Angel Dorantes supports current and future Latino students through his work and personal contributions.
Dorantes has served as Latino Outreach & Retention Manager since January 2023 and helps fund LBCC Foundation scholarships through a payroll deduction as a "one-percenter."
"I am proud to make a difference," Dorantes said.
As the eldest child, Dorantes was the first in his family to go to college.
"It was very important to me," Dorantes said. "I knew with a college degree I would have more opportunities to help myself and my family."
He shares lived experience with many of the students he meets. That experience, along with his innate intellectual curiosity is part of what spurred him to seek higher education and the opportunities that come with it.
His father was part of the Bracero Program, a federally sponsored program in which Mexican men worked agricultural jobs in the United States during a labor shortage related to WWII. It ran from 1942 to 1964.
Dorantes himself worked in the fields during his summer breaks from school and saw firsthand the unjust labor and employment conditions endured by farm workers who do essential work.
He recalls the time he interviewed at the steel factory where his father worked.
"The manager told me my father did the work of two men," he said.
The comment may have seemed to the manager like a compliment to his father, but it revealed the veiled oppression many people in lower-wage jobs face. Rather than hiring the additional staff necessary to do the work, existing employees are compelled to overwork without any additional compensation.
"The statement can also be a microaggression," Dorantes said. "Perhaps he was trying to connect with me. But there is a difference between intention and impact and the impact felt offensive".
Dorantes hears similar experiences from students who have been told things such as, "you speak really good English," or being asked where they are "really from."
Dorantes seeks to develop initiatives, programs, and strategies to serve the growing Latino population at LBCC.
"We put an emphasis on motivation and preparation for students and their families," Dorantes said.
The marquee event is the Latine High School Leadership Conference. The one-day conference focuses on career development, college opportunities, and includes a resource fair with business and industry vendors, and motivational speakers.
Last year, they were able to get close to 200 students from Linn and Benton counties. Those students were exposed to career paths they may not have previously considered for themselves.
"Albany Fire Department showed up," Dorantes said. "They were able to stay the whole day. I don’t see many Latinos as firefighters and EMTs."
At the Leadership Conference students were able to connect with people who have shared lived experiences. They can learn from their lessons and it’s a way to reinforce that their dreams are achievable because someone who was once in their position has succeeded.
At the end of the day, three students were awarded scholarships through a drawing. The LBCC Foundation donated two $1,000 scholarships, and the NAACP donated one $1,000 scholarship.
This year, Dorantes hopes to increase attendance to 250 by connecting with more public and private high schools in the two counties. Because Dorantes’ monthly donations go to the general scholarship fund, his donation is designated to help fund future scholarships.
Dorantes also is hoping to create more future opportunities for engagement by extending outreach with a summer bridge program and a year-round peer mentorship program.
Engagement makes a huge difference, Dorantes said.