On Sept. 20, a group of 35 SHS seniors and teachers attended the Education Summit. The Education Summit is run by the Indiana Latino Institute, specifically created for the main purpose of helping Latino students reach their full potential.

As the end of the school slowly approaches, the time seniors have to figure out their college adventure decreases.

However, with the help of the Education Summit, the stress and anxiety that come with figuring out financial aid or coming up with majors are easily solvable.

The purpose of the event is to guide students when making post-secondary decisions. Whether it’s college applications or job applications there will be professionals to assist the students. 

“This gave them an opportunity to start to think about that (college) a little bit more … they were able to talk with individual colleges and universities,”Spanish teacher Jaime Marshall said. 

Students interested in college are taught and advised about all the steps and decisions they must make to excel in college. Multiple companies and organizations attend the career 

fair and give advice and guidance to help them get resources for after they graduate high school. 

They also had workshops about college and financial aid available to attend. In those workshops, they informed students about how to choose the right college. They also

learned what the application process looks like, and what an average first-year college student experiences.

While Marshall has a full-time job of being an honors Spanish teacher, she serves as an extension of the counseling office. In particular, she focuses on finding outside resources to support her students’ academics. The Education Summit is one prime example of Marshall’s work as an extension counselor for students.

Students are also given the chance to listen to this year’s keynote speaker Rafael Sanchez. 

There are an endless amount of possibilities after high school. For students whose main priority is not to attend college first but to go straight into the workforce, Education Summit also provides career fairs. Many businesses including big companies like Eli Lilly and the Indianapolis Airport Authority, are also available during the fair.

Often as a first generation attending college, family members of the student may be unfamiliar with the concept of college and how it works. The Education Summit also has programs that help students’ families understand the idea of college.

“They are really working with the youth of those families and trying to help Latino students,” Marshall said. 

As opportunities as beneficial as the Education Summit are hard to come by, Marshall wishes her future Latino students will have the same chance as her present students.

“It’s a really good experience, and it’s a really good program,” said Michelle Gonzalez-Colin, a SHS student who attended the Education Summit.