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Gonzalez, Gilberto

González serves as the senior graphic designer at the Community College of Philadelphia, where he also functioned asan advisor for the College's Latin American Student Organization (LASO, 1992-2001). With active branches in collegesacross the country, LASO is an international organization that promotes education, understanding, and support allaspects of Latino culture, including history, arts, cuisine, music, and more. As a LASO advisor, González serves as avaluable link between students and the resources available to Latinos.When he is not designing the College's numerouspublications or directing photography for the Web site, González turns the tables and transforms College staff intostudents. As a member of the College's Diversity Council, he educates faculty members about the Latino population, andhas hosted guests who spoke about Puerto Rican history in Philadelphia.In January 2002, González shared his experiences and successes as a single father to the Philadelphia WorkforceDevelopment Corporation's Fatherhood Initiative Program "Dads Making a Difference." He stressed the importance ofeducation and refl ected on the hardships faced by young fathers, many of whom are forced to drop out of school in orderto care for their children.Education is González' mainstay and, realizing the need for Latino support systems, he dedicates much of his time toorganizations that encourage young Latinos to stay in school and continue their education. He noted that the dropout ratefor Latino students is very high, beginning in junior high, but that percentage seems bound to decrease with people likeGonzález working to make a change.The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and ASPIRA are organizations to which González oftenrefers students. Both associations promote the education and development of Latino youth with services such as GEDcertifi cation, fi nancial aid, career counseling, and leadership training. By providing educational