Most students take for granted the chance to go to college, as the opportunity is often known to them from a very early age. Latino students, however, are often unaware what direction to take when it comes to furthering their education beyond high school.

Thomasville High School will be offering such students a chance to find out more information about what opportunities are out there for those who would like to earn a college education. On Dec. 15, THS, in conjunction with Fayetteville State University (FSU), is holding Latino College Night from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. where Hispanic students can find out more information on applying to a university or community college and financial aid and scholarship availability.

“This is intended to encourage students to take advantage of educational opportunities,” THS counselor Karen Harris said. “This is the first time we’ve had a joint partnership with the university system to get the word out. Latino students will get to learn what’s available for college and what resources are available to them.”

The session is available to students in all three local school systems — Davidson County, Thomasville and Lexington. A presentation will be given entirely in Spanish by Gilberto Alvarado, assistant director of admissions at FSU. Whitney McLaughlin, a college advisor for both THS and Lexington High School, coordinated the session and feels it’s important parents can hear the presentation in their native language so they can fully understand the college application process. McLaughlin, who coordinates different programs to target at-risk students who may not have the opportunity to attend college, said she got the idea after attending a similar presentation in Winston-Salem and seeing how much Hispanic families didn’t understand about what opportunities were available to their children.

“When I went to the Latino night in Winston-Salem, there was a lot of questions regarding how to go about applying to schools, financial aid, and what scholarships to look for,” said McLaughlin. “Some parents simply didn’t know. The presentation helped walk them through the process and cater to their immediate questions.”

For more information on Latino College Night, call Alvarado at 910-672-1372 or McLaughlin at 474-4250,

Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 888-3578, or duke@tvilletimes.com.