LYNN — Latina Center Maria will hold a college fair for students and families featuring interpreters who speak Spanish, Portuguese and Khmer from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. today at North Shore Community College.
The event will allow students and parents to speak with college admission counselors about financial aid and scholarships. Representatives from 17 local colleges and universities ranging from Boston University to St. Joseph’s College of Maine will answer attendees’ questions. Dr. Magalie Rowe, the organization’s founder and executive director, said families with students of all ages are encouraged to attend.
Rowe also teaches Spanish at Breed Middle School. With help from her students, she founded Lynn Public Schools’ first-ever Spanish Honor Society. She said current society members will serve as the college fair’s Spanish interpreters.
“This is important because families are going to be there,” said Rowe. “When I was teaching seniors, I remember having seniors literally crying because they would say ‘nobody told me about GPA.’ When the teachers don’t speak Spanish and mom doesn’t speak English, the kids do whatever they want. We as members of this community are all responsible. I am responsible and I’m doing my part by educating parents.”
Rowe said the center has worked with the Lynn Latino Leadership Coalition to put together the college fair. She added that they have also received help from Lynn School Committee member Dr. Tiffany Magnolia and La Vida Scholars Director Peter Barros. Rowe said they expect about 200 to 300 people will attend.
Rowe wrote her first book “The College Guide for Immigrant Parents” in 2010 with an understanding, based on time spent in Peru and Mexico, of how different the education system is in the U.S. in comparison to other countries.
“Some Latino parents don’t speak English and they don’t know the education system,” Rowe said. “The lack of information is the problem.”
Rowe says she often emphasizes to parents that they can be involved in their children’s college application process as long as they have access to reliably translated information. To enforce that message, she made copies of her guidebook and will distribute them to parents at the event for free.
“Every year, I take my students to Harvard, MIT and Boston College and I tell them, ‘you belong in this type of school,’” Rowe said. “I tell my students to look at me. I have my doctorate degree. If I can do it, they can do it.”
Rachel Barber can be reached at [email protected].
