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Early awards encourage future success

by Matthew Chavez

Daily Lobo

UNM's College Enrichment Program lauded the achievements of its members and supporters at the second annual Celebration of Excellence in the SUB Ballroom Thursday.

The ceremony was established last year to formally acknowledge and celebrate the early achievements of CEP students and to encourage them toward more academic success.

Miguel Acosta, CEP's Freshman Programs coordinator, delivered the opening remarks, followed by Eliseo Torres, vice president of Student Affairs and Nancy Uscher, associate provost of Academic Affairs, among others.

The awards ceremony followed with applause and certificates of achievement for CEP students who have completed their first semester, full-time CEP juniors and seniors who maintain a 3.0 GPA, CEP seniors who will graduate in May and CEP alumni.

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In 1969, the College Enrichment Program was established with the aim of recruiting, retaining and graduating people from backgrounds that otherwise are underrepresented at UNM.

"CEP heavily recruited students from rural communities," said Jennifer Gomez-Chavez, CEP's programs coordinator. "CEP continues to assist students from underrepresented backgrounds, first generation students, students from rural communities or out-of-state, and students with low ACT scores," she said.

At its start 30 years ago, incoming CEP freshmen were required to attend a resident orientation program that spanned two months during the summer preceding their first college semester - the only orientation UNM offered at that time. Since then, CEP's orientation program has dwindled down to four days and three nights, and UNM has launched a separate program, Lobo Orientation, to serve all incoming freshmen.

CEP's members, who are often the first of their family to attend college, are provided with multiple ongoing services, including orientation, academic planning, tutoring, mentoring and counseling to help them become familiar with college procedures and adapt to college life. CEP also provides new students with a climate of friendship and enthusiasm with mentored peer groups to encourage their academic and personal growth. According to Gomez-Chavez, more than 9,000 students have participated in CEP.

This year CEP plans to hold a 35th-anniversary celebration where it will launch a CEP alumni association.

"We are hoping to attract individuals who came through the program 35 years ago to our present graduates," said Gomez-Chavez. "Additionally, we will be inviting the original staff members who developed this wonderful legacy."

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