Outside of a few childhood trips to Disney World, I had never spent significant time away from the island. It was not until my years as an undergraduate student at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez that I had my first exposure to the term Latino.

The summer of my junior year in 1995, I participated in an undergraduate research experience sponsored by the National Science Foundation and hosted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For the first time in my life I had to identify with a group, to pick a side.

The popular imagination in Puerto Rico leads you to believe that, as a U.S. citizen, when you come to the mainland you should be perceived as an American. As I strolled the hallways of UNL, that was far from the truth. People asked me where I was from and when I responded Puerto Rico, some did not quite know how to react to it. 鈥淚s that close to Mexico?鈥� was one actual response. 鈥淥h, so you are Latino, right?鈥�

For the first time my identity was in question. It was clear to me that something quite magical happened as soon as I stepped onto the mainland. My evolution towards 鈥淟atinoness鈥� began.

After obtaining my undergraduate degree in Puerto Rico, I went back to Nebraska to do my graduate studies. My journey on becoming Latino continued.

I clearly remembered sitting in a public-health course having a discussion of health care services around the world and the professor turned to me and asked: 鈥淔ernando, can you tell us about health care in Mexico?鈥�

I said, 鈥淣o, but I can tell you about Puerto Rico!鈥� The professor apologized and I did not make a big deal about it, but it was clear that the perception of my identity had changed. I started to understand that old Thomas theorem in sociology: If perceptions are defined as real, they are real in their consequences.

Like or not, I was becoming Latino.

It has taken years for me to come to grasp with the term, its definition and what it entails. I now understand the usefulness of the term and how it can be conveyed to address the issues and struggles of a collection of people from different Latin American and Spanish Caribbean countries. How it provides a space for generations to have a term that captures their complicated reality of being American, but also part of another cultural and social heritage. How it can provide a platform for collective action and change.

At the same time, I understand its shortcomings and how it can mask subgroup differences in important societal outcomes such as education, health and others. I see how it can transform traditional cultures into something not quite understandable outside of the U.S. context.

My identity as Puerto Rican remains strong, but that identity has become stronger as a member of the Latino community. Being Latino has allowed me to work with different groups in the community and it has opened doors to numerous opportunities, such as serving as council member and advisory board member for the American Sociological Association’s Latina/o Sociology Section and the Minority Fellowship Program.

It took a while, but my journey to 鈥渂ecome鈥� Latino has allowed me to understand how differences can unite and how important are labels and perceptions in our everyday lives.

Spanish, Latino, Hispanic, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican and other labels bestowed upon me are part of my trajectory. As Latino, I embrace them all and I am glad that I can proudly say that I have become Latino in the United States of America.

Fernando I. Rivera is an associate professor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Sociology. He can be reached at Fernando.Rivera@ucf.edu.

Excelencia in Education chose Valencia as the nation鈥檚 top program for increasing academic opportunities and success for Latino students at the associate level. Also honored at a gala on Oct. 2 in Washington were programs run by California State University Bakersfield and the University of Texas, El Paso.

The honorees all were recognized for boosting Latino enrollment, performance and graduation.

DirectConnect to 麻豆原创 was started in 2006 to expand access to higher education and has been shown to be one of the least expensive ways to achieve a bachelor鈥檚 degree in the nation. The program ensures admission to 麻豆原创 for graduates of Valencia College, Brevard and Lake-Sumter community colleges and Seminole State College of Florida.

Nearly a quarter of the baccalaureate graduates of 麻豆原创, the nation鈥檚 second-largest university, are transfer students from Valencia.

鈥淰alencia College is at the forefront of meeting the challenge of improving higher educational achievement for Latino students,鈥� said Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education.

Valencia鈥檚 Joyce Romano, vice president of Student Affairs, accepted the award and a $5,000 check for the college. 鈥淭his honor is聽recognition of Valencia鈥檚 commitment to Latino student success by building pathways for students to complete a bachelor鈥檚 degree,鈥� she said.

麻豆原创鈥檚 academic advisors work closely with advisors at Valencia and the other DirectConnect to 麻豆原创 partner colleges to help students make a smooth transition to the university.

Valencia ranks fifth among the nation鈥檚 colleges and universities in the number of聽associate degrees awarded to Hispanic students, which account for almost 31 percent of the college鈥檚 60,770 degree-seeking students.

麻豆原创鈥檚 efforts to recruit, retain and graduate Hispanic students earned it a spot on the magazine鈥檚 list of 100 best colleges for bachelor鈥檚 degrees.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Education, Hispanic Outlook rated public and private universities throughout the country for its May 7 issue.

More than 1,600 Hispanic students earned their bachelor鈥檚 degrees from 麻豆原创 in the 2010-2011 academic year. 麻豆原创 awarded 220 master鈥檚 degrees to Hispanic students that year.

麻豆原创 also placed in the top 10 for degrees awarded to Hispanics in several categories. 麻豆原创 ranked 10th for education; ninth for biological and biomedical sciences; sixth for business management and marketing; seventh for engineering and engineering technology; fourth for health professions and related programs; and fourth for psychology.

