Arizona is home to the country\u2019s sixth-largest Hispanic population\u2014a historically underrepresented population in higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With parallel missions to broaden access and eliminate barriers to a high-quality degree, Northern Arizona University (NAU) and Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) are launching a partnership to support the state\u2019s Hispanic communities and help remove barriers to higher education. This fall, the first cohort of high-achieving NAU-Yuma students throughout Yuma County has been awarded the Chicanos Por La Causa Scholarship, which covers tuition, fees, and other expenses and supports Lumberjacks in their pursuit of opportunity and excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more than three decades, NAU-Yuma has provided a rich, supportive community for all students and currently serves a student population that is nearly 80 percent Hispanic. The commitment to access, attainment and success at NAU-Yuma is emblematic of NAU\u2019s bold vision to elevate excellence as the nation\u2019s preeminent engine of opportunity, vehicle of economic mobility and driver of social impact for students and communities in Arizona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am proud that our efforts to broaden participation and advance access to educational attainment align with important partners like CPLC,\u201d NAU President Jos\u00e9 Luis Cruz Rivera said. \u201cThe generous scholarship support provided by CPLC removes barriers for students and ensures that all members of our community have access to the exceptional educational experience that defines NAU.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more than 35 years CPLC, a statewide nonprofit organization devoted to addressing structural inequities and barriers to education has been a trusted partner providing early child development, housing and immigration services in Yuma. CPLC established the Chicanos Por La Causa Scholarship to empower the lives of students at NAU-Yuma and bridge attainment gaps that impact the entire Yuma area and surrounding communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt NAU, we have a dedicated partner committed to providing high-value educational experiences and doing so in close collaboration with their home communities like Yuma where greater attainment is crucial,\u201d David Adame, president and CEO of CPLC, said. \u201cWe are thrilled to be investing in the future of these talented students and in the Hispanic community in Yuma to help secure a brighter and more prosperous future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inaugural cohort of CPLC Scholarship recipients all come from the greater Yuma community and have a wide range of academic and career interests, demonstrating the sincere commitment to powering access at home that is important to NAU and CPLC. The recipients of this year\u2019s scholarship are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the students\u2019 career aspirations, lived experiences, and paths to higher education are all different, their passion to reach higher, give back, and spark change in their home community is universal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To recognize the inaugural cohort of CPLC Scholarship recipients and honor the thriving Lumberjack community in Yuma, NAU and CPLC are hosting a community celebration and dinner from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Arizona Western College Courtyard. To register for the event, visit nau.edu\/YumaEvent<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n