Latino Americans are the largest and fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, according to data from the Census Bureau. With that population growth, Hispanic college enrollment and, to a lesser extent, degree attainment rates, were on the rise for much of the last 10 years before the pandemic. But despite the recent increase in enrollment, there are still big disparities when it comes to degree attainment. Those disparities shape economic opportunities for millions of people.
According to a recent report from national education non-profit The Education Trust, Hispanic adults are half as likely to hold a degree now as white adults were in 1990 — a reality that helps highlight slow growth toward equalizing education opportunities.
Hispanic Women of Weld County, a community group based in Greeley that offers educational opportunities by providing scholarships and mentorship, is working to shrink college degree attainment disparities in Colorado, one student at a time
To learn more about degree attainment disparities and how their organization is empowering more women to pursue college, we spoke with Trisha Garcia-Nelson, treasurer for Hispanic Women of Weld County. We also spoke with two college students who received scholarships this year from Hispanic Women of Weld County: Victoria Silva, a full-time pre-med student at Aims Community College; and Yessica Elena Rodriguez, a graduate student at the University of Northern Colorado.