- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Grad Honored as LULAC Student of the Year

John Hill — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:23:24 +0000

Christine Jones, a graduating student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been honored as the LULAC Student of the Year. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 750 honored Jones with the award for the second year in a row during a Nov. 5 dinner celebrating the 17 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who received LULAC scholarships for the 2022-2023 school year. “We have a really good group of students that are involved and really want to get things done,” said Jones, who serves as president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s LULAC chapter. “We recently elected our new board that will begin next year. I’m just really excited for the future of the chapter. I felt honored that they think me worthy of being Student of the Year again.” Jones was also among a group of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who attended the LULAC National Convention this summer in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They were the first students from the university to attend the conference since 2016 and raised more than $11,000 for the trip, where they learned valuable skills in leadership, education, career preparation, and networking. Jones, who lives in Cabot, will graduate in December with a Master of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing degree and plans to work as a communications specialist. She said that living in a homeless shelter is what convinced her to go back to college to change her life for the better. “In November 2010, I moved into a homeless shelter with 4- and 6-year-old little boys,” Jones said. “I got myself out of the homeless shelter by March and literally climbed out of there. That was my moment of reckoning when I decided to come back to school. I realized I needed to make a change for myself and my boys.” Jones said she joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for the flexibility of classes and the focus on nontraditional students. “From the moment I arrived back on campus, I completely jumped into my studies, wholeheartedly,” Jones said. “I enjoyed every course I took and the more and more I excelled, I realized that the Professional and Technical Writing program was a perfect fit for my creativity, which is evident in my work and my 4.0 GPA. Also, I began to join different organizations on campus, wanting to become more involved. As an undergrad, here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, I was a single mother with two young boys trying to balance that along with a full-time job and a full course load. Now that my children are much older and more independent, I have some extra time on my hands.” Throughout her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Jones filled leadership roles in the Graduate Student Association, Student Government Association, the Racial Barriers Committee, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, but she cites her time in LULAC as the most memorable.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Christine Jones, left, Luis Velazquez, and Kassandra Torres attended the National LULAC convention in July.

“I wouldn’t trade the experience I’ve gained for anything in the world,” she said. “And I will always be grateful to LULAC and every single entity on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus who donated to the cause for helping four LULAC students to raise $12,000 to go to Puerto Rico for the LULAC National Convention, where I was able to accept, in person, the 2022 LULAC National Education Service Centers, Inc. Aspiring Scholar Award. I plan on taking on an advisory role through the parent organization, LULAC 750, after graduation.” In addition to her extracurricular activities, Jones gained valuable professional experience through graduate assistantships. She managed social media and planned engagement activities for Ottenheimer Library, then served as a communications assistant for the Dean’s office in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. She spent her final semester as a social media assistant with the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. As Jones reflects on her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she is thankful for the education, skills, and confidence she gained to be successful in her future endeavors. “This is the best decision I ever made,” she said. “I’ve been improving our lives in little tiny steps ever since I started college. When I started school, I thought I would try it out and see how it went. I never expected to excel the way I did. I put my mind to succeeding, and there is nothing I can’t achieve if I put my mind to it.”

Jones to Receive National LULAC Award

John Hill — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:57:58 +0000

Christine Jones, a graduate student in technical and professional writing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been selected to receive the Aspiring Scholar Award for her outstanding achievements by the LULAC National Educational Service Centers (LNESC). The award is presented to a LULAC scholarship recipient currently enrolled in college who has exceeded academically and has demonstrated success in their educational pursuits. This individual expresses the promotion of scholarly achievement and is an excellent example of an outstanding leader and role model for peers. “When I first found out that I had won a national LULAC award, I was initially in disbelief,” Jones said. “However, since I’ve had time to let it sink in, I’m so honored that not only has LNESC believed in my abilities from the beginning of my graduate studies by the very generous scholarships that they have afforded me for my continued education, but that they also feel I have far exceeded their expectations with my educational pursuits.” Jones will receive the award during the ceremony July 29 during the 2022 League of United Latin American Citizens Council (LULAC) National Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The focus will be on participants that have demonstrated academic and professional successes, as well as to acknowledge those who have given back to their communities. Five ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students will attend the LULAC National Convention. Her academic and leadership activities at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock have included maintaining a 4.0 GPA all while serving as chair of the Racial Barriers Committee, president of LULAC Council 771, student vice president of Phi Kappa Phi, past vice president/incoming president of the Graduate Student Association, a senator with the Student Government Association, and a member of the Academic Integrity Committee. “Whether it be raising funds for caps and gowns for students with low incomes, ensuring equity exists among all students and promoting racial healing, or helping raise funds for several LatinX students to fulfill a dream, I feel that I have demonstrated to other students what can be achieved when you really put your heart and mind into something,” Jones said. “I am especially proud, as a Puerto Rican/Dominican LatinX American, to be recognized by the LULAC National Educational Service Centers as a role model for my peers and can only hope that I can continue to be a role model and inspire many more students—especially other LatinX students—to continue in their educational pursuits.”

