Latino & Latin American Space for Enrichment and Research (LASER) Mentoring Program

IMPACT. 1: Beginning with one high school and three mentees in Spring 2012, LASER currently runs mentoring hubs across Columbus that include Latino students from 47 different high schools. -- 2. LASER is expanding the number of Ohio Latino applicants to Ohio State and other area colleges and universities, and raising awareness of Latino talent pools in admissions at Ohio State and beyond.OSU PARTNERS: Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Department of Spanish and PortugueseCOMMUNITY PARTNERS: Centennial High School; Central Crossing High School; Columbus Downtown High School; Columbus International High School; Columbus State Community College; Dublin Jerome High School; Dublin Coffman High School; Dublin Scioto High School; Hamilton Township High School; Hayes High School; Hilliard Davidson High School; Orange High School; Pickerington High School North; South-Western Career Academy; The Charles School at Ohio Dominican University; Thomas Worthington High School; Walnut Ridge High School; Westerville South High School; Westland High School; Whitehall-Yearling High SchoolPRIMARY CONTACT: Frederick Aldama (aldama.1@osu.edu)With LASER Hubs across the city of Columbus and the use of Internet mentors serve as academic role models as well as bridge builders between Latinos in high school and Ohio State and our LASER partnership campuses, Otterbein, Kenyon, and Ohio Wesleyan University. Graduate students and OSU graduates function as mentors and coordinators of hubs that interface OSU with Latino high school students in the community for academic coaching and college planning. FAFSA and College Credit Plus workshops and signature yearly events such as Latino Role Models Day build community between Latino students on and off campus as well as provide networking and research resources and opportunities to help students successfully apply and navigate college admission and financial aid