Noche de Familia

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Latiné families explore college opportunities, community resources

Families stopped by the booths, including Clark College’s allied health information table.

Clark College hosted Noche de Familia on October 1, a special night for Latiné families to learn about academic options and college and community resources available to Clark students. This event is designed to deepen the connection with Latiné communities by providing programming in the Spanish language for new, prospective, and current students and their families.

The entire program was presented in Spanish, including introductions and all presentations. Offered in the fall and spring quarters by the college and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI), this free event included activities for kids and a delicious dinner for all.

  • Staff from Admissions, Adult Basic Education, and Financial Aid made presentations—offering information on how to apply to Clark, and for services and like financial aid, and the many student support services.
  • Faculty from the college’s Business, Engineering, and Allied Health programs spoke about their programs and the types of job opportunities available to graduates.
  • Attendees also had opportunities to speak with Clark representatives from Financial Aid, Transitional Studies, Workforce Education Services, Clark Libraries, Counseling and Health Center, Career Services and more, Allied Health, Engineering and Computer Science, and more who sat at tables around the perimeter of the room.
WES table.
Carol Hsu plays a game at the Engineering booth.
Rosalba, far right, with members of the Mexican consulate.
Mexican Consul Mónica Ochoa Palomera, center meets members of the ODEI team.
VP of ODEI Vanessa Neal plays at the kids table.
Trustee Juarez talks to John Anderson.
Lizette Drennan talks to visitors about Financial Aid.
Many academic and community partners tabled at the event.

While parents learned about resources and opportunities to assist them along their educational journey, their young children were busy with activities including face painting, creating artwork, reading books, and playing games.

Vanessa Neal, Vice President of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), welcomed our special guests, Mexican Consul Mónica Ochoa Palomera; John Anderson, Southwest Washington regional representative of the office of Governor Jay Inslee; and Clark College Trustee Cristhian Canseco Juarez.

Left to right: event coordinator and student success coach Katia Quintero and keynote speaker Liliana Salazar.

Inspiring Clark alum

Liliana Salazar, our keynote speaker, shared her inspiring story from undocumented childhood immigrant to first-generation college graduate and business owner. Growing up in Vancouver, Salazar decided she wanted to attend college, but she was not eligible for federal financial aid because she was a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient. But she did not let the difficult financial barrier stop her. She was determined to get an education.

To pay for school, she worked as a waitress and applied for countless scholarships. First, she attended Clark College for two years before transferring to Washington State University Vancouver. Passionate about helping her community, she transformed her hobby of creating web pages into Website Chicks, which she calls “a business that has allowed me to empower others for the past seven years.”

At tables around the perimeter of Gaiser Student Center, several community nonprofits and organizations provided information about scholarships and other support and assistance also offered information at tables. They included:

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Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley
View more photos on Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBLi4o

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