Dr. Hoffsman Ospino, Assistant Professor of Theology at Boston College.
At the final St. Thomas Aquinas Lecture Boston College assistant professor of Theology and guest speaker, Dr. Hosffman Ospino Ph.D. gave a talk on the current Hispanic/Latino U.S demographic in the Catholic church and private schools and colleges. This informational session gave great insight on the role of Catholicism in the educational system, as well as how diversity on campus has an impact in college decision making.
I enjoyed hearing his point of view on diversity within higher education because I feel like this is a topic that is sometimes overlooked. As President of the Multicultural Club here at Albertus, it was refreshing to hear an established educator speak about how important it is to include minorities in a catholic institution; since the club’s main goal is to celebrate the various cultures and heritage of each student represented on campus. As a College we have many students who are from all parts of the country and the world, which gives us the opportunity to recognize diversity and how we all have come together to better our future.
Multicultural Club hosted our first event which was the, “Giving Thanks Bake Giveaway”, where we gave out free baked goods during Thanksgiving time to the students. We also hosted a, “We Are The World: Albertus Edition”. At this event each member selected a country to represent their heritage and provided food, music, and games that best reflected their culture. We plan to create an end of the year social gathering in celebration of the educational accomplishments we have made as students this academic year. With the student population being our main focus, we try to provide many different events that can relate to those of different ethnicity groups to reassure that their voices are heard. I thought Dr. Ospino brought these topics to light in a meaningful way.
I am one of many students who attend Albertus that came from a public education background and now that I have been given the opportunity to attend a private Catholic college, I have met peers with the same educational aspirations. I feel that every student should have the chance to enjoy their college years, which is why I am an advocate to celebrate students from all backgrounds in their goal to graduate and excel academically.
One take away from the lecture is how important it is to have representation for all the students who attend Catholic colleges. All students should receive proper education to prepare them for college, no matter their ethnic background. I enjoyed Dr. Ospino’s lecture and I thought it was very informational. We all are responsible in making an impact for the future of private Catholic schools.
About the Author
Paige Williams ’20 is a current student in the Undergraduate Communications program. She is a Resident Assistant, Communications and Marketing department intern, and president of the Albertus Magnus College student-run Multicultural Club. Paige will study abroad Fall 2019 and will be a reoccurring contributor for the Albertus blog.