Portland State Magazine Winter 2017

WINTER 2017 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 21 W hen Erick Lorenzo was a 17-year-old student at Westview High School in Beaverton his father was deported, leaving Lorenzo to care for his four younger siblings. “I was inexperienced, nervous and frustrated,” says Lorenzo. But he would not relinquish his dream of going to college. Lorenzo chose to attend Portland State, partly because PSU was close to home, which meant that he could continue to care for his brothers (now ages 18 and 15) and sisters (ages 14 and 12). PSU was also affordable because of the financial aid Lorenzo received—most importantly, the President’s Equal Access Scholarship. The scholarship assists outstanding students of diverse backgrounds and experiences who may be traditionally underrepresented in higher education. It began in 2011, when PSU President Wim Wiewel redirected $70,000 meant as a pay increase for him into a fund to establish the scholarship. “I wanted to assist in making PSU a more diverse and inclusive institution, where anyone with the drive and commitment to pursue a higher education would have access,” Wiewel says. PSU now has the most diverse student population in Oregon. More than 40 percent of those enrolled come from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education. Fifty-two percent of PSU students are the first in their families to attend college, and a large number of students are of nontraditional age. In addition, the number of Latino students at PSU this fall increased by nearly 5 percent over last fall, and one in nine students is Latino. “This growth is not happenstance,” says Wiewel. “We have worked hard to both recruit and support not only Latino students but other underrepresented populations in Oregon. I am proud of this legacy from my time at PSU.” Scholarships and other forms of support enable students like Lorenzo to stick with their educational goals while balancing work and personal responsibilities. Lorenzo believes that his experience at PSU makes him a role model for his younger siblings, who also plan to attend college. At the same time, his brothers and sisters motivate him to continue working toward his degree. Lorenzo, a senior majoring in accounting and finance, belongs to multiple Chicano and business student groups, and he helped bring to Portland State the Omega Delta Phi fraternity, which provides a support system for men of color. He also completed a corporate management internship at the accounting firm KPMG, and after graduation he would like to help people in the Latino community work toward their financial goals. Since 2011, the President’s Equal Access Scholarship has awarded nearly $560,000 and helped 664 students. The scholarship is supported by funds raised at the annual Simon Benson Awards Dinner and by other private donations. Wiewel’s connection to the program will be acknowledged even after he retires in 2017. At the 2016 Simon Benson Awards Dinner, the Wiewel Presidential Scholars Program for Equal Access Scholarships was announced to continue his legacy of giving. Committed to equal access This past year, student Erick Lorenzo benefited from the President’s Equal Access Scholarship started by Wim Wiewel in 2011. T H E I M P A C T O F G I V I N G