FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, September 01, 2011

HACU “Class of 2020: Graduate!” Art Contest begins Sept. 1

Winning entry to receive scholarship

San Antonio, TX – The "Class of 2020: Graduate!" Art Contest was announced today by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to encourage local eighth graders to use their creativity to illustrate their higher education goals.

 A HACU Art Exhibit in October will showcase how this generation will play a role in meeting President Obama’s goal of the U.S. having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. Internationally renowned artist and San Antonio native, Jesse Treviño, will assist with the selection of contest finalists.

 "As HACU celebrates its 25 years of championing Hispanic success in higher education, we also wanted to look ahead by spotlighting how today’s eighth graders envision their educational future," said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. "We felt that an Art Exhibit with the youths destined to be the college graduating class of 2020, in the city where the association was founded, was a fitting way to pay tribute to the association’s roots."

 HACU will accept entries of artwork depicting the theme, "My future depends on my education. And when I grow up I want to be ________," between Sept. 1-30. Three students whose artwork best captures the theme will be chosen as first-, second-, and third-place awardees and announced during an Art Exhibit taking place in October. The first place winner will receive an academic scholarship to Our Lady of the Lake University.

 A HACU Art Exhibit, consisting of one semi-finalist from each of the 15 San Antonio school districts, one entry from the private school category, and one entry from the charter schools category will also be on display for a national audience at the Exhibit Hall of the association’s 25th Annual Conference Oct. 29-31 and for attendees of its Silver Anniversary Gala on Oct. 31. Both events will take place at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio. Information on contest participation is available at www.hacu.net/2020.

About HACU

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) was established in 1986 with a founding membership of 18 institutions. Today, HACU represents more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). This year, HACU celebrates its 25th Anniversary and will host its annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 29-31. Information is available at www.hacu.net. HACU can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.

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Media Contact:
Norma Jean Revilla-Garcia
(210) 576-3206

Program Contact:
Tessa Benavides
(210) 576-3224