Five ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Students Will Attend National LULAC Conference in Puerto Rico

John Hill — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 17:45:11 +0000

Five ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students have been fundraising for the opportunity to attend the 2022 League of United Latin American Citizens Council (LULAC) July 25-30 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic and Latino civil rights organization in the United States. Unable to attend the national conference since 2016, the five students are planning to bring back leadership skills to help the Latino community in Arkansas. “We want to bring information back from the conference so we can give back to the Latino community in Little Rock,” said Christine Jones, president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock . “We all plan to attend different workshops so we can learn as much as possible. We want the opportunity to meet with other students like us and network with LULAC organizations from around the country.” The students who will attend the conference include Jones, a graduate student in technical and professional writing, Frankie Magallanes, LULAC secretary and a senior computer science major, Stephanie Sandoval, a criminal justice major, Kassandra Torres, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, and Luis Vazquez, a sophomore civil engineering and construction management major. The fundraising efforts have brought about a large amount of community support for the students. So far, they have received a donation of conference registration fees from Walmart Inc., $4,000 from the Student Experience Center, $2,000 from the Student Government Association, $400 from the Graduate Student Association, and more from online donations. The students need to raise approximately $11,550 for the trip, and they have recently raised the last of what they need in July through a tamale sale that raised more than $1,000 and $500 donation from a patron. Each year, the LULAC National Convention draws over 20,000 participants from across the country including top leaders from the government, business, and the LatinX community to determine the positions and strategies of a national LatinX organization. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students will represent their colleges and the university while they participate in professional development workshops, learn leadership skills, share issues that affect the Hispanic community nationwide, and learn how to bring these leadership skills back to communities in Arkansas.

Jones Selected for $1,000 Scholarship from Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas

John Hill — Thu, 05 May 2022 15:49:27 +0000

The (HWOA) has selected Christine Jones, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate student, to receive a $1,000 scholarship. “I’m really honored that I was chosen from so many other qualified Hispanic students across the state,” said Jones, a graduate student in the Professional and Technical Writing program from Cabot. “I’m honored to be a representative of my heritage in the state of Arkansas.” Jones is one of 30 Latino college students who have received scholarships from the Hispanic Women’s Organization of Arkansas. HWOA’s goal is to increase the college enrollment and graduation rate of Hispanic students. “We are pleased to celebrate this milestone promoting and supporting higher education of Latinos in Arkansas,” said Margarita Solórzano, HWOA executive director. “Seeing the number of applicants increase every year speaks volumes of the interest among the Latinos families to seek a better life through education.” The students were selected from dozens of applicants for their scholastic achievements, leadership, and community service. The students will be honored during a scholarship presentation from 6-7 p.m. May 7 during the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Springdale, Arkansas. Funds for the scholarship are raised from proceeds from the Cinco de Mayo festival, donations, and the generous support of sponsors and community volunteers. Prior to the ceremony, Jones and Dr. Edma Delgado, assistant professor of Spanish, will set up a recruitment table from 12-5 p.m. during the festival to tell others about ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I’m looking forward to the Cinco de Mayo celebration and ceremony, and I’m really honored to be a part of it,” Jones said. “I don’t have a big Hispanic community where I’m from so I am definitely interested in being able to connect with Hispanics across the state and form a tighter community.” Jones will graduate from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in December 2022. She currently serves as a graduate assistant in the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education Dean’s Office, a CHASSE senator for the Student Government Association, chair of the Racial Barriers Committee, president of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock chapter of League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and vice president of the Graduate Student Association at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Community Invited to Meet Racial Barriers Committee on Oct. 14

John Hill — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 12:49:51 +0000

The members of the new Racial Barriers Committee will host a hybrid meeting with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community on Thursday, Oct. 14. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in Dickinson Hall Room 100 and online . The in-person meeting is open to the first 60 people . Chancellor Christina Drale will speak about the founding of the Racial Barriers Committee, and Dr. Richard Harper, dean of students and the committee’s advisor, will introduce the committee. The Racial Barriers Committee members will discuss their charge and mission, followed by a question-and-answer session and reception. The Racial Barriers Committee was formed in 2020. Committee members will review campus policies, processes, and practices for elements that may be unintended barriers to access and opportunity for people of color at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. They will report their findings to Chancellor Drale and will collaborate with parties to reconcile racial barriers. Christine Jones, Dr. Mark Baillie, and Dr. Jennifer Hune will serve as co-chairs of the Racial Barriers Committee. The committee members include Lindsey Baertlein, Hyginus Ukadike, Clara Cardriche, Erin Flowers, Karen Kuralt, and Lakendra Mackey.

