UNM is once again using campus tours to recruit minority high school students from around the state.
Next week, UNM will bring American Indian high school students from around the state to campus to pitch UNM as their destination for higher education.
UNM's American Indian Student Day, Dec. 4, in the Johnson Center Auxiliary Gym, will feature more than 400 juniors and seniors who will become familiar with the details of college, including scholarship opportunities, how to apply for financial aid, tutoring and general student life.
"This is our opportunity to showcase all UNM has to offer Native American students," said Pamela Agoyo, director of UNM's American Indian Student Services in a UNM Public Affairs press release.
Registration for the event will begin at 7:30 a.m., with representatives from more than 32 departments in attendance to answer questions.
"This will be a chance to positively influence Native American students considering college," said Leona Sam, an engineering student who tutors at the American Indian Student Services Department. "It will give them a chance to see people like themselves who are pursuing their goals. There are not enough positive role models for Indian students. This will be a step in the right direction."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
A catered lunch will be served for the participants, and campus tours will be conducted for the potential UNM students.
There will also be several guest speakers throughout the day, including UNM Provost Brian Foster, who said that an event like this is "huge" for bringing the natural communities that exist throughout the state to the campus and helping minority students realize the opportunities that exist for them at UNM.
"It's all about creating relationships of engagement between the different cultures that exist in our community," Foster said. "A more diverse student population will enhance everyone's education, which will spill over to all aspects of our lives."
According to enrollment figures released by the University in September, about 1,400, or 5.5 percent of UNM's main campus students are American Indian.
