Campus News Georgia Impact

New program gives students, their parents inside look at university

Every year, UGA’s incoming freshman class has stronger academic credentials and greater diversity than the one before. A new program was initiated on campus Sept. 8-9 to continue the effort to increase student diversity.

The first “Padres e Hijos Fin de Semana,” Parents and Students Weekend, was designed to give outstanding high school seniors-and their parents-an inside look at higher education at UGA. The program helped prepare the students and their parents for the college application process and introduced them to the services available through the Student Affairs and Financial Aid offices. Twenty-one high school seniors from eight Georgia counties participated in the weekend program.

Provost Arnett C. Mace Jr. spoke to the group about UGA’s academic and extracurricular programs, its faculty and its commitment to diversity.

“These seniors are to be congratulated for their academic achievements and leadership potential,” said Art ­Dunning, UGA’s vice president for public service and outreach. “This group has successfully completed more than 150 honors, AP and dual enrollment classes; has a GPA that exceeds 3.5; and includes captains of academic and sports teams.”

“Padres e Hijos” is among several programs designed by UGA’s Latino Initiative to increase educational opportunities for Georgia’s youth.

“The UGA Latino External Advisory Council is looking for ways to attract top Latino students in Georgia to UGA,” said Frank Ros, chairman of the UGA Latino Initiative’s External Advisory Council and assistant vice president of

Corporate Latin Affairs at the Coca-Cola Co. “Not only do we want to attract them, we aspire to have them apply and matriculate at UGA. The ‘Padres e Hijos Fin de Semana’ was a way to encourage top Latino students to visit the campus, experience UGA personally and learn about the abundant resources available to them.”

“Padres e Hijos Fin de Semana” is a program of public service and outreach and the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.