Daily Lumina News 120221

Despite colleges’ apparent focus on first-generation students, their success is still not as much of a priority as it could and should be.
That's the consensus from a group of experts and leading practitioners who offer their recommendations on what needs to happen to create supportive environments that help students reach their full potential.

High school counselor Yia Le understands firsthand the obstacles to higher education for students who are first in their families to attend college. As a Hmong refugee from Southeast Asia, Le arrived in California when he was just a young child.
In this interview, Le talks about the challenges many students face after high school, the role counseling can play in young people’s lives, and how he uses his own life story as a young immigrant to inspire students.

As U.S. employers struggle to find workers, some are turning their attention to immigrant and refugee populations.
Katie Nielson of EnGen works with employers to tap the potential of this talent pool. On this episode of WorkforceRx, she describes that work and why it matters.

When the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 appeared in South Africa, students at the Tshwane University of Technology became some of the first people to test positive for the variant.
Yesterday, the first Omicron case was identified in California. Now, health experts are urging U.S. college and university officials to get prepared.

Like other Black professionals, Conner Hurt remembers her parents describing a college education as the ticket to success. She took their words to heart, earning two degrees from St. Louis University.
Hurt also owes more than $100,000 in student loans. It will take her years to pay off that debt. She's not alone. Four years after graduation, the average student debt gap between Black and white graduates is nearly $25,000.

Sukhwant Jhaj was trained as an architect, but much of his career has been spent in innovation and student-success initiatives at Arizona State University, and before that, at Portland State University.
On this new podcast series, Jhaj discusses how student success, the pandemic, and other challenges facing higher education can be addressed through good design.