17 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Students Receive LULAC Scholarships

John Hill — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 14:30:45 +0000

Seventeen University of Arkansas at Little Rock students have been awarded scholarships from the s (LULAC) 750 for the 2021-2022 academic year. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s students are among the from colleges and universities across the state selected for this year’s awards. The 17 students are receiving a total of $14,812, with some matching funds from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. This year, LULAC awarded more than $316,000 in scholarships to 46 students from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Arkansas Tech University, University of Central Arkansas, Arkansas State University, Shorter College ��Vlog��ý-Pulaski Tech, Arkansas State University, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Hendrix College. They will be honored during a virtual gala at 6 p.m. Dec. 3. LULAC will also recognize ��Vlog��ý Little Rock once again as a premier Latino Destination Campus for the university’s continued support to the Latino community. In addition to the gala, LULAC will hold a month-long celebration that coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept.15 to Oct. 15) and will include highlights of the recipients and sponsors on . ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s scholarship recipients include Andrea Vargas, a civil engineering major; Jenifer Carmona Garcia, a Spanish and elementary education double major; Miracle Willis, a nursing, political science, and Spanish major; Alexey Chacon-Perez, a nursing major; Gerardo Ramirez, a civil engineering major, Ahtziri Saldana, a civil engineering major; Janette Munoz, a nursing and Spanish double major; Maria Ávalos, a nursing major; Christine Jones, a professional and technical writing graduate student; Jimena Balada, an international business and human resources major; Blanca Arias, a social work major; Griselda Delgado Torres, a social work major; Maria Elkhattabi, a biology and anthropology double major; Javier Gonzalez Luna, a construction management major; Luis Velasquez, a civil engineering major; Luis Martinez, a business major, and Luis Torres, a construction management major. Four of the students will receive special scholarships. Jimena Balada will receive the Patricia Guardado Scholarship, awarded in remembrance of Patricia Guardado, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock sophomore who was studying international business at the time of her death. Her murder has never been solved, and LULAC has awarded a scholarship in her name every year to remember her and other students like her who want an education. Alexey Chacon-Perez will receive the Richard Family Fund Scholarship, an endowed scholarship awarded to deserving Latino students attending ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, where Terry Richard is a professor emeritus. The scholarship recognizes academic excellence and requires 15 hours of community service with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock LULAC Council 771 or with another community agency that works with the Latino community. Christine Jones and Andrea Vargas will receive the Just Communities of Arkansas Scholarship/Internship. The two students will intern at Just Communities of Arkansas during this school year as well as receive a scholarship. LULAC seeks to empower the Latino community at the local, state, and national level through its seven councils chartered in Arkansas. The organization involves and serves Latinos of all national origins and focuses heavily on education, civil rights, and employment. Over the past 28 years, LULAC has awarded 596 scholarships totaling more than $1.3 million. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was the first higher education institution in Arkansas to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with LULAC to create a partnership to recruit and retain Latino students on campus. Since 2006, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has provided a dollar-for-dollar match for students who receive scholarships from LULAC of Arkansas. In the upper right photo, Alexey Chacon-Perez, a nursing major, and Gerardo Ramirez, a civil engineering major, are two of the 17 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who received scholarships from LULAC this fall.

