On March 3 and 4, The University-wide Council of Hispanic Organizations (UCHO) sponsored the Conference on Hispanics in Higher Education. Samuel Saldivar, president of UCHO, said the main purpose of the conference was to motivate Latin@ students at OSU to pursue graduate degrees and show them how to prepare themselves. Salvidar added, “UCHO’s purpose was to expose opportunities for Latin@s in graduate programs and turn the ‘I can’t possibly survive post-graduate work’ mentality into an ‘I WILL be a successful Latin@ Ph.D.’ mentality.”


The day and a half conference was supported by the Organization of Hispanic Faculty and Staff (OHFS), the Office of Minority Affairs (OMA), and the Student Organization Resource Center (SOURCE). Topics covered in the conference included:

• Overcoming Initial Barriers: Altering Your College Plan
• Undergraduate Preparation for Grad School
• Important Characteristics for Success in Higher Education and Beyond
• Choosing the Right Graduate School Program
• Going the Distance


Qué Pasa talked to students about their experiences at the conference and their thoughts about graduate school. Here are some examples:


Sara Vera, English major on Ohio State’s Mansfield campus: “The conference was exactly what I needed. I had no clue about timelines and networking and letters of recommendation and personal statements. I feel like all of the presenters should get together and collaborate and write a book.”


Juan Segura, an Ohio State sophomore majoring in sociology and criminology with a minor in Latino/Latina studies: “Many Latinos think that a bachelor’s degree is good enough, but as society changes, students must change their educational paths.”


Sarai Ramirez, an Ohio State junior majoring in Spanish and minoring in business and international studies. “The concept of going to graduate school is still really new. But I hope that one day my cousins will say, ‘Oh wow. You were able to do this so I can do this.’ I hope to motivate them.”