Access ASU, a program through Arizona State University dedicated to increasing access to higher education and preparing Arizona students for success, is hosting the Hispanic Mother Daughter Program Closing Ceremony on Monday, May 13 at Memorial Union-Arizona Ballroom, in which current and past graduates will be honored. 

For the 2023-2024 school year, the program will graduate 252 students, 121 of whom plan to attend ASU as their university this fall, a press release stated.

The HMDP started in 1984 and was designed to pave the way toward higher education for first-generation college students who aspire to attend ASU. Since the inception of the program more than 10,000 parent-student teams have been served. 

Many HMDP graduates have gone on to be employed at well-known companies in the Phoenix area and continue to make an impact within their communities, the release noted.

Alicia Skupin, who is a former graduate of the HMDP program and current presiding judge of the Chandler Municipal Court, said that on top of learning how to prepare for, apply to and be successful in college, the program helped her mother support her along the way, according to the release. 

All HMDP students and their families still meet monthly on ASU’s Tempe campus to build a foundation of community and support. 

“We are excited to celebrate the hard work of the dedicated students and parents who have participated in the Hispanic Mother Daughter Program this year and over the last 40 years,” Vanessa Ruiz, deputy vice president for Educational Outreach and Student Services at ASU, stated in the release. 

“This year is the HMDP 40th anniversary and it means so much to reconnect with and honor our program completers. This is truly a legacy program, and we are proud to see it continue for many more years to come,” Ruiz continued.

In 2023, Access ASU sought to increase enrollment in HMDP by expanding inclusion to all ethnic and gender groups who seek support navigating the college experience.

Students and their families are prepared for university entrance by attending classes on financial literacy, leadership skills and social/emotional well-being, the release stated. All course materials are offered free of charge.

HMDP is currently accepting all grade levels, to apply or receive more information visit the program's website: https://eoss.asu.edu/hmdp.