Cardinal First Program
North Central College’s Cardinal First program is a national finalist for the 2021 Examples of Excelencia. The college received the accolade from Excelencia in Education, an organization that focuses on advancing Latino student success in higher education.
The mission of Cardinal First is to provide a supportive and welcoming community for first-generation college students and their families, a campus culture that recognizes and celebrates first-generation student identity, and helps students connect with faculty, resources, and experiences for academic and personal success.
“Cardinal First is committed to advancing outcomes for all first-generation students, including our increasing population of first-gen Latino students,” said Julie Carballo, director of first-generation initiatives, veteran and military-affiliated student services at North Central College in a press release. “This recognition represents the tireless and passionate work of so many involved with Cardinal First since its launch in 2015. It is also an honor to see the success of our first-gen Latino students recognized and celebrated; they are remarkable and a tremendous asset to our campus.”
“Cardinal First was the first program I joined after starting at North Central and it’s the main reason I’m comfortable talking to new people and making new friends,” said Isaac Sosa, a biology major at North Central College in a press release.
This recognition was given to only 21 programs nationwide out of 145.
Four Finalists to be Chosen
Finalists will be presented to a national selection committee composed of higher education leaders, grant makers, and stakeholders. The committee assesses the strength of innovative, intentional, culturally relevant, and effective high-impact practices tailored to Latino students and their communities to select four Examples of Excelencia.
The full list of finalists can be found here.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
