Nora Amavisca Reyes, Mesa Community College senior associate vice president, has been selected as one of 25 to participate in the third cohort of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo.

The program is designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education, according to a release.

“I am proud to represent Mesa Community College in this prestigious and significant growth opportunity. As a first-generation college student from an immigrant Mexican family, I recognize the need for strong Latina leaders and role models, particularly as our nation’s demographics continue to shift,” Amavisca Reyes said in the release. “The percentage of students reporting as being Hispanic has steadily risen for the past several years. Currently more than 30% of our student population are Hispanic/Latinx. Through participation in this fellowship I hope to more strongly contribute to our mission of creating an inclusive and vibrant learning community where everyone is supported to achieve success.”

The Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo seeks to increase the number of talented individuals who aspire to leadership positions at Hispanic-serving institutions and emerging HSIs. Fellows participate in an array of leadership development activities to prepare them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning with an emphasis on HSIs and emerging HSIs.

The one-year fellowship program includes three seminars with the first taking place in October in conjunction with HACU’s Annual Conference, “35 Years of Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success.” The second seminar will lead into HACU’s Annual Capitol Forum on Hispanic Higher Education in April 2022. The third seminar will be held in late spring or early summer of 2022, with a focus on international collaboration.

More than a dozen nationally recognized current and emeriti presidents and senior-level administrators serve as mentors to Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo fellows. Mentorship with a university president is a key component, as well as the development of a special project designed to have an impact at the Fellow’s current institution.

Go to hacu.net/hacu/HACU_Leadership_Fellows_Program.asp.