NLC Student and Faculty Member Earn Advisory Roles with Project MALES

Northeast Lakeview College student, Nicolas Villarreal, has been selected to serve as a student representative on the Advisory Board for Project MALES which is part of the Texas Education Consortium for Male Students of Color. Launched in 2010, Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success) is multi-faceted research and mentoring initiative based within the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) at the University of Texas at Austin. Its goal is to shed greater light on the plight of Latino males in Education.Dr. Archie Wortham, NLC Professor of Speech will also serve on this Advisory Board.

 Project MALES encompasses three interrelated initiatives: an ongoing research agenda focused on understanding the experiences of Latino males across the education pipeline; a mentoring program that aims to cultivate an engaged support network for males of color at UT-Austin and across the Central Texas community; and, a newly launched statewide P-16 Consortium focused on the success of male students of color. The Consortium focuses on improving Hispanic and African American male student success across the state of Texas to align and coordinate existing programs and services by micro-targeting underrepresented male students across the education continuum. It further seeks to stimulate new male-focused initiatives within Texas school districts, colleges, universities.

 The Advisory Board membership is comprised of administrators from consortium member colleges and two students from around the State of Texas. Northeast Lakeview College joined the Consortium in 2015.

About Nicolas Villarreal- Nicolas is a second year student at Northeast Lakeview College pursuing an Associate of Science degree. Nicholas is an active member of the NLC chapter of the National Society for Leadership and Success (NSLS) and the current president of HOME (Help Our Own Male Education). He plans to transfer to UT Austin with aspirations to become a neurosurgeon.

About Dr. Archie Wortham - Dr. Wortham is professor of speech at Northeast Lakeview College. He is recognized for his college leadership and continued support for the Men of Color in education initiative. He led the launch of the HOME student organization at NLC and continues to encourage young men of college to continue their education and find ways “to empower; rather than enable” them.