Twenty-three San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) students attended the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) annual conference last month where they participated in networking, sessions and workshops over three days.


“The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Annual Conference provided an incredible opportunity for our students,” said college president Diana Z. Rodriguez. “Throughout the conference, our students networked with employers, attended sessions on topics like personal branding, resume building and bias in the workplace and met with recruiters and professionals who could help propel their careers. Each of our students is committed to using the skills and information they received to enhance not only the SBVC community, but the community as a whole.”


More than 60 SBVC students applied during the spring semester to attend this event. Selected participants were sponsored by the SBVC Associated Student Government (ASG) and received an SBVC polo, in addition to business cards and a per diem for the duration of the trip. Prior to the conference, students met multiple times between spring 2019 and October 2019, worked with staff on campus to attend a resume writing workshop, learned etiquette and behavioral standards expected of them during the trip and participated in a question and answer session to have any concerns or questions addressed.


Five students spoke about their experience at SBVC’s All Student Services Meeting on October 18 and a second group of five students will present at the Board of Trustees Meeting on November 14 to share their experience and lessons learned through participating in the program.

Last year, SVBC also participated in the conference and challenged students to put into action what they had learned, resulting in the formation of an HACU club on campus. Five of last year’s participants took advantage of HACU’s Ford Scholarship challenge and placed second, resulting in a $7,500 grant and $500 scholarship for each student.