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

LULAC Honors Torres Sanchez as Student of the Year

John Hill — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 14:12:44 +0000

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council 750 has honored Kassandra Torres Sanchez, a junior political science major at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, with the organization’s 2022 Student of the Year Award. Torres Sanchez of Little Rock was honored during a Nov. 5 dinner celebrating the 17 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who received LULAC scholarships for the 2022-2023 school year. “I wasn’t expecting this award at all, but I am very grateful for it,” Torres Sanchez said. “I instantly went home after the banquet and told my parents that this award is for all of us. In my opinion, the reason I got the award is for all the support I received from my parents since I’m a first-generation student.” Torres Sanchez said her parents, Jose Torres and Teresa Sanchez, couldn’t continue their education because they had to find work to support their families. However, they have always encouraged the importance of education to their children. “My parents always tell me and my siblings that education comes first,” Torres Sanchez said. “It’s because of them that I’ve pushed myself to be here.”

Kassandra Torres Sanchez receives the 2022 LULAC Student of the Year Award.

Torres Sanchez has been a member of LULAC ever since she was a freshman at Little Rock Central High School. She serves as the youth council officer for LULAC Council 771, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s chapter, and has been working to start LULAC student organizations at high schools in Central Arkansas. Torres Sanchez 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. In addition to LULAC, Torres Sanchez is also a member of Young Democrats and a volunteer with the Multicultural Center and the Hispanic/Latinx Initiative. After she graduates in spring 2024, Torres Sanchez plans to attend law school and later work at a nonprofit that provides immigrants with legal assistance.

Love of Helping Students Leads to Inspiration for New Assistant Director of Multicultural Center

John Hill — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 17:09:00 +0000

As an undergraduate student, Lauren Wilson, a native of Crossett, Arkansas, said the time she spent at her university’s multicultural center made a huge impact on her life. “When I was an undergrad, our multicultural center played a huge role in my experience,” Wilson said. “I loved being able to go there and hang out with my friends and with faculty and staff members and form those bonds that have lasted over 10 years now.” As the new assistant director of the Multicultural Center, Wilson is using her inspiration as an undergrad and her love of helping students to recreate her experience for the students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “I want to provide them with a safe place and pair them with people who can provide resources and serve as mentors, not just while they are in college, but beyond that,” Wilson said. “My mentors were really helpful in facing all the ups and downs that brought me from an undergrad to this point.” In her role, Wilson is responsible for implementing cultural programming for Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. She also coordinates several programs designed to help students succeed. The Student Affairs Diversity Initiatives include the African American Male Initiative, African American Female Initiative, and the Hispanic/Latinx Initiative. The programs are designed to empower, support, and assist students in their college careers. The Summer Bridge Academy is a three-week residential program that prepares incoming freshmen for college by eliminating the need to take remedial math and English courses. The Trojan L.E.A.D. program is designed to prepare first and second year students of color for leadership in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community. Wilson has implemented a new monthly event, First Fridays at MC, where students meet the first Friday of every month to talk about what’s going on in their lives, plan new events for the Multicultural Center, and learn new skills. During February’s First Friday at the MC, students learned how to become a residential assistant. “They are virtual for now,” Wilson said. “In the future, students can come to the Multicultural Center to decompress and see if there is anything that we can do to help them.” After her graduation from the University of Arkansas, Wilson became a substitute teacher and had a daughter, Gabriela. She later went on to teach English at Warren High School for three years before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a student support and training specialist at Ottenheimer Library, where she taught students about the technology and resources available in the library. While pursuing her master’s degree in higher education, Wilson worked as a graduate assistant in the Multicultural Center. After her graduation during the fall 2020 semester, Wilson was promoted to the assistant director of the Multicultural Center. “It took a lot to get here, but I’m pretty happy where I ended up,” Wilson said. As Wilson is currently implementing events to celebrate Black History Month, she thinks it’s important that diverse history is celebrated all year round. “Black history is American history,” Wilson said. “When I was in high school, there was Black History Month and Women’s History Month. Anything that wasn’t white male history wasn’t integrated into larger history classes. Why don’t we celebrate it more and make sure it is celebrated every day as a part of our normal goings on? I wish everyone could see it that way.”

New student success coach hopes to inspire students through work with Student Affairs Diversity Initiatives

John Hill — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 17:06:28 +0000

As ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s newest student success coach, Dominque “D.J.” Thomas is helping inspire the next generation of Trojans through his work with the Student Affairs Diversity Initiatives (SADI). “I’ve always had a passion for working with college students,” Thomas said. “When I was an undergrad, I was part of a mentorship program known as the African American Male Initiative. I served as a mentee, and then I became a mentor while I was older. I love sharing my story to inspire and motivate and encourage those who come after me.” Thomas mentors students in SADI, a student success and retention mentoring program that includes the African American Male Initiative, African American Female Initiative, and the Hispanic/Latinx Initiative. “I help students with time management, organization skills, and any challenges that may arise and could hurt them academically or personally,” Thomas said. “We figure out a plan of action that can keep them on pace, so they can complete and have a successful semester.” As a coach and mentor, Thomas believes it’s important to be an active listener to better understand how he can help students. “There have been cases when students come to me just to talk. It also gives me the opportunity to work on my active listening skills,” Thomas said. “I try to be that safe space and place for people to come to my office to talk, get homework done, or have a coaching meeting. I show them ways they can succeed. Not by trying to conform them to a student I want them to be, but by making some minor adjustments that can help them be a better version of themselves.” Additionally, Thomas teaches one of the First Year Experience courses at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, where students learn about the university and student resources, study strategies, and career prep. “The First Year Experience course is a class for incoming freshmen where we equip them with knowledge, tools, and insight that can help them have not just a good semester but overall a good undergrad experience,” Thomas said. “We hope that the knowledge and skills that we teach them help them graduate, and we hope that they are transferable to their personal and social lives as well.” While an undergrad, Thomas encountered many obstacles before successfully completing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. According to Thomas, his experiences have only made him a stronger person and better mentor for minority college students. “I do understand the needs of African American students in higher education,” Thomas said. “I definitely feel the need to be here so that the minority students can have someone they can identify with and who can understand the things they go through on a day-to-day basis outside of college. Having a support group of officials and peers is what strengthened me to persevere through all of the challenges I faced as an undergraduate student.” After completing his undergraduate degree, Thomas has pursued many more opportunities to advance his education. He earned a master’s degree in higher education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock while working as a graduate assistant for the Chancellor’s office and the Green Dot Program. Next, Thomas moved to Memphis to earn his Ed.D in higher and adult education from the University of Memphis, where he worked in the university’s Disability Resource Center. Now, he is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which he plans to complete by 2023. “I am also an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Pi Lambda Chapter, and I serve as the on-campus advisor,” Thomas added. “I’m also a proud member of St. Mark Baptist Church.”

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

LULAC Honors Torres Sanchez as Student of the Year

Love of Helping Students Leads to Inspiration for New Assistant Director of Multicultural Center

New student success coach hopes to inspire students through work with Student Affairs Diversity Initiatives

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