UNLV will hold its inaugural Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) Student Success Summit for the campus community on Sept. 24. Through inspirational speakers, breakout sessions, and a series of activities, the summit is designed to advance equity and inclusion in the classroom, leading to higher retention and graduation rates. This event is open to all students, faculty, and staff but space is limited.
The summit will feature a student panel discussing what it means to them to be successful at UNLV. Take a look at the six students who will be on this year’s panel and what they hope you’ll get out of attending.
Abraham Lugo Bello
CSUN VP
Senior, majoring in political science and from Caracas, Venezuela, raised in Las Vegas NV.
What does student success mean to you?
Making sure students are successful has become my entire life. It is my purpose as a student body representative, it is my purpose as an advocate to all the communities at and beyond UNLV, and it is my purpose just as a student, for myself. Making sure we break the systemic barriers forced upon generations of different identities now will allow us to move forward into a new world where nobody slips through the cracks. Student success is of the utmost importance on where we go from here.
How will the MSI Student Success Summit impact our diverse student body?
The only way to leave a lasting impact on our diverse student body is by amplifying the diversity that exists. With diversity must come inclusion, and having the MSI Student Success Summit is a prime example of how we can showcase who we, as UNLV, are. In difference there is power, so let us celebrate how we as an institution are paving the way as an example for what valuing those differences and the power that comes with it looks like.
Nethmini Happawana
Peer Mentor & Senior in Business Entrepreneurship from Colombo, Sri Lanka
What does student success mean to you?
Student success means being in an environment where it is okay to fail. I believe we learn best by failing and understanding why we failed. When we are in an environment where failure means success, students are able to thrive and learn from it. We never truly know what success is, if there is no failure.
What do you look forward to most at the MSI Student Success Summit?
I look forward to every aspect of the summit because this is the first time I will be attending. I know there is an abundance of information from every aspect of the summit that can be useful and be utilized in college and in life.
Ava Carino
Senior, double majoring in History and Asian American Studies from Las Vegas, NV.
How are you involved with this year’s MSI Student Success Summit?
As both an Asian American first-generation college student and a member of the inaugural Minority-Serving Institution Student Council (MSISC), I have learned that being a dual designated MSI is an integral part of university life. We have to highlight the importance of UNLV’s designations as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) because often we only hear folx say UNLV is an MSI/HSI. This overlooks the AANAPISI designation and the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander students who made UNLV eligible for this designation.
What is one resource you would recommend a minority student to utilize while attending UNLV?
There is a department called “Student Diversity and Social Justice” (SDSJ) located in the Student Union in Room 309. This department is explicitly made for BIPOC/LGBTQIA+/International students and they have put on events such as “Black Carpet,” “Boba and Samosas: APIME MeetUps,” “Parade of Flags,” and countless other events including the respective heritage months here at UNLV.
Nicole Thomas
CPSA President
First-year Ph.D. student studying Curriculum & Instruction, Science Education from Las Vegas, Nevada
What does student success mean to you?
Student success means that each and every student who walks through our doors has the opportunity to better their lives through higher education. Student success doesn't just mean getting one student into a prestigious graduate program, or having a few finalists for a fancy award— it's making sure that you reach every student in the community, and you ensure their success and support their growth throughout their time at UNLV.
What do you look forward to most at the MSI Student Success Summit?
Talking to students! One of my favorite parts about these events is being able to meet such brilliant and aspirational students. I love hearing about what people are interested in and what they want to do with their academic careers.
Caren Yap
CSUN President
Junior, International Business and Business Marketing double major from Las Vegas, Nevada
How are you involved with this year’s MSI Student Success Summit?
I will be serving as a panelist due to my experience as a UNLV undergraduate student and the current undergraduate Student Body President.
What does student success mean to you?
Student success means that students not only have the resources but are allowed an encouraging environment to motivate themselves to achieve success. It's more than having resources, but the action that comes from it.
What is one resource you would recommend a minority student to utilize while attending UNLV?
I would greatly recommend applying to a CSUN Scholarship. We offer scholarships for several communities and if we don't, we are able to advocate for a new one to be made!
Ariana Garcia
A 4th-year higher education doctoral student from Pullman, Washington
What does the MSI Student Success Summit mean to you?
It is important for me to attend a university that wants me to succeed. This MSI Student Success Summit is showing me that UNLV is committed to making sure both myself and students like me are going to succeed.
What do you look forward to most at the MSI Student Success Summit?
I'm looking forward to learning how faculty employ inclusive teaching practices and hearing from other students how they've been successful at UNLV.
What is one resource you would recommend a minority student to utilize while attending UNLV?
I have used many resources at UNLV, but the one I'd most recommend is the library and meeting with a librarian. With UNLV being a research institution, learning how to search, find, and navigate literature will have lasting impacts for all students.
