MATC continues on path to attain federal Hispanic-Serving Institution designation
Shining as a Beacon for Hispanic/Latino/a Students
Like thousands of other students heading to school, Linishka Aviles was a little nervous. Butterflies flitted in her stomach and questions filled her head as she started classes at MATC.
26 Milwaukee Area Technical College
“I had no idea what to expect,” said Aviles, who identifies as Hispanic and earned her High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) along with an administrative professional certificate at MATC last year. “But things became very welcoming for me in a very short time. The students in my classes got the support they needed from all the instructors and from each other.” Creating a respectful and rewarding environment where Hispanic/Latino/a students can learn, succeed and transform their lives has long been MATC’s mission. That objective influenced the college’s announcement in 2019 that it would work to attain a Hispanic-Serving Institution
(HSI) designation through the U.S. Department of Education. Among the criteria for designation is that MATC’s headcount is at least 25% college-level Hispanic/Latino/a students by 2024. In Fall 2017, 16.4% of MATC collegelevel students were Hispanic/Latino/a. By the end of 2021, the percentage grew to 18.5%. MATC administrators, faculty and staff are committed to eliminating barriers to accessing college faced by Hispanic/ Latino/a students. “We have strong support from our leadership to get this implemented, so I believe we can continue to move the
