only academic and professional,

but also personal support that will enhance their overall student development. All together the

outcome of this programmatic intervention through the Latino Resource Center will be an

increase in the retention and graduation rates of the Latino student population that is currently

facing an academic crisis.

Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 26

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Appendices

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C
Running head: HACIA ADELANTE: INCREASING LATINO STUDENT SUCCESS 29

Appendix D