Arkansas Tech University hosted a reception at Chambers Cafeteria on Friday, Oct. 23, to recognize students who have received IME Fellowship scholarships and express its appreciation to those who made the financial assistance possible.
IME Fellowship scholarships are awarded competitively based on academic achievement and financial need. Applicants for the IME Fellowship must be Mexican or of Mexican origin to qualify, and they must not be eligible for any other type of scholarship funds or financial aid.
One-third of the funding for the scholarships came from the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock. The remainder of the funding was provided by a donation to the Arkansas Tech Foundation by Dr. Mildred Diane Gleason, associate professor of history at Arkansas Tech.
Representatives from the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock, administrators and faculty from Arkansas Tech, Mayor Randy Horton of Russellville and Mayor Carolyn McGee of Dardanelle were among those on hand to congratulate the IME Fellowship scholarship recipients.
“Many of you know the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),” said David Manuel Preciado Juarez, head of post for the Consulate of Mexico in Little Rock. “The commerce has given us good numbers, but NAFTA is not only commerce. It is education, culture and of course, human beings. That’s why the Mexican government tried to get a large budget for this kind of program. We wanted to let all of Arkansas know that these students have opportunities, and tomorrow they will be professionals.”
Seven Arkansas Tech students benefited from the program during the spring 2015 semester, while 14 Arkansas Tech students are receiving the IME Fellowship scholarship during the fall 2015 semester.
The number of Hispanic students at Arkansas Tech has increased by 380 percent since 2006. There are 772 Hispanic students enrolled at Tech for the fall 2015 semester. In all, 23.9 percent of Arkansas Tech students are from minority groups.
“For many students, their dream is to walk across that stage and get their diploma,” said Priscila Lozano, a freshman from Russellville and one of the IME Fellowship recipients who spoke at the reception. “I get to live my dream every day because of generous people like you. Every day I get to wake up and be thankful that I am even here. For many of us, we probably wouldn’t be here without you. We’re more than a statistic. We’re living people. Our parents might be your lawnmowers, your maids or your nannies, but we’re all here and I’m so glad that someone in my beautiful country remembers us and takes us to heart. One day I hope to repay both of the countries that I love.”
Other Arkansas Tech students to receive the IME Fellowship scholarship include Laura K. Adame of Dardanelle, Dolce A. Adame of Dardanelle, Nayheli Alvidrez of Russellville, Dulce A. Baeza of Clarksville, Graciela Becerra of Russellville, David A. Cortes Moreno of Clarksville, Ambar Diaz of Russellville, Cindy Diaz of Russellville, Antonio Gomez Garcia of Danville, Mari C. Hayes of Rogers, Marrissa Hernandez of Hamburg, Lisbeth Lopez of Danville, Eduardo Rodriguez Martinez of Dardanelle, Erika Nava of Russellville, Daysi Nava of Russellville, Sandra Salas Reyes of Danville, Alan Jivir Mejia Santana of Grady, Jesus Mendez of Dardanelle, Jovana L. Rosas of Morrilton and Jairo Zameza Osorio of Dardanelle.
Those seeking more information about making application to become a student at Arkansas Tech for whom Spanish is their first language may visit www.atu.edu/admissions/enespanol.php.
General information about applying to Arkansas Tech and the scholarship opportunities available to students of all backgrounds is available by calling (479) 968-0343, (800) 582-6953 or visiting www.atu.edu/admissions.
