Rep. Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez
By THE STAR STAFF
As part of his efforts to provide young people with educational opportunities after completing their fourth year of high school, the New Progressive Party minority leader in the island House of Representatives, Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez, held a college orientation event with students from Luquillo this week.
About 500 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students from Isidro A. Sánchez de Luquillo High School participated Wednesday in orientation talks on the university-level programs that different institutions provide.
“Our young students, particularly those in higher grades, have to make decisions about their academic future that are linked to their desires and aspirations,” Méndez Nuñez said. “Aware of the importance of this action, we decided to develop an open forum for students to dialogue, directly, with staff from universities and other institutions that provide post-graduate high school services. What we seek with this initiative is to expand the range of options, so that students receive accurate and clear data and make their decision with all the information available.”
The initiative is in conjunction with the Department of Economic Development and Commerce’s Youth Development Program.
“What we seek … is that these institutions come to the school to dialogue with these extraordinary students in order to facilitate the path to a decision that they will have to make very soon,” said Méndez Nuñez, who is the District 36 representative for Río Grande, Luquillo, Fajardo, Ceiba, Vieques and Culebra. “Meanwhile, at the same time, 10th- and 11th-grade students are guided on present and future alternatives for when it is time for them to take the reins of their post-high school future.”
Among the institutions on hand were Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Pontifical Catholic University, Polytechnic University and NUC University.
Also present were officers from the Puerto Rico National Guard, among others.
As part of the event, Driver Services Center (CESCO) staff were available to assist in the processing of driver’s licenses for those students who had completed all the requirements for them.
At the same time, officials from the Traffic Safety Commission provided information on many aspects of road safety.