If you were asked to name someone who has given more to Hispanics in higher education than most, who would you name? Would you be able to come up with a name or two?

Well, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has done exactly that . . . named two individuals who have contributed extensively to Hispanics in higher education.  And this year, as with the past seven years—since 2011—the organization will honor these two individuals by inducting them in HACU’s Hall of Champions.

“It [Hall of Champions] gives us a chance to highlight the lifelong dedication of people who have championed Latino success in higher education,” said HACU President Antonio Flores. “These are people who have stood for what we stand for as an association.”

The two individuals selected for this year’s Hall of Champions are the late Dr. Sister Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss, former president of Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), and Dr. J. Michael Ortiz, president emeritus of California State Polytechnic University at Pomona (Cal State Pomona).  They were selected, as Flores described, for a lifetime of dedication, even if they are currently retired (as is Dr. Ortiz), or deceased (as is Sister Sueltenfuss).

Both individuals will be honored during HACU’s Annual Conference at the Marriot Marquis hotel in Atlanta, Georgia from October 6 to 8, 2018. More specifically, they will receive a certificate and be inducted into the Hall of Champions on October 6.

About Dr. Sister Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss

“I was very pleased to hear that Dr. Sister Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss was selected as a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Hall of Champions,” said Dr. Diane Melby, current president of Our Lady of the Lake University who will be receiving the award certificate on behalf of Dr. Sister Sueltenfuss. “Sister Elizabeth Anne played a key role in HACU’s founding in 1986. HACU’s first home was on OLLU’s campus when Sister Elizabeth Anne was the university president. She provided personnel, resources and support to launch the association.”

Melby went on to explain that HACU consisted of one office on OLLU’s campus, with Dr. Antonio Rigual as its only staff member and founder. Rigual, an OLLU administrator and professor of Spanish in 1986, was later selected as the first person inducted in HACU’s Hall of Champions in 2011. And with the support of Sister Sueltenfuss, HACU flourished to impact the lives of millions of students on more than 450 campuses across the U.S., Latin America and Spain.

When asked why Sister Sueltenfuss worked so hard to help the cause of Latinos in Higher Education, Melby responded: “She was a member of the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence (CDP)” (the founders and sponsors of OLLU) who “have a heritage for serving the underserved, especially in the field of education.”

Melby added, “When Sister Elizabeth Anne first became president of OLLU in 1978, Hispanics were significantly underrepresented in the classrooms of colleges and universities throughout the U.S. Through the efforts of CDP and Sister Elizabeth Anne, OLLU worked to make higher education accessible and affordable for Hispanic students. Today, the majority of students attending OLLU are Hispanic.”

According to Melby, Sister Sueltenfuss contributed to the success of Hispanics in higher education by addressing the needs of students like Latinos with non-traditional schedules. She worked to make higher education accessible to working adults who wanted to obtain a college degree by establishing OLLU’s Weekend college model in 1978. This was the first such model in South Texas. This opened the doors for working Latinos—which there were many of—and others to access education. Today, OLLU’s online programs also serve students in more than 40 states.

“As president of OLLU, I am proud to carry on the work of Sister Elizabeth Anne and the CDPs,” Melby concluded. “The Sisters have given us a heritage and a mission to serve those who may not otherwise be served.”

About Dr. J. Michael Ortiz

When the second Hall of Champions inductee, Dr. J. Michael Ortiz, learned that he too was selected, he was “absolutely humbled and honored. “I recognize the prestige of being inducted into the Hall of Champions. When I was notified, I was truly overwhelmed.”

It should have come as little surprise, though, since Ortiz has been involved with HACU since early in his career and contributed greatly to HACU’s mission. In addition, he served as a mentor to higher education leaders, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic.

Prior to retirement, Ortiz served as fifth president of Cal Poly Pomona. During his tenure, he helped substantially grow the number of Hispanics, especially Latinas, who enrolled and graduated from its distinguished College of Engineering. He was also a professor of education at Appalachian State University and vice president of academic affairs at Fresno State. In 2005, he was listed as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business magazine, and in 2008, as one of the Top 25 Latinos in Education.  In addition, he served on the HACU-USDA leadership Group.

On a national level, Ortiz worked on multiple fronts to establish Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) as vital contributors to the Federal Agenda. “Before, during and after having served as the co-chair of the HACU-USDA Collaborative, I struggled with the Pentagon, Department of Education and USDA to get them to understand that HSIs are rich resources for much more than merely internships for workforce diversity,” Ortiz said. “Through the collaboration, we were able to establish the federal designation of Hispanic-Serving AG Colleges and Universities that included earmarked grant-funding opportunities.”

Ortiz’s impact on students and others seems to have gone far beyond professional titles he’s held. During his career, he enjoyed the opportunity to mentor students, especially during countless HACU conferences he attended. “Those conversations [with students], built around counsel, support and inspiration, were very fulfilling,” he said. “More of us need to be involved in that arena, especially with first-generation students who really have nowhere to turn.”

Raised in Carrizozo, New Mexico, as one of five children, Ortiz also benefitted from mentors who inspired and assisted him in taking college-track courses in high school, and later, pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education. “Heroes inspired me to heights I could never have imagined,” said Ortiz, who saw that being an administrator in higher education would afford him the opportunity to help more people.

Today, he is retired from Cal Poly Pomona after 12 years as president, yet he remains teaching at California State University and serving in development work at CSU San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus. At the latter campus, most of the students are first-generation. “It allows me to keep advising and mentoring,” Ortiz said. “I am also working with mostly Hispanic families to explain that an education can be an alternative to service occupations in the heavily tourist desert communities including Palm Springs.”

As Ortiz and Melby prepare to be inducted into HACU’s Hall of Champions at HACU’s National Conference in October, Ortiz concluded: “I have been associated with some remarkable colleagues in my 45+ years in higher education. It’s their work that made the award possible, so I am honored and privileged to accept on their behalf.” •