Hispanic students become leaders at HCC Honors College

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — One wants to be an aerospace engineer, the other a labor and delivery nurse.

Both are finding paths to their goals through a program at Hillsborough Community College that takes Honors College students and turns them into agents of change.

“We have a great opportunity to meet people in strategic positions, and to hear their testimony and experiences,” said the would-be engineer, Peruvian-born Kevin Ospina, 18.

Natalia Philippus, 21, the future nurse, is developing her social skills through the HCC Leadership program.

“I think it’s a great class to build our leadership skills and improve our communication,” she said.

The Leadership program is required for HCC’s 278 Honors College students. The largest share of them, 44 percent, are Hispanic.

The program explores the values of a leader, and how to set personal goals with an eye toward helping the larger community. It has been part of the Honors College since its creation in 1996.

Among the requirements of Honors College applicants are college-level reading and writing skills and a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher. They also must be pursuing an associate’s degree at the college.

“First of all we are talking about a personal discovery, because we want to reach an understanding of what leadership means, so our students can learn to take action,” said Odette Figueruelo, a language and education professor in the Leadership course.

Students must complete a project addressing a need in the community, putting into practice the leadership lessons they learn.

Their lessons come, in part, through presentations from experts and authorities. This year, they include Melissa Morgado, supervisor of world languages with the Hillsborough County School District; Dennis Small, former Hispanic liaison officer with...