To celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, OLLU has produced a new video: “The Face of Hispanic Higher Education.” 

The video explores the roots of the university’s Latino heritage and explains the little-known but far-reaching impact of Hispanic alumni on the U.S. and the world.

OLLU stands unique among institutions of higher learning. Its President, Provost and Dean are Latino. Five Vice Presidents and dozens of professors and staff are Latino. Together, they serve a student body that is nearly 70 percent Latino. This community of color forms the Face of Hispanic Higher Education.

The video shows how OLLU came to be the nation’s first Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), an incubator of Latino leaders and bilingual pioneers. “The Face of Hispanic Higher Education” explains how the U.S. came to celebrate the contributions of Hispanics from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Through the efforts of alumnus Gil Coronado (BA 1975), a retired Air Force colonel, Congress extended Hispanic Heritage Week to 30 days. Today, Col. Coronado is known as the Father of Hispanic Heritage Month. 

“America at large needs to be educated on who the Hispanics are,” Col. Coronado said, “how they have contributed to our nation and that we’re part of the American fabric.”  

OLLU’s new video is packed with fascinating detail. For instance, 11 Hispanic alumni have won 32 regional Emmy Awards. Three Latino graduates are playing pivotal roles in NASA’s mission to return to the moon. You will learn about all this and more in “The Face of Hispanic Higher Education.”