Since its founding 75 years ago, Pacific Oaks College has demonstrated a continued commitment to diversity. This is reflected by students, faculty, and school administrators who represent many different ethnicities. One of the largest groups represented at Pacific Oaks is the Latino community, with 29.4% of leadership identifying as Hispanic or Latino as of 2022, and Latino-identified students making up 55.7% of the student population as of 2020.
In 2020, Pacific Oaks was officially recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education and awarded a Title V Grant, providing $2.5 million across five years to help support the Latino community at Pacific Oaks. Funds from the grant have supported a wide range of projects, including the Student Success Center as well as ¡Tu sueño tu Realidad!, a podcast created to raise awareness of the value and importance of higher education degree attainment within the Latino community.
Developed by Dr. Judy Castro, associate vice president of partnership development at Pacific Oaks, the podcast will provide information on how to begin pursuing a college education. Episode topics include financial aid, completing the FAFSA, aligning personal interests with college degree programs, the application process, campus resources, and more.
“We are excited to release ¡Tu sueño tu Realidad! It is my hope that this podcast will open up further opportunities for Latino students at Pacific Oaks and the greater community by extending knowledge and information that they may not have previously been able to access,” Dr. Castro says.
Additionally, episodes include motivational stories of local Latinos who have overcome challenges and built successful lives by earning college degrees. Listeners also will have the chance to learn more about Pacific Oaks from faculty and alumni as they discuss their supportive work with students and give advice on how to excel and build strong foundations for the future.
