Students Learn About New Opportunities at HACU Conference

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Five Huntley College of Agriculture students traveled to the annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities conference in October to network with employers and graduate schools and prepare for life after college.

The HACU conference, “Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success: Building America’s Future,” drew nearly 1,800 attendees from Oct. 6-8, in Atlanta, Ga., including Cal Poly Pomona students Leo Escalante, Iraida De La Torre, Coral Story, Jaqueline Zamora, and Michelle Moran.

The goals of the conference include showcasing best practices at HACU member institutions, identify graduate school opportunities for Hispanic students and graduates, deliberate policies that affect Hispanic education opportunities, and discuss emerging higher education trends that affect Hispanic students.

Moran, a fourth-year animal science major from Covina, said the network opportunities and a talk about USDA job opportunities were very valuable.

“I knew that I wanted to do some type of agricultural research within the USDA, so this conference was great for connecting me to recruiters,” Moran said. “I talked a lot with the USDA and was able to get great feedback on my resume. I look forward to applying to jobs this spring and using the skills I learned from this conference in the future.”

An animal science major from Chino, Escalante said the trip opened his eyes to opportunities he had never considered, including USDA internships, federal leadership internships in Washington D.C., and graduate school options.

“Real-world experience is a must if I want to be a contributing member of my community, and these internships that I discovered on this trip can make a major difference in my life,” he said.

Cal Poly Pomona President Emeritus Michael Ortiz also was inducted into HACU’s Hall of Champions at the event.

The college helped cover the students’ expenses for the trip.
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