Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2005

Contact: Marisa Ramirez
713.743.8152 (office)
713.204.9798 (cell)
mrcannon@uh.edu

HOUSTON, June 7, 2005—College was always a goal for Viridiana Hernandez. The struggle to pay for it is the constant reality. When the junior accounting major isn’t crunching numbers, she baby-sits for families in her East End neighborhood to earn money for tuition. Hernandez is one of 12 University of Houston students who will benefit from a $150,000 donation from Bank of America to the University of Houston’s Center for Mexican American Studies (CMAS).

The daughter of immigrant parents, Hernandez is the first in her family to go to college.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am,” Hernandez said. “Bank of America is really sending a message that education is important and that dreams of a college degree can come true.”

The 12 students selected are members of the CMAS Academic Achievers Program. The program provides up to $2,500 a year for students who are the first in their families to attend college. The program was created in 1994 as an effort to retain students whose circumstances put them at risk for dropping out of school. Each student must be enrolled fulltime, attend mandatory study hall hours, leadership workshops and seminars, and monthly counseling meetings. Students must also sign a contract agreeing to abide by the requirements of the program.

“Bank of America and the University of Houston share a common vision of helping people achieve their dreams,” Rick Jaramillo, Bank of America senior vice president said. “The Center for Mexican American Studies makes that dream become reality.”

Hernandez says college seemed out of reach for many of her friends who made other choices after high school.

“Many of my friends got married, had kids or went to work,” Hernandez said. “I knew I wanted to go to college, and that it would be a challenge to get there.” Her plans include learning Chinese and going to law school.

Recipients of the Bank of America scholarships were chosen based on grade point average and need. The 12 students will receive the funds for two years.

“These funds will ease the financial hardship a bit and help these students achieve their goal of a college education,” Rebecca Trevino, program manager for CMAS said.

For more information about the UH Center for Mexican American Studies, please visit http://www.class.uh.edu/CMAS/

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.