University of La Verne student Marie Tabarez holds her check won in a national student competition in which she placed second for a video presentation about what her Hispanic heritage means to her. At left is Daniel Loera, Multicultural Affairs Director at La Verne, and at right is La Verne provost Dr. Gregory Dewey.

Student groups win at national level

• by Rusty Evans
• November 28, 2011

University of La Verne student Marie Tabarez placed second in a national video scholarship event and walked away with a $2,500 prize at the 25^th Annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) competition in San Antonio, Texas.

Tabarez, who is Clubs & Organization Coordinator in the university’s Office of Student Life, is one of several La Verne students to earn special recognition in recent Student Affairs contests.

The first University of La Verne student to win a HACU scholarship, Tabarez competed in the Hispanic College Quiz, in which she talked about why her Hispanic heritage was important to her. Her outstanding video presentation earned her one of three national finalists spots and an all-expenses-paid trip to San Antonio.

Elsewhere, La Verne’s Student Housing and Residential Education (SHARE) earned several awards at the annual Pacific Affiliation of College and University Residence Hall (PACURH) Conference in Washington state.

La Verne staff member Garrett Isom led a delegation of student leaders Roxanne Gonzalez, Ricardo Orozco, Kelley Maggiulli, Shelby Griffin, Michael Cesena, Alexandra Gonzalez and Lindsay Gonzalez. This unit captured the Small School Spirit Award for the sixth consecutive year. The award is granted to the delegation that most profoundly upholds the spirit of the conference (i.e., inclusivity, leadership, sustainability, networking, school spirit).

La Verne RHA also earned the Best Small School Display award with its dynamic and creative display showing off the University of La Verne with information about its residence halls and RHA. A requirement for this display was that it be created using only recyclable materials.

In Spokane, Wash., the University of La Verne’s Office of Student Life was highly decorated at the National Association for Campus Activities Board (NACA) conference.

Director of Student Life Barbara Mulligan led the delegation, along with Angie Anderson, Assistant Director of Student Life, and students Anthony Juarez, Ally Schultz, Kevin Dowell, Mike Wahba, Chris Pulu and Monique Osorio.

The group’s “Destination Procrastination” event, which was marketed and programmed by the university’s Campus Activities Board (CAB), Associated Students of the University of La Verne (ASULV) and the Office of Student Life, was awarded the “Outstanding One-Time Event” award.

La Verne also earned the “George Luis Sedano Award for Outstanding Multicultural Event” with its Chinese New Year celebration, which was programmed by the CAB in collaboration with International and Study Abroad Services (ISAS). That cultural event was judged to be outstanding in offering education, history, and cultural entertainment to the entire campus community.

Finally, the group was recognized for outstanding collaboration with other departments and staff on campus (i.e., the Learning Enhancement Center (LEC), RHA, Athletics, and the Campus Center staff) and, for programming diverse and inclusive events for many student interests.

In individual achievement, Yessenia Tello, of the Office of Multicultural Services, was accepted into the prestigious McNair Scholars Program, which is extremely competitive and challenging.

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