Horizontes
Horizons Horizontes Program: College Access and Student Success Pathway
Overview
Celebrate Culture. Build Community. Expand Your Horizons.
The Horizontes Pathway group at Barton College seeks to recognize the celebrated heritage of students whose backgrounds and cultural traditions are richly distinctive and diverse. No matter your race, ethnicity, or cultural background, we are a welcoming group for all who want to explore and celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture.
What You’ll Experience
Through Horizontes, you’ll:
- Participate in cultural celebrations such as Hispanic Heritage Month and Día de los Muertos.
- Engage with student organizations, community groups, and faculty leaders who suppor tHispanic, Latino and multicultural initiatives.
- Explore traditions of family, food, music, and storytelling that shape identity and strengthen community.
- Attend workshops, game nights, and festivals that promote cultural pride and awareness.
Horizontes helps students:
- Develop cross-cultural understanding and leadership skills.
- Strengthen confidence in sharing and honoring personal and collective identities.
- Grow your communication skills—whether you’re bilingual or just curious about learning a second language, there’s room to connect and learn!
- Connect with mentors, faculty, and peers who value diversity and inclusion.
Horizontes is more than a Pathway—we are a community. Here, you’ll find support, encouragement, and friendship in a welcoming space that celebrates the beauty of cultural diversity. Together, we create connections that enrich the college experience for everyone at Barton.
Horizontes is Perfect for:
- Students from any background who want to explore Hispanic and Latin American cultures in a safe and welcoming environment.
- Anyone passionate about language, diversity, and community engagement.
- Future leaders who believe in inclusion, respect, and cultural exchange.
Meet Your Horizontes Leader
¡Hola y bienvenidos! I’m Dr. Luis Carlos Ayarza, Associate Professor of Spanish, Program Coordinator for the Spanish major, and leader of the Horizontes Pathway here at Barton College.
My passion lies in exploring how language, art, and storytelling connect people across cultures. I earned my Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from Texas A&M University and my M.F.A. in Bilingual Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso. My work focuses on Hispanic literature and cultures, creative writing, film, and visual arts—all expressions that help us understand who we are and how we relate to the world around us.
I am passionate about fostering communication and mutual understanding within our communities. Before coming to Barton, I participated in several projects and literacy programs in Colombia aimed at promoting reading habits and encouraging writing practices among students of all ages and teachers from school districts in Bogotá. That same spirit of connection and discovery continues to guide my work with Horizontes.
Through this Pathway, I hope students will see culture not just as something we inherit, but as something we actively create and share. Whether we’re talking about language, music, film, or food, each story opens a new door of understanding. Together, we’ll celebrate the richness of Hispanic and Latin American traditions and the beauty of discovering our shared humanity.
Your Horizontes Journey
If students are taking a structured journey throughout the program, let’s show this in a clear way. What can the student expect in years 1-4? Are there milestones or certain experiences they will have? Use this section as an opportunity to lay out the path ahead and define program expectations.
Admissions Requirement
- There are no formal requirements to join—Horizontes welcomes all students interested in celebrating and learning about Hispanic and Latin American culture.
- Simply apply to Barton College and select Horizontes in the “Pathways” portion of the application.
Scholarship Opportunities
Students accepted into the Horizontes Pathway are automatically considered for the Barton College Pathway Scholarship. Awards are based on financial need and will appear on your financial aid package if you qualify.