Bergen Community College

PARAMUS, N.J. – Bergen Community College student Maria Frometa Lora has earned one of 50 spots in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Leader-in-Residence Program for the 2024-25 academic year. Frometa Lora will serve as a HACU ambassador on the Bergen campus while also receiving a full sponsorship to participate in HACU’s “¡Adelante! Leadership Institute,” the student track at the group’s annual conference in November in Colorado.

“I feel tremendously blessed to be chosen for such a selective program,” Frometa Lora said. “I would not have made it this far without the constant encouragement and guidance from my advisers on campus.”

As a HACU Leader-in-Residence, Frometa Lora, of Bergenfield, will serve as a point of contact for peers on campus curious about HACU and as a champion for the organization’s mission and values by leading information sessions at the College.

“Bergen is a stepping-stone for those seeking higher education,” Frometa Lora, who is studying natural sciences to pursue a career in health administration, said. “I hope to serve as a leader in my sector and encourage other Latino students to excel in healthcare.”

Her work with HACU complements a full portfolio of activities: Frometa Lora serves as the general vice president and vice President of recruitment in the Alpha Epsilon Phi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa, the community college honor society and participates in the Judith K. Winn School of Honors, the NJ STARS program and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF). She also works at the College as an ambassador in the EOF office and has completed more than 350 community service hours.

“The people at Bergen want to see you succeed,” she said. “What matters is that you put yourself out there, do not hesitate to ask questions, and utilize any resources or opportunities given to you.”

Launched in 2018, the HACU Leader-in-Residence program aims to cultivate students from HACU-member institutions across the U.S. and Puerto Rico to assist in HACU’s mission to champion Hispanic success in higher education. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California.

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

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