PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Lamar State College Port Arthur will soon have an easier way to communicate with the Hispanic community.
LSCPA is renovating a historic building on campus and creating a new center to break barriers thanks to a $2.87 million grants.
“The students who are going to get to take advantage of it are going to appreciate having someone to talk to, having tutors and having success coaches to lead them,” Roger Turcios Jr., a student worker, said.
With LSCPA targeting the Hispanic community, it makes for a more welcoming and inclusive educational environment, he said.
“Whenever there are people that actually want to help your small group, it brings out a hope for success and a better tomorrow,” Turcios said.
The college is modernizing the Ruby Fuller Education Building into a Excelencia Center.
“We will be able to communicate with parents or anyone in the family who does not speak English,” Trenida Lewis, director of the Excellencia Center, said. “We also have success coaches that are bilingual that will help aid our students with achieving their goals.”
With the Hispanic community being 25 percent of LSCPA’s enrollment, the college is seen as a Hispanic-serving institution.
The Excelencia center will have a tutoring center, computer labs and more, David Morales said. The new building will serve as the heart if the campus.
“There will be new student orientation where we will give campus tours,” Morales said. “The orientation will be so that incoming students can know to come to the Excelencia Center if they need help.”
The grand opening of the Excelencia Center is projected for August to be ready for the fall 2021 semester.