Jones Honored with Three Scholarships, Two Internships

John Hill — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 13:55:05 +0000

Christine Jones, of Cabot, is a blogger, writer, editor, and graduate student in the Professional and Technical Writing Program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Jones stays busy, working as a graduate assistant in communications for the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education Dean’s Office while also interning as a web reporter for K��Vlog��ýR 89.1 FM this summer. She also currently serves as vice president of the Graduate Student Association, senator at large on the Student Government Association, as well as a member of the Academic Integrity Grievance Committee (AIGC) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). “It just looks like I’m managing it all. I thrive in situations where I have a lot to do,” Jones said. “My advice for other ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students is to go at your own pace. Do whatever it is you feel that you can do. Don’t take on more than you think you can handle. My most serious piece of advice is write everything down and cross it off as you get it done.” Jones’ achievements have been celebrated over the spring semester through three scholarships at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock totaling nearly $5,000. They include the Clarence and Judy Albers Quality Writing Scholarship, the Douthit Scholarship/Summer Internship for K��Vlog��ýR Public Radio, and the LULAC/JCA Scholarship. “I was blown away by getting all these scholarships. I wasn’t prepared,” Jones said. “I was really blown away when I found out about the LULAC Scholarship. I really am proud that this scholarship will allow me to represent my culture and university at the same time.” Two of the scholarships also come with internships that will provide Jones with valuable experience. In the fall, Jones will intern with Just Communities of Arkansas. She is currently spending the summer as an intern at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio. “I’m learning a lot. I’m still nervous about putting my voice on the radio,” she said. “I do like the research and writing part of the job, and I do like retraining my mind to go back to journalism. I wrote for The Forum as an undergrad.” Jones also serves as one of the co-chairs of the new ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Racial Barriers Committee. “Right now we are working on introducing ourselves to the campus and establishing ourselves,” she said. “We want to be a place where a student can come to feel safe. There will be a meet and greet event in September that will give the campus an opportunity to meet us and ask us questions.” After earning her associate degree at Arkansas State University-Beebe, Jones transferred to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to continue her education. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock was my first choice in undergraduate studies,” Jones said. “It suited me in terms of location and flexibility with my schedule. I was a single mom of two kids at the time. When I decided it was time to go for my master’s degree, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock ad popped up on my social media feed for professional and technical writing. I was already writing for a career. I wanted to get the credit and the representation I deserve. I also hope to get a higher paying job in the future with this degree.” Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication in 2018, Jones has worked as a writer and editor for companies like Inuvo, Inc., Team SI, and The Heritage Company. Jones lives in Cabot with her husband Mike, two cats, three children, and four dogs. She plans to graduate with her master’s degree in 2022. Afterward, she would like to work as a writer and editor for a technology company. She credits Drs. Heidi Harris, Cynthia Nahrwold, and Barbara L’Eplattenier from the Department of Rhetoric and Writing as professors who have made a difference in her life. “Dr. Harris is my advisor, and I love her to pieces. She’s very fun and very relaxed,” Jones said. “Dr. Nahrwold and Dr. L’Eplattenier have been great mentors. The two of them are so motivating. They care so much that it was easy to want to do well in their classes. I really appreciated their guidance.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio receives nearly $37k grant from Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust

John Hill — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 14:24:42 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Public Radio has received a grant of $36,681 from the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, for equipment upgrades for KLRE/K��Vlog��ýR. “The generosity of the Sturgis Trust of Arkadelphia will help KLRE and K��Vlog��ýR acquire much-needed operational equipment that will help us maintain more consistent high-quality broadcasts from both the K��Vlog��ýR and KLRE FM and HD signals,” Vandiver said. “We sincerely thank the Sturgis Trust, whose gift will benefit the KLRE and K��Vlog��ýR listening audiences for years to come.” The Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust was established in 1981 to support and promote quality educational, cultural, human services, and health care programming for all people. “For me, public radio provides news I know I can trust,” said Lisa Speer, trustee and administrator of the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust. “Today, we are inundated with information from a variety of sources, not all of them credible, and it has gotten increasingly more difficult to differentiate reliable news sources from sources that are merely based on opinion. When I tune into public radio, I know that I am getting information that I can count on to be as fair and unbiased as possible.” The Sturgis Trust is gifting ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio with $28,718 for a backup generator for KLRE Classical 90.5, which will allow listeners uninterrupted access to their music during power outages. The 40,000-watt tower that broadcasts KLRE, is located at Metropolitan Career-Technical Center in Little Rock. The new generator will be installed in June. “Power outages cause KLRE service disruptions an average of six times per year,” Vandiver said. “A propane-powered backup generator at KLRE tower would allow for uninterrupted KLRE broadcast during Entergy service outages.” Additionally, the Sturgis Trust has also donated $7,963 for a second air conditioner to cool the equipment that transmits K��Vlog��ýR FM 89.1. A new HVAC system has already been installed at Shinall Mountain in West Little Rock, where the radio station’s tower and transmitter are located. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Public Radio is a public service of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Its two stations, K��Vlog��ýR FM 89.1 and KLRE Classical 90.5, provide news and cultural programming to 84,000 people each week throughout Arkansas. K��Vlog��ýR is central Arkansas’s NPR station and KLRE is the only FM radio station in Arkansas dedicated fully to classical music programming. Roy Sturgis was one of 10 children of an Arkansas farmer and homemaker. In 1933, Roy Sturgis married Texas native Christine Johns. They became very successful in the timber, lumber, and sawmill industries in Arkansas. They were passionate about educational opportunities for young people and supported organizations working in the areas of health, social services, and the arts. Speer, who is an active K��Vlog��ýR listener, said the engaging programming presented on public radio is one of the reasons it’s important to support public radio in Arkansas. “I also love the variety of programming on K��Vlog��ýR,” Speer said. “It’s engaging programming that makes me feel like I am part of a larger conversation in a way that other radio stations do not. When I listen to K��Vlog��ýR, I always learn something; and I am frequently challenged to think about situations from other perspectives that I might not have otherwise considered. I sing, laugh, and cry depending on what I’m listening to at the moment. If you are not a public radio listener, you are missing out.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Grad Honored as LULAC Student of the Year

Jones to Receive National LULAC Award

Five ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Students Will Attend National LULAC Conference in Puerto Rico