"I liked it already, my first day here," said Brian Brown II, a freshman from San Diego, who was welcomed to Adams State University during New Student Orientation, Aug. 19. He is majoring in exercise science and will play second-base on the Grizzly baseball team. His parents, Brian and Gorya Brown, accompanied him to Alamosa and attended Family Orientation sessions while he was getting acquainted with some of his 460 first-year classmates.
Eric Carpio, asst. vice president for Student Services, said Adams State’s new students come from 27 states and 7 other nations. One of those international students is Sun Koo "SK" Ng, who transferred from Singapore. A native of Malaysia, she will finish her sociology degree on campus and plans to remain in the U.S. as a social worker.
Gorya and Brian Brown (back) enjoyed lunch with their son Brian during Adams State’s New Student Orientation.
Brian Brown Sr. said, "The people are so nice here. Eric Carpio just went above and beyond to help us through the process." He also commended assistant baseball coach, Matt Brown. "He was very informed and focused on academics. Education is most important to us; playing baseball is a benefit." Gorya Brown said the new Guaranteed Tuition program was also a factor in choosing Adams State.
Asst. VP for Student Services Eric Carpio talks with Sun Koo "SK" Ng, who came to the U.S. for the first time to complete a sociology degree at Adams State.
Carpio noted 49 percent of first-time students identify as Hispanic – up from 39 percent last year. "We have been more proactively promoting our services as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). CAMP (College Assistance Migrant Program) is now in its third year and doing a great job recruiting students," he said.Adams State was the first four-year institution in Colorado to be federally designated an HSI, which requires a minimum of 25 percent Hispanic enrollment. Overall, 35 percent of the undergraduate student body is Hispanic. As an HSI, Adams State has received a total of $23.4 million in Title V funding since 2000.
One-third of Adams State’s first-year students hail from the San Luis Valley, representing about half of all SLV college-bound students. Another 30 percent are from beyond Colorado.
In addition, Carpio said 40 percent of new students qualify for merit scholarships, including 13 who were their high school’s valedictorian or salutatorians.
