Philippine Ambassador Raul Ch. Rabè at
opening of Old Dominion University's Filipino American Student Cultural Center

Old Dominion University has opened the first Filipino American Student Cultural Center on the East Coast.
The center will provide a place where Filipino American students can come together to learn more about their culture from speakers, events, and a resource library. It will house documents, artifacts, and memorabilia that portray Filipino American history and Filipino immigration to America.
Although similar centers can be found in California and Hawaii, no such university-run center exists on the East Coast. But the choice of Old Dominion as the center's host institution is a logical one. Approximately 700 Filipino American students attend the Norfolk, Va., university. Additionally, the Filipino American population in southeastern Virginia, where ODU is located, exceeds 40,000.
The Filipino American community raised more than $110,000 to support the center, and the university provided matching funds.

The Lagrant Foundation was recently founded to provide opportunities to facilitate in the diversification of the communication and business fields. The Los Angeles-based organization will annually offer 10 scholarships to college and graduating high school minority students pursuing a degree in journalism, public relations, marketing, advertising, or other areas within the province of communications and business administration.
"Our goal is to open the proverbial door for minorities to enter the field by providing necessary tools which are not commonly available to them," says Kim L. Hunter, foundation
president.
To qualify, a student must be: a member of a minority group; a full-time college student at a four-year institution, or a graduating high school senior planning to attend a four-year institution; and enrolled in a communications or business administration program. Applicants must include a statement of professional goals with the application, and commit to maintaining contact with the foundation to receive assistance with professional development. Scholarship recipients will be required to meet twice monthly with an assigned advisor, and participate in workshops designed to develop skills such as resume writing, interviewing, and business etiquette.
For more information, call (323) 469-8680.