Arnold Salazar ’76
The
Adams State University College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) hosted a
celebration on February 6 to congratulate the 30 Adams State students currently
enrolled in the program and to expose over 50 visiting high school students to
the supportive atmosphere at Adams State.
The
high school students visited campus as part of the Colorado State Migrant Youth
Leadership Program and came from the San Luis Valley, Pueblo, Colorado Springs,
Lamar, Grand Junction, Delta, and Montrose. Along with the banquet, the high
schoolers received a tour of campus departments and information about attending
Adams State.
According
to Pete Gomez, CAMP Director, the CAMP Celebration will be an annual event. "We
are committed to working with students, student families, campus staff,
faculty, student services, and the community to improve educational
opportunities for CAMP students at Adams State."
CAMP@ASU, federally funded by the
US Department of Education, Office of Migrant Education, provides academic,
social, and financial support services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers or
their dependents, to assist them in the successful completion of their first
year of college and persistence toward degree attainment.
Not
since the 70s, has Adams State had a College Assistance Migrant Program. Eric Carpio,
principal investigator for the CAMP grant, said: "The event provided us with
the perfect opportunity to celebrate CAMP’s return to Adams State and to share
our vision of becoming a model program for migrant student achievement."
Dr. Barbara Medina
The
banquet celebration included special guests Arnold Salazar, ASU Board of
Trustees Chair; Dr. Michael Mumper, executive vice president of enrollment
management; Tawney Becker, grant specialist; Dr. Barbara Medina, former Teacher
Education chair and current educational consultant; Esmeralda Martinez, San
Luis Valley BOCES migrant education director; Tomas Mejia, Migrant Education
Program Colorado State Director; and Carpio, assistant vice president of Enrollment
Management.
Adams State alumnus
Salazar ’76 was a participant in CAMP as a student. He received a master’s
degree from the University of Michigan. "I competed with students from across
the country and world. They didn’t know any more than me and I knew how to work
harder."
Tomas Mejia
Medina
and Mejia welcomed all in attendance and encouraged them to apply their
knowledge of hard-work and tenacity to their academic goals. "All the adults in
this room are here to assist you," Medina said. "Reach out to them. They are
here to help you."
Mejia
said: "Your dream is in your hands. You can kill it or follow it."
Gomez
said the potential students were warmly welcomed on the Adams State campus.
"When they first arrived on campus, the visiting students received a personal
greeting from President David Svaldi. Executive Vice President Michael Mumper,
Assistant Vice President Eric Carpio, Board of Trustee Chair Arnold Salazar,
Alamosa Mayor Josef Lucero, and academic department heads attended the banquet.
At no other institution across the state would they have received that type of
welcome."
Carpio
agreed: "The participation of so many community leaders sent a powerful message
to future and current CAMP students, that they are not alone and they’ll
receive tremendous support throughout their Adams State career."
For more information
regarding CAMP, contact Gomez
at 719-587-8331, or Miguel
Chaparro, CAMP Recruitment & Retention Specialist at
719-587-8318.
