N.C Scholars’ Latino Initiative is a mentoring and college access organization aimed at providing Latino high school students with the resources they need to be successful students and college-ready applicants.
2013-2014 Executive board during our 2013 Fall retreat in North Carolina.
Executive board members after organizing a successful graduation ceremony for our graduating mentees and mentors.
Along with the mentorship component, SLI hosts monthly academic events at UNC-CH for students and their families. A typical event will consist of an academic class, college preparation seminar, writing workshops, community-building activities, and a workshop for parents.
I joined SLI in 2011 as a mentor and during my sophomore and junior years, I also served as a committee board members. In May 2013 I became one of the Co-Directors, in this role I:
- Led the recruitment strategy, management, and integration of 25 new high school mentees and college mentors by organizing informational events, interviewing potential mentors, and leading the application review and selection process across multiple levels
- Organized a successful programming calendar filled with six academic events, a fundraising event conducted in collaboration with the university’s Hispanic Association, and a graduation ceremony for our students
- Oversaw a committee of 14 students and organized bi-weekly board meetings
- Fostered relationships among committee members, and high school participants and their families
- Acted as a liaison to the Faculty Advisory Board and the Scholarship committee by conducting check-ins with mentors and high school liaisons, and providing updates on student progress
Maria Castrillon 