NJIT Programs Honored at Newark's National Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

The City of Newark, in partnership with the Latino Edification Multicultural Aid Center and the Newark Hispanic Commission, hosted its seventh annual National Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and flag raising. The celebration also included an award ceremony, honoring individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions and shown exceptional dedication to supporting and serving the Newark community.

The evening saw two NJIT organizations receive recognition - the Hispanic and Latinx Leadership Council (HLLC) and NJ GEAR UP/College Bound @ NJIT, which operates out of NJIT's Center for Pre-College Programs.

The HLLC, launched in 2020 with the goal of achieving the goal of becoming a Hispanic serving institution by recruiting leaders from the community, in education, business and alumni, views this recognition as an opportunity to put spotlight on the work it's doing to support Hispanic students, specifically from Newark.

"It's a true testament to show the intentional work that NJIT is doing to not just receive the title of being a Hispanic serving institute but to truly embody the serving piece and ensuring that you're serving the community of Newark and Hispanic students that attend NJIT," said Nick Fuentes-Zuluaga '19, co-chair of the HLLC.

"For us this is actually an incredible recognition from the City of Newark," added Angie Ogando '02 '11, co-chair of the HLLC. "What a better way to start creating that pipeline and for the awareness to be increased when it comes to what we do at the university and how we're serving our Latino students, specifically the ones from Newark."

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a discretionary grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Education as one of 36 state projects funded nationally. The NJ GEAR UP State Project currently has 11 higher education partner institutions with the NJIT location as the largest site.

NJIT's GEAR UP program provides educational services and college preparatory activities to over 600 students annually from sixth grade through freshman year of college. Participants are predominantly low-income and the first of their generation to aspire and attend college.

This program focuses on pre-college preparation and is designed to aid students and their parents/guardians through every step of the way from initial program enrollment to college admission and beyond.

After receiving the award joined by team members and students, NJIT's GEAR UP Director Ozzie Williams highlighted the importance of receiving recognition from the city. "NJIT has traditionally always supported the community, in particular Hispanics, as we continue to grow," he said. "NJIT has always been representative of not only the community, but also the possibilities of people progressing and going after opportunities for themselves. NJIT continues to serve that at the Center for Pre-College Programs, which has existed for over 45 years."

Newark Hispanic Commissioner Maria J. Andrade believes that these recognitions to the two programs showcase that NJIT's 2030 strategic plan is well underway. "Opportunities like this enhance our community involvement," she said. "It also enlarges the vision that NJIT already has, and it's a token of appreciation that we see the work that you're doing.

"HLLC and GEAR UP are doing a tremendous job on making sure that we open the doors for Hispanic and Latino students. Something like this just opens the door for more people to know of the great things that are happening in NJIT's nexus of innovation."

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