Linfield University was named the recipient of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber’s 2023 Community Partner award during the 29th annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration Dinner in Portland.
The Bravo Awards honor Latino achievements in Oregon and southwest Washington across a number of categories. The Community Partner Award is given to an organization that “has significantly contributed to the economic and social advancement of Latinos.”
“I am deeply honored by this recognition,” said Linfield President Miles K. Davis. “As an institution, we have spent countless hours finding and implementing ways to create opportunities and serve our Latino students — it is a priority at every level of leadership. This award affirms the value of that work and inspires us to continue.”
Many of these efforts, he said, have been led by Gerardo Ochoa, vice president for enrollment management and student success. Now in his 19th year at Linfield, Ochoa was first hired to help recruit bilingual nurses — and now steers admission and enrollment for the university. He and Davis worked closely on a shared vision.
“Over the past four years, Linfield has transformed itself into a university dedicated to serving those who have been traditionally excluded from higher education, including first-generation students, Pell Grant-eligible students, students of color, community college transfer students and English language learners,” Ochoa said. “Now, about 64% of our students share one or more of those identities, which we call ‘New Majority’ students.”
The transformation, Ochoa said, included the creation of an award-winning program for first-generation students, one-on-one outreach conducted in Latino communities and networks throughout the Northwest and university-wide faculty and staff training on how to best serve all students.
Since these changes began in 2019, he said, the retention gap between first-generation and continuing-generation students has been virtually eliminated.
“We are being attentive to student needs, particularly those who have been impacted by the pandemic,” Ochoa said. “We continue to monitor achievement gaps and adjust accordingly.”
The changes have also attracted outside notice. Linfield was named the No. 1 university for social mobility in Oregon last year by U.S. News and World Report for the fourth year in a row. Money Magazine also rated it top in the state for affordability and outcomes.
Other outreach efforts include “Grow Your Own” partnerships with school districts, which help K-12 schools find teachers that reflect the communities they serve; the MENTE Summit for Latinx high school men; the STEAM Mariachi camp and many more. Linfield also offers dollar-match with the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Scholarship that have benefitted 35 Hispanic Chamber Scholars.
In addition to Linfield, honorees included:
- Latino Business Award: Alicia Chapmen
- Latino Art Award: Lesslie Nuñez
- Latino Business Award: Lesly Collins
- Latino Law Award: Alice Cuprill-Comas
