Celebrating Hispanic Student Success During Hispanic Heritage Month!
Today’s topic relates to Hispanic Heritage Month.
National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, and NOVA campuses have full calendars of events to honor and recognize the rich history, contributions and culture of the Hispanic community. From a discussion about the meaning of “home” to an exploration of Latin dancing to an opportunity to gather around traditional Hispanic music and foods, our Campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Councils and Student Life and Leadership Coordinators and Organizations are offering engaging programming throughout these four weeks.
During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Pew Research Center regularly publishes an updated set of data points on Americans of Hispanic descent. One statement in this year’s review caught my eye: “Among all U.S. undergraduate and graduate students, the share of Latinos increased from 14% in 2010 to 20% in 2022, slightly higher than the Latino share of the total population.” This is the same pattern that we find at NOVA. Data from the 2020 Census indicates a Hispanic/Latino population of 17.4% across the counties that make up Northern Virginia. At NOVA, the Hispanic/Latino student population is 23.6%, a difference that mirrors the national findings — and that trend is a good thing.
Why? Because according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 70% of Hispanic/Latino workers do not hold a college degree: more than half have a high school degree or below; another 15% have some college credits but no degree. Given the earnings premium for those with a college degree (associate’s and bachelor’s), moving the needle on completion for Hispanic/Latino students is important.
At NOVA, there are signs that we are moving the needle.
After taking a small dip during the pandemic, enrollment by Hispanic/Latino students is now exceeding pre-pandemic levels: from 22.2% in fall 2018 to 23.6% this fall. And, these students cross the stage at graduation in numbers that reflect this percentage: Hispanic/Latino grads make up a five-year average of 24.5% of annual NOVA completers (all NOVA data, NOVA Factbook 2018–19 through 2022–2023).
These numbers represent individual lives transformed by their NOVA experience: Hispanic/Latino students whose futures include greater economic opportunity and whose families have financial security; students who now have access to paths that lead well beyond the associate’s to the bachelor’s and beyond. Thousands of human stories that are at the heart of our mission.
The open door at community colleges like NOVA is a symbol of the welcome and inclusion that students find at institutions that widen the path to opportunity, but this open door alone is no guarantee of success. Your clear and unwavering commitment to inspiring excellence connects opportunity to accomplishment and supports students on their path from registration to graduation. We can always do more — a resolve that is central to our Bold Blueprint for Student Success — but we also need to pause and celebrate all we do already.
Thank you!
Anne