There are great opportunities explained below that will allow you to begin or continue to be involved in SOLA in alignment with our mission and the goals of our university.
The six main areas of interest are:
1. Participating in Alumni projects
The Alumni Association's mission is to connect alumni to each other by hosting regional events, providing online networking (Alumni Directory) opportunities for alumni and offering many alumni volunteer opportunities. The Alumni Office is looking for leaders to head regional events, etc. Currently, SOLA members hold four positions on the Alumni Association.
2. Supporting current students
There are various ways that SOLA can support the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), our undergrad version, and the other Latino club affiliations. These students thrive on our support. LASO is eager to work with SOLA as we are with them. They occasionally need our guidance as mentors, for this SOLA is sponsoring the Annual Caminos program, in which SOLA members in various fields talk to students regarding their experiences in their specific industry and what they can expect once they graduate.
3. Recruiting new students
Recruitment is essential. It is well known that statistically Latinos are not applying into all levels of higher education in the numbers we would like to see. The Admissions Office has opportunities for each of you to become an Alumni Admission Program volunteer, in which you may participate in Off/On-campus recruitment events such as College Fairs and Open Houses. SOLA, in the past few years has also excelled in participating in this area but the lack of Latino students applying is on going problem. With minimal participation in Alumni programs, SOLA can make a big difference in the number of Latino students who apply and are accepted in NU.
4. Volunteering at Latino/a Student Cultural Center
The LSCC integrates the academic, cultural and social endeavors of Northeastern's Latino/students through community service, outreach and programming. I would like to introduce the full-time staff: Elena Quiros (Director), Alejandra Lombardo (Assistant Director-NU grad, SOLA member) and Sara Rivera (Administrative Assistant). The LSCC staff publishes the Center's quarterly newsletter, plans, implements, and promotes events and provides the university community with a link to Latino/a resources within and outside NU. These leaders are in the trenches; they see and deal with the day-to-day issues that students confront. These are our unsung heroes. The staff needs our support, whether it is helping with student programs, or donating equipment such as computers and books. Find out today how you can assist the Center.
5.Strengthening the Society of Latino/a Alumni
SOLA is proud to be leading the way in this new era at our Alma Mater. Without active members, SOLA will not be able to make a difference in any of the areas aforementioned. Without a SOLA Executive Board, coordinating all these programs would be impossible. In the next few weeks I will be calling on some of you to become a Board member. If you interested in holding a position in SOLA please contact us.
6. Investing time and money at NU
The rate of Latino students dropping out of college due to the cost of education is alarming. Annual support from the alumni helps attract and retain talented Latino students by ensuring that reliable financial aid is available throughout their Northeastern career. The Annual Giving Program raises funds from alumni to support Northeastern University. The university recognizes that some donors prefer to designate their gift for a specific purpose. You, as alumni, can either donate to SOLA or you can specify that you would like your contribution to go to a specific program, i.e. LSCC (Latino/a Student Cultural Center), LaCLA (La Comunidad Latina en Accion Scholarship), LLACS (Latino/a, Latin American and Caribbean Studies), etc. Together with other alumni, your annual gift strengthens the Northeastern experience for all students. SOLA is committed to have 100% alumni participation. If you are interested in donating please contact us.
As you can see, they're many opportunities for you to participate at Northeastern University as an alumnus. To get involved or to find out more information about any of the above mentioned opportunities please contact a SOLA officer.
Or you can register at the Join Us page...