By: Diane Summers

Jose Cantu, UHD Director of Admissions and Recruitment, has recently been elected as President of the Houston Hispanic Forum (HHF).

Cantu says he has always been a strong believer in giving back to the community; he holds a passion for equality and education, and appreciates his Hispanic heritage. These factors make him an excellent candidate to lead the HHF in their mission: to focus on improving Hispanic achievement in the greater Houston area through information and dialogue, service, collaborations and promoting awareness of educational issues affecting Hispanics.

Having served on the HHF board of directors since 2009, Cantu knows the goals of the organization are not easy to fulfill. The HHF coordinates an annual event held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Career and Education Day. This event, now entering its 26th year, encourages youths and their parents to learn about the benefits of a college education. Parents are invited to attend with their students, grades 6-12, to meet college representatives, learn about financial aid and to understand the often-complex college admissions process. Last year's event held over 50 panel sessions with over 17,000 participants attending, and more than 80 colleges or universities were represented.

Cantu is excited about the upcoming year. "I hope to supply strong leadership for the organization, and find solutions that will enable us to put together another successful Career and Education Day," he said. This optimism carries through to other goals he'd like the organization to pursue, including "reaching out in our community by doing smaller programs, giving opportunity to our youth."