TAMPA, Fla. — With only a few months left into the school year, Hillsborough County Public Schools is expanding its college help to its Hispanic students and families.
The Parent School Partnership Program is hosting its university tours for its second year. This year, they have included community colleges and technical schools to its tours. Spectrum News spoke with program leaders about the expansion.
“We want to make sure that the parents have the power to be able to understand what is happening at the school, how to get in touch with your counselor, what’s the importance of being involved at your school. We want them to be volunteering to be a part of the education process,” said Druci Diaz, who is the District Program Advisor for Hillsborough County Public Schools.
For some students, college is the next step after high school. That’s the case for Kevin Santiago Quenchea.
“I want to attend USF because I think that it’s one of the best universities here in Florida," he said.
Santiago Quenchea is taking part in a college tour offered by Hillsborough County Public Schools.
They’re going over things like clubs and application requirements along with course offerings and majors.
“Knowing what options I have to go to the university and to accomplish my dreams is important,” he said.
Santiago Quenchea and his family moved to the U.S. two years ago from Colombia.
“Here it’s much different because they need credits, and so we are trying to our best to learn as much,” said his mother, Jaese Vanegas.
Santiago Quenchea’s parents obtained certificates through programs back in Colombia. They say it’s much different from the educational system in the U.S.
“We understand that being in this country, there can be more opportunities that in our home country are not available,” said his father, John Valdes.
According to the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families, one in four Latino children has a parent with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Yet for one in five Latino children, the highest level of education completed by a parent is less than a high school degree.
Santiago Quenchea’s love for gaming is driving his desire to get a degree. He is interested in becoming a software developer.
“I have always looked for a way to modify the games so that they have a better rendering,” he said.
Santiago Quenchea says gaming helped him learn English, and now it’s become motivation for his future.
“It’s a promise I made to my mom and dad and it’s a dream of mine to work for Microsoft,” he said.
That dream starts with this tour, offering a glimpse of his future.
The next college tour is taking place at Hillsborough Community College in April. The tours are offered in Spanish and English, and open to parents with children of all ages.