Lorenzo Curtis believes this. So strongly he believes that Latino, Latina and Latinx students like him can and should succeed in college that he dedicated his Honors College thesis to that message.
From his experience representing the Honors College at recruiting events, Curtis found Latinx students and their families are most receptive to college-related information when it’s presented through anecdotes. So, in a series of five videos, he created a personal testimonial covering different aspects of his experience as an Oregon State student in the STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math.
The videos, all in Spanish with English subtitles, are hosted on Spanish and English websites by the Office of Precollege Programs. In each video, Curtis covers goals, provides advice and recommends actions.
“As a Latino STEM student, I wanted to contribute to informing Latinx families about what higher education is and how to attain it,” Curtis writes in his honors thesis. He wants not just to see more Latinx students at Oregon State and other universities, but for them to feel confident they can succeed.
Having earned his Honors Bachelor of Science in Ecological Engineering with a minor in Spanish in 2023, Curtis now works as a wastewater operations specialist for the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services. He hopes the video series will encourage students to ask questions, seek guidance and pursue a future where they achieve their dreams.
“You might not even fathom what is out there or what you can accomplish, but you can do it,” he says.
Not only has he done it, Lorenzo Curtis has shown future students how they can, too.
