<p>Spanglish banter filled Carleton Auditorium, where high school students and their parents attended this year's Hispanic-Latino Student Recruitment Conference. </p>
<p>Saturday was a busy day for admissions office officials as they held a variety of college preparatory workshops to provide information to students who want to get into a college like UF. </p>
<p>Along with ways to improve an applicant's resum� and personal statement, giving back to the community was the message sent to the attendees. </p>
<p>"People think we are giving away secrets here," said Mike Powell, UF associate director of admissions. "I call it an empowerment program giving people information on what it takes to get into a top university." </p>
<p>More than 300 students from seventh to 11th grades and their parents attended the conference, where workshops covered topics such as development and early preparation. In addition, there was a student panel session, financial aid information and entertainment. </p>
<p>Two UF Hispanic student groups, the Dominican Student Association and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, danced for the crowds. </p>
<p>Luis Ventura, a freshman and member of the Dominican Student Association, attended the conference as a high school student before he applied to UF. He is the first in his family to attend college, he said. </p>
<p>"I didn't know anything about college, what the process is like or what the student community was like, either," Ventura said. </p>
<p>Ventura said he felt very welcome at the conference. He knew it was where he wanted to be because he felt the Hispanic impact on the community. </p>
<p>Odessa Valentin, of Tifton, Ga., made sure her daughter came to the conference to hear the possibilities available. </p>
<p>"UF acts like they want you," said Valentin. "The ambassadors call you. There has never been a university that opens its arms like that. Why wouldn't you want to come here?" </p>
<p>Valentin said she is happy that the recruitment conference helps inform students about what they need to get into UF and hopes they continue the program because it is truly wonderful. </p>
<p>Elizabeth Sanchez, a UF graduate of Mexican descent, is the freshman admission coordinator. </p>
<p>She told the students that getting into UF is not impossible and stressed that the conference's goal was to get students to "go to college somewhere instead of nowhere." </p>
<p>"You have to have the power and willingness to educate yourself," Sanchez said. </p>