Hispanic enrollment growing
Daniel Giles/TimesDaily
Florence High School 11th-grade guidance counselor Glenda Page talks to student Marcella Villagrana about her options as she looks into colleges.
Published: Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 11:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 11:42 p.m.
Marcela Villagrana has steep aspirations for college.
The Florence High School junior is preparing for her ACT and hoping the scores will be high enough not just to get her a coveted spot at Tulane University or Vanderbilt, but a scholarship as well.
But Marcela is keenly aware of the obstacles that could stand in her way.
"I'm the first in my family to go to college, so I don't really know what to do," she said. "My parents want me to ask questions, but I don't really know who to ask. It's complicated."
As a first-generation college student as well as a student of Hispanic heritage, Marcela is preparing for her higher education career at a disadvantage compared to her peers. In order to make the transition from high school to college as smooth as possible for students like