Hispanic Outlook is sent to high schools around the country with large Hispanic student enrollment to provide students and parents with information about what schools might offer them the best opportunities for higher education.

The rankings demonstrate 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to helping students of all backgrounds succeed. The university provides support services such as tutoring and counseling, and looks for innovative ways to engage students and their parents.

For example, 麻豆原创 offers orientation sessions in Spanish for parents who feel more comfortable speaking their native tongue. In addition, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board of Trustees last year approved an undergraduate program in Latin American Studies. The program, which began in the fall, prepares students to understand, study and work with Hispanic populations throughout the world.

Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit organization that promotes Latino success in college to benefit workplace needs, released its rankings showing 1,296 bachelor鈥檚 degrees were granted at 麻豆原创 in 2009-10.

That number represents 13 percent of the total number of bachelor鈥檚 degrees conferred at 麻豆原创 that year.

Latinos are projected to account for 75 percent of the growth in the nation鈥檚 labor force between 2010 and 2020, according to the report.

Out of the top 25 institutions awarding bachelor鈥檚 to Latinos, most were in California and Texas, each with eight institutions in the rankings.

麻豆原创 was academic co-host of the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation (HENAAC) Conference in Orlando, organized by Great Minds in STEM. CECS faculty, staff and students joined 麻豆原创 leaders at the conference and later toured a U.S. Navy submarine.

The event聽came on the heels of CECS being named the nation’s third-best engineering grad school for Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine.

Rabelo received the HENAAC Education Award for his career accomplishments.

He joined CECS’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management in 2001 with expertise in control engineering, artificial intelligence, simulation and technology management.

Originally from Panama, Rabelo said he was born to be an engineer. At age 7, he gazed into the sky with a telescope, in awe of NASA sending astronauts into the universe and wanting to be a part of it someday. When he was a high school sophomore, he enrolled — and excelled — in summertime college math and engineering courses. He later earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering at the University of Panama, and then headed to the United States to continue his education.

He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Florida Institute of Technology, a master’s and a Ph.D. in engineering management from the University of Missouri, and dual master’s degrees in engineering and management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In addition to his academic work, he is living his childhood dream as a NASA project manager. He also holds three aerospace industry patents.

“The HENAAC Education Award is important to me because it allows our Hispanic students to see that faculty who look like them — people who understand their culture and background — are real-life examples of Hispanics in higher education achieving success,” said Rabelo. “It also encourages universities to seek out outstanding Hispanic educators who can serve as role models and encourage young Hispanics to pursue engineering and other STEM disciplines.”

“This award allows the world to see our accomplishments, and brings important recognition not only to the Hispanic community but in the engineering and science communities as well,” he added.

CECS Students and Faculty Tour Navy Submarine

Also during the HENAAC conference, 45 CECS students and two faculty members enjoyed a tour of a new U.S. Navy ballistic missile submarine. The Navy (a HENAAC Conference sponsor) encouraged invited guests to marvel in the vessel’s engineering and technology, and interact with young sailors for a glimpse of submarine life.

The magazine named 麻豆原创 one of the best 100 colleges in the United States for Hispanic students.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Education, Hispanic Outlook rated public and private universities throughout the country for its May 2 issue.

麻豆原创 was ranked 12th for undergraduate degrees awarded. The university also ranks among the top schools that work with Hispanic students to obtain master鈥檚 degrees.

More than 1,200 Hispanic students earned their bachelor鈥檚 degrees from 麻豆原创 in the 2009-2010 academic year. Nearly 180 students received master鈥檚 degrees from 麻豆原创 that year.

The magazine is sent to high schools around the country with large Hispanic student populations to provide students and parents with information about what schools might offer them the best opportunities for higher education.

麻豆原创 placed in the top 10 for degrees awarded to Hispanics in several categories. 麻豆原创 ranked 10th for education, fifth for business and marketing, seventh for health services and sciences and ninth for psychology.

The rankings demonstrate 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to helping students of all backgrounds succeed. The university provides support services such as tutoring and counseling while looking for innovative ways to engage students and their parents.

For example, 麻豆原创 offers orientation sessions in Spanish for parents of students who feel more comfortable speaking their native tongue. In addition, 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board of Trustees earlier this year approved an undergraduate program in Latin American Studies. The program, which will begin in the fall, will prepare students to understand, study and work with Hispanic populations throughout the world.

The nonprofit organization is a well known for administering the SAT, PSAT and Advancement Placements tests throughout the nation.

Mart铆nez-Fern谩ndez, a History professor at 麻豆原创 since 2004, was one of seven new trustees appointed in a ceremony held in New York City on Oct. 23. He will serve as on the 31-member governing board through 2011.

Along with the other trustees, he will be responsible for assisting in legal and fiduciary decisions; approving the mission, strategic goals and objectives of the organization; establishing policies; and advising those responsible for the management of the organization. Mart铆nez-Fern谩ndez is also the newly appointed chair of the College Board鈥檚 Academic Assembly Council.