Nearly everything Luis Pereira does, he does for future Hispanic college students, especially his four-year-old brother, Johann.
“I want my little brother to know, ‘You can do it; you can go to college,’” he says. “One of my passions is being a role model for my little brother; 15 years from now, I want to be visiting S&T with him.”
Pereira, a senior in computer science from Sedalia, Mo., transferred to Missouri S&T from State Fair Community College in fall 2013. The first in his family to attend college, he wants to be an example of the opportunities Hispanic students have in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
He helps organize ¡Sí Se Puede!, an annual weekend retreat for Hispanic and Latino high school students who want to learn more about pursuing a college education in a STEM field, ideally at S&T. Through information sessions and hands-on workshops, students explore career options and learn what college life is really like.
“We tell them about how awesome our university is,” Pereira says.
Last year, four high school students who attended ¡Sí Se Puede! enrolled at S&T this semester. “It’s pretty exciting,” Pereira says. “It makes you feel proud knowing that those students came to S&T through ¡Sí Se Puede!”
Reviewed 2014-10-07