HISPA's Role Model Bureau Reaches More Than 1,000 NJ Students

Hispanic mentors will be in Red Bank, Passaic and Summit this week

NEW JERSEY – Since mid-October, HISPA'S Role Model Bureau has been quite busy providing support to educational programs across New Jersey. Mentors have shared their life stories – with an emphasis on educational achievements and professional accomplishments – during visits with more than 1000 students in New Brunswick, Paterson, West New York and Summit.

On Friday, Nov. 21st, HISPA mentors are supporting programs in Red Bank and Passaic, and returning to Summit, according to Dr. Ivonne Diaz-Claisse, president of HISPA, a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing professional Hispanic role models for young students. HISPA, which stands for Hispanics Inspiring Students' Performance and Achievement, held its national launch this past September in New Jersey.

One of HISPA's key strategies is to team up with existing organizations that have mentoring programs. In New Jersey, HISPA is working with Hudson County-based Save Latin America's "Reaching Our Dreams" program, which is run by Johnny Torres. In Summit, HISPA has teamed up with the YMCA's Latino Leadership Institute, which is run by Janet Mauldeck, director of community development. In Red Bank, HISPA is working with the school district's new Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program under the direction of Laura Morana, school superintendent.

"We are very pleased to have HISPA's support for the AVID progam," said Morana. "AVID's structured approach empowers students with the support they need to succeed in the most challenging classes and become college ready."

"By teaming up our HISPA role models with local educational programs, we believe we have the key ingredients to fulfill our mission to encourage and enable Hispanic professionals to step into the classrooms, share their stories and make a difference," said Dr. Diaz-Claisse.

HISPA's Role Model Bureau is a national network of role models and resources that will showcase the participants' educational experiences, careers, and ethnic backgrounds. HISPA, which has reached and surpassed its initial recruitment goal of 100 role models in New Jersey, encourages Hispanic professionals to become active role models by visiting schools and sharing their educational and career experiences with students in an effort to inspire academic performance and achievement.

The following is a partial list of organizations who have pledged to provide role models, as well as individuals who have joined HISPA's efforts: Employee Resources Groups: AT&T - HACEMOS; Merck Hispanic Organization (MHO); PSE&G - ADELANTE; Chubb Hispanic and Latino Employee Network (CHLEN); Microsoft - HOLA; Professional Organizations: National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) - NJ Chapter; Latinos in Information Science and Technology Association (LISTA) - NJ and NY Chapters; U.S. Hispanic Advocacy Association (USHAA); Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR); and Government: Perth Amboy (NJ) Mayor Wilda Diaz.

HISPA's goals are:
• To reduce the drop-out rates by targeting middle schools students and emphasizing the importance of higher education in each role model presentation.

• To further develop strategic alliances with employee resource groups, professional organizations and alumni networks in order to select, recruit and support a pool of role models.

• To become a one-stop resource that provides access to thousands of professional Hispanic role models willing to share their motivational stories on an ongoing basis to schools and community-based educational programs.

• To support and expand existing community-based educational programs with similar goals that have an existing need for a Hispanic pool of role models.

For more information, contact info@hispa.org and visit www.hispa.org. Photos are available on the website.