Contact: Mary Ellen Hamer, Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc., (317) 6 !"!

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First-Generation College Students Recognized for Realizing the Dream I%&I'%'()*I+, %o,em-er ., #/13 0 1eali2ing a dream ta3es commitment, 4ard 5or3, and, most often, a 4elping 4and from family and ot4ers. 'nd t4at6s e7actly 54at 31 st8dents from Indiana6s independent colleges and 8ni,ersities are -eing cele-rated for t4is +at8rday e,ening, %o,em-er $, at t4e #!t4 ann8al 91eali2ing t4e &ream: -an;8et. %o5 sop4omores, t4ey 4a,e reali2ed t4e dream of -eing t4e first in t4eir families to go to college, 4a,e -een selected -y t4eir colleges for o8tstanding ac4ie,ement in t4e fres4man year, and are s8ccessf8lly ad,ancing to5ards completing t4eir -ac4elor6s degrees. Made possi-le -y a grant from *illy Endo5ment Inc. to t4e Independent Colleges of Indiana, t4e e,ent recogni2es first"generation st8dents attending ICI camp8ses, along 5it4 t4eir inspirational teac4ers and families. <4e e,ent is -eing 4eld at t4e +4eraton Indianapolis at =eystone Crossing, 5it4 a reception at 6:1. p.m. and an a5ards dinner at 7:// p.m. Eac4 4onored st8dent 5ill recei,e a >#,/// c4ec3 to 4elp 5it4 college costs, and eac4 st8dent6s c4osen 9most infl8ential: teac4er?mentor 5ill recei,e >1,///. )ne o8t of e,ery t4ree st8dents on ICI camp8ses is a first"generation one. @enero8s financial aid pro,ided -y t4e camp8ses t4emsel,es, com-ined 5it4 state and federal grants, ma3es a pri,ate college ed8cation a possi-ility for all st8dents in Indiana. <4is year6s 3eynote spea3er is 1e-ecca Hernande2, (4.&., @os4en College associate dean of Interc8lt8ral &e,elopment A Ed8cational (artners4ips. ' first"generation college st8dent 4erself and t4e da8g4ter of migrant farm 5or3ers, Hernande2 4as -een 5or3ing on *atino iss8es t4ro8g4o8t 4er career. +4e 4as ta8g4t middle and 4ig4 sc4ool, ser,ed as a comm8nity and non"profit leader, and 4eld fac8lty appointments at )regon +tate Bni,ersity and )regon Healt4 and +ciences Bni,ersity. 9Ce are so gratef8l to *illy Endo5ment Inc. for ma3ing t4is inspirational program possi-le,: says 1ic4ard *. *8d5ic3, ICI president A CE). 9Ce are pro8d, too, t4at -eca8se of t4e 4ig4er grad8ation rates of o8r ICI colleges and 8ni,ersities, t4ese st8dents are t5ice as li3ely to reali2e t4e dream of completing t4eir degrees in fo8r years.:
Independent Colleges of Indiana serves as the collective voice for the states 31 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI member institutions enroll some 90,000 students (approximately 0 percent of all students state!ide" and annually produce 3# percent of all bachelors degrees in Indiana$ Information about ICI is available at !!!$icindiana$org$