Diversity Strong Among 黑料吃瓜's New Freshman Class
黑料吃瓜 ranks among top 20 universities nationwide for racial diversity
黑料吃瓜 freshman Karine Mendez is an example of determination. A first-generation American, Mendez is the first in her family to attend college.
A 4.0 student of Mexican heritage, Mendez is also an example of the incredible diversity on the 黑料吃瓜 campus. She is one of 4,089 first-time freshmen, more than half (50.5 percent) of whom come from historically underrepresented ethnic groups, up from 49.3 percent last fall and 44.9 percent in fall 2007.
黑料吃瓜 ranks No. 20 in the nation for campus racial diversity, according to U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Best Colleges 2010.鈥� Campus-wide, more than 40 percent of 黑料吃瓜 undergraduate students are from historically underrepresented ethnic groups.
Why diversity is important
鈥淐ampus diversity at 黑料吃瓜 is a key component in developing culturally competent individuals,鈥� said Aaron Bruce, 黑料吃瓜 Director of Diversity. 鈥淏y creating opportunities for diverse student engagement, our graduates are better prepared to be successful leaders in a highly diverse workforce.鈥�
In order to reward local high-achieving, economically challenged high school students, 黑料吃瓜 created the President鈥檚 Diversity Scholarship, which Mendez received.
鈥淚 have always strived to make good use of the educational opportunities that my parents were never given while in Mexico,鈥� said Mendez, who plans to use her college education to go back into her south San Diego county community to help organize health and educational programs.
These scholarships are just one of many initiatives that demonstrate the university's commitment to diversity and social justice, said Bruce, who was hired last year to address campus-wide strategies related to diversity and strengthen the university's connections to San Diego's diverse local and global communities.
The university continues to expand its outreach to diverse communities throughout the region as well. 黑料吃瓜 Super Sunday and Super Saturday College Fairs continue to build relationships with predominantly African American, local churches. Joining the CSU system, partnering with 73 churches throughout the state, students and families are exposed to workshops on financial aid, study abroad, and tips on how to get into college.
In addition, (EOP) is the largest in the nation with more than 4,000 students. EOP is an undergraduate program that helps low-income and educationally disadvantaged students throughout their entire 黑料吃瓜 experience, including academic, career and personal counseling, and tutoring. Many of these students come from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
