ALUMNI PROFILE
Acosta Helps Mark Latino Heritage Month

	Rolando Acosta '79 chats with Conrad Ramos '82 in the Faculty Room of Low Library prior to delivering the keynote address at the Latino Heritage Month Reception. PHOTO: GRISSEL SEIJO '93

The Hon. Rolando T. Acosta '79 helped the Latino Alumni Association of Columbia University kick off its 2000-2001 calendar on October 12 in Low Library with a pair of events designed to help increase the participation of Latino alumni in the College.

The evening began in the Faculty Room with the year's initial meeting of the Latino Mentoring Program. In its third year, the program contains more than 65 alumni volunteers who each mentor two or three College and SEAS students. "The goal of the program is to get alums interested in Columbia again and give back to the students here," said Grissel Seijo '93, secretary of the LAACU Board.

Immediately following the meeting, the Latino Heritage Month Reception was held in Low Rotunda. More than 125 students and alums listened as Acosta, a civil court judge in Manhattan and the University's 2000 Medal of Excellence recipient, delivered the keynote address.

"It was a phenomenal event and great to see so many new faces," said Adlar Garcia '95, president of the LAACU Board. "It's a good sign that we're reaching out to new people."

LAACU's next major event will be El Regresso II ("Coming Home") on April 21, an opportunity for Latino alumni to return to campus to reminisce with friends and reconnect with the College.

"LAACU's goal is to foster a strong Latino community at Columbia," Seijo said. "Latino alums have always been interested in networking with both students and other Latino alums, but until LAACU, there was no venue for that."