When Southwestern University earned its designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in July 2023, Brianna Gonzales ’24 had no idea just how impactful that recognition would become for her.

Through Southwestern’s HSI accreditation, the University has earned membership in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). The nationwide organization represents emerging and existing HSIs and provides internships, scholarships, and educational opportunities for students, faculty, and staff at its member institutions.

Gonzales’ first introduction to HACU came last October, when she applied and was accepted to be one of six students sponsored by Southwestern to attend the HACU annual conference and ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute in Chicago. There, Gonzales fell in love with the organization after learning about all HACU has to offer. She also gained inspiration from one of the event’s keynote speakers, Carmen Kingston, Vice President of Operations at Sam’s Club.

“Hearing her background story of how she came from a Hispanic family who didn’t really have much was really inspiring,” Gonzales said. “She also spoke on the importance of hard work through hardships and how to continue pushing forward even when there are bumps in the road. It was pretty amazing.”

Through the ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute, Gonzales was introduced to HACU’s National Internship Program, which matches accepted students with corporate and federal internships that fit their interests, experience, and qualifications. With a passion for finance, management, and government, Gonzales was eager to accept a paid internship opportunity as a Property Management Specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture.

“It is unbelievable that in one year, I have been able to obtain all these opportunities. By Southwestern becoming an HSI, it has opened so many doors. It truly has completely changed my college experience.” - Brianna Gonzales ’24

Gonzales’ internship is fully-remote, allowing her to gain valuable working experience from her home in Andrews, Texas. What began as a summer internship has since extended into an offer to continue through the fall, and potentially beyond. Although the internship is remote, her experience began with a four-day trip to Washington, D.C. to attend an orientation session, sponsored by HACU.

“We got to do a lot of sightseeing across D.C.,” Gonzales said. “I connected with students from all over the country, each with incredible stories to share, all while exploring national monuments and gaining deeper insights into my internship during orientation.”

Gonzales returned to the D.C. area this summer after becoming one of just 50 HACU students in the nation to earn a spot at the prestigious Capital One Launchpad Legacy and Leadership Program. Hosted at Capital One’s headquarters in McLean, Virginia, the program offers 50 students from HACU and 50 students from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund with the opportunity to participate in a five-day immersion experience focusing on career exploration and professional development.

During her time at Capital One, Gonzales was matched with a group of fellow students to compete in a case study competition that mirrors Capital One’s internship and career application process. Her group was one of four to advance to the finals of the competition, where they presented in front of a large group that included some of Capital One’s top executives.

“Attending the Launchpad program was probably my favorite HACU experience yet,” Gonzales said. “For our final presentation, we presented in front of the HACU students and staff in attendance, the Capital One mentors who had helped us throughout the week, and their senior management. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that provided me with unique networking opportunities.”

In addition to real world experience, HACU also provides classroom learning opportunities. Gonzales recently earned her Google Certification in data analytics through one of HACU’s many academic programs. She credits the vast experience she has earned during her whirlwind first year participating in HACU to Southwestern’s designation as an HSI.

“It is unbelievable that in one year, I have been able to obtain all these opportunities,” she said. “By Southwestern becoming an HSI, it has opened so many doors. It truly has completely changed my college experience.”

Southwestern Hispanic Student Success Coordinator Amalia Merino has worked with Gonzales one-on-one over the past year and believes she is a perfect example of all that students can achieve through HACU.

“Brianna has recently achieved remarkable success through her participation in various HACU programs,” Merino said. “The fact that she has accomplished so much in such a short period of time is truly remarkable and is definitely setting her up for success post-graduation. I hope that her journey and accomplishments will encourage other students to take advantage of the resources and opportunities available through our HACU membership and campus support services.”

Gonzales will once again be attending the HACU annual conference in November, this time held in Aurora, Colorado, and is hoping to become a student ambassador for the organization. She encourages all students, regardless of color, race, or national origin, to explore all that HACU has to offer.

“HACU has provided me with so many incredible opportunities,” she said. “I love HACU. I would recommend it to any and all Southwestern students. Sometimes students hear the name HACU and believe it’s limited to those of Hispanic backgrounds, but that is not the case at all. HACU is open to all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin.”

“I hope that her journey and accomplishments will encourage other students to take advantage of the resources and opportunities available through our HACU membership and campus support services.” - Hispanic Student Success Coordinator Amalia Merino

Back on campus, Gonzales is set to graduate this December with a business degree after just two and a half years, thanks to a dual credit program that allowed her to earn an associate’s degree in high school. On top of that impressive feat, Gonzales is also a first-generation college student.

“Going into college, I was on my own,” she said. “I had to do a lot of research about finances, the classes I wanted to take, and how majors and minors work. Amalia has helped me so much. She has really been the best with navigating college as a first-gen student. Having the support system that I’ve had at Southwestern has been invaluable. I honestly don’t feel like I could have chosen a better university.”

Merino applauds Gonzales for not only her accomplishments, but also for her take-charge approach to her education.

“One of Brianna’s biggest strengths is her proactive approach in seeking help,” Merino said. “She was among the few students who reached out to me shortly after I was hired, which led her to discover SU’s sponsorship for the HACU Institute. Every time I announce a new opportunity, she promptly arranges to meet with me to work on her application. As a first-generation student lacking guidance elsewhere, these proactive decisions set her apart, and for that, I am incredibly proud of her.”