The DuPage County Board recently honored Elmhurst University’s Center of the Blue Promise, or El Centro de la Promesa Azul, in a proclamation celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins this week.

At the County Board’s meeting on Sept. 10, Board Chair Deb Conroy described the Center of the Blue Promise, as well as the Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage, the DuPage Hispanic Alliance and the Naperville Sisters Cities Foundation, as vital cultural and educational organizations that celebrate and support DuPage County’s Hispanic residents.

The proclamation notes that DuPage County appreciates “the history, heritage and contributions of the ancestors of American citizens who came from Mexico, the Caribbean, and South and Central America” and that “for generations, Hispanic Americans have played a pivotal role in our country’s strength and prosperity.” The proclamation also noted that in DuPage County, the number of Hispanic/Latino residents has grown to 15 percent of the population, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Board member and lifelong Elmhurst resident Cindy Cronin Cahill introduced the University’s Center of the Blue Promise as “a culturally inclusive space, a meeting/gathering space aimed at nurturing student success among the University’s Hispanic, underserved and first-generation college students.”

“The idea was to create a space where everyone on campus is welcome, and where the University intentionality serves their fastest-growing population, Hispanic students,” she said. “We are proud  to honor the staff and students who make the center a success.”

Karina Rivera, project director for the federal grant that made the Center possible, thanked the Board for the honor, adding that  “Elmhurst University has always been dedicated to providing a space where students can embrace and celebrate their heritage, and this recognition is a testament to the hard work and passion of our entire team. We are grateful for your support.”

Meriza Candia-Thompson, director of the Center of the Blue Promise, noted that in the year since the Center opened in the lower level of Niebuhr Hall:

• Students have made 1,000 visits;
• Students booked 70 tutoring appointments, in collaboration with the Learning Center and Bilingual Tutoring program;
• 23 students received support for “high impact” experiences such as internships, undergraduate research and study abroad opportunities;
• And 10 families were connected to resources through the Center’s Family University initiative.

The Center of the Blue Promise offers students a caring community and supportive experiences to help them excel as inclusive leaders, at Elmhurst and throughout their lives. The Center is funded largely by a Developing Hispanic Serving Institution Title V Grant, which the U.S. Department of Education awarded to Elmhurst University in October 2022, soon after designating Elmhurst a Hispanic-Serving Institution, or HSI. Colleges and universities can gain HSI status if, over at least three consecutive years, more than 25 percent of their full-time undergraduate students identify as Hispanic or Latinx.