Spanish Visit Day, or Dia de Familia, is dedicated to accommodating Wayne State Colleges’ prospective Hispanic students and their families on October 28th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. during National Hispanic Heritage Month.
“It’s a chance for our Latino families to listen to all the admissions and scholarship information on the visit day all in Spanish, especially for the parents,” Veronica Guzman, assistant director of admissions, said.
The day aids in influencing the student’s choice in coming to Wayne State College. During the visit, the families are greeted by a bilingual student before Guzman leads an admissions presentation discussing college life, scholarship opportunities and other online resources.
The bilingual student panel shares their experiences and answers any questions the families or students may have. Visitors are then taken to lunch to experience the campus cafeteria and food before the day ends with a campus tour.
“It’s important for the college to keep hiring bilingual people to serve the families and students to feel free to ask questions,” Guzman said.
The day exists more for parents than students because a majority of high school students are bilingual but have family members who would prefer to receive information in Spanish.
“It’s very important for them to be involved in the college process for their son or daughter,” Guzman said. “They influence heavily and now more and more Latinx parents are involved in college planning.”
Many of the students who attend WSC are first generation and are breaking the cycle.
“This showcases Wayne State in a great manner,” Guzman said.
While at the college, students are encouraged to find a support network by visiting the diversity and inclusion office with Peter Mutayoba, building connections with students they meet on visit day and by forming a new club or organization for Latinx students.
“They see people who are students who look like them,” Guzman said.
They bond over their similar bilingual backgrounds and their transition from high school to college.
Guzman planned for Spanish Visit Day with the help of Miguel Aguilera, assistant director of admissions, and Liliana Cordova from the bilingual student panel. Guzman said they are fortunate to have support from Kevin Halle, vice president for enrollment management, and Amy Gade, director of admissions, as well as the rest of the admissions staff who promote the event. Guzman also plans on promoting through the local Spanish newspapers, radio stations and social media.
“Here at Wayne State College, it’s important that we put these students’ talent to work,” Guzman said.
Liliana Cordova, junior WSC bilingual student, not only helps with the organization of the day, but also serves in welcoming the families and answering any questions they may have while translating for them during the campus tour. She has been helping Guzman since she was a freshman.
“I do enjoy it,” Cordova said. “It’s really nice, to help families because my parents were there. Now I get to help families to answer questions. It’s a really nice feeling.”
“For me, I grew up in a small town, so Wayne was perfect,” Cordova said. “I think some students come from smaller schools and they also want to be on a smaller campus.”
Cordova says many Hispanic students at WSC never meet because they have different majors, but a club, Latino United Club or sorority, which is in the works, would really connect the community.
“Over the past years, I’ve seen more Latino and Spanish students coming in, so I’ve seen it grow more and more and I got to meet more people here on campus,” Guzman said. “She has been very instrumental in giving us more of the vision of the student and the family and what they would want to see here at Wayne State.”
“It’s important to always validate all the students from different walks of life and keep honoring them whenever we see them or have an interaction with them,” Guzman said.
