Montgomery College Student Khalianne Roman Rentas Joins HACU and President Biden for Event Celebrating Executive Order Supporting Hispanic-Serving Institutions

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities joined President Biden for an event celebrating Executive Order 14124, establishing the first-ever White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutionsnew window. This Executive Order creates a President’s Board of Advisors on HSIs. The celebratory event held at the White House on October 30, 2024, was attended by HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores, Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Relations Lena T. Rodriguez, along with HSI presidents, chancellors and higher education community leaders. 

Khalianne Roman Rentas, a current student at the College who interns with the Department of Justice through the HACU’s internship program, was also part of the delegation invited to the Oval Office for the signing.

“Meeting the President and other leaders was an incredible honor and a surreal experience,” Roman Rentas said. “As a Puerto Rican, an HSI student, and a HACU intern, I had the chance to show them the real impact of their decisions. My story is a reminder that I am not just a statistic, but a person with ambition and potential. Moments like this highlight that investing in students like me is a commitment to building a brighter and more inclusive future.”

The President’s Board of Advisors on HSIs will provide for a number of opportunities that include increasing awareness of opportunities for HSI participation in Federal programs, align programs with national and local economic needs, foster cross-sector collaboration, strengthen Federal recruitment activities at HSIs, and provide tools, data, and analytics to support HSIs in improving educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity.

“HACU is honored to celebrate this milestone for Hispanic-Serving Institutions. The significance of this Executive Order and the Board lies in the recognition that HSIs are a crucial component of America’s future success in training and educating a diverse student community that will be the backbone of a skilled and globally-minded workforce,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “The numerous forms of support for HSIs established by this order is the start of a new era for our schools, expanding and improving the landscape they operate within. This will ensure HSIs have a seat at the table so that the students they serve have access to an education that is equitable and accessible, fulfilling the promise of the American dream that increasingly depends on a college degree. President Biden has our deepest thanks for taking this historic action to establish this Board.” 

To learn more about today’s ceremonial signing, click herenew window to read a fact sheet from the White House.

Click herenew window to see photos from the signing ceremony in the Oval Office.