[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8866--SEPT. 14, 2012

Proclamation 8866 of September 14, 2012

National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Equipping our children with the knowledge and skills for a lifetime of
success is among our Nation's most important responsibilities. We know
that providing the next generation with a world-class education is not
just a moral obligation--it is a prerequisite for America's progress in
the 21st century. With Hispanics representing more than 20 percent of
students enrolled in our public elementary and secondary schools, the
opportunities in postsecondary education offered to these young people
will have a significant impact on our country's future. Hispanic-Serving
Institutions (HSIs) have helped bring the dream of a college education
within reach for many Hispanic students and their families, and this
week, we celebrate the critical role these colleges and universities
play in American higher education.
Across our country, HSIs are giving students access to a quality
education and vesting in them a lifelong appreciation for intellectual
inquiry. In these halls of higher learning, students are pursuing
careers in science and engineering, health care, technology, education,
and other fields that will bolster our economic prosperity and foster
American innovation for decades to come. Graduates of these institutions
are already leaders in every part of our national life, and with these
institutions graduating such a significant portion of Hispanic students,
HSIs are helping move us closer to leading the world in college
completion by 2020.
As we reflect on the contributions of HSIs, let us renew our commitment
to preparing our future leaders--from focusing on early childhood
education to combating high school dropout rates--and to supporting
those institutions that equip students of all backgrounds to take on
tomorrow's challenges. By honoring this commitment, we uphold that most
American idea: that with a quality education, a child of any race,
faith, or station in life can overcome any barriers to achieve his or
her dreams.


[[Page 2645]]


NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 16 through
September 22, 2012, as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week. I
call on public officials, educators, and all the people of the United
States to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and
activities that acknowledge the tremendous contributions these
institutions and their graduates have made to our country.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA