National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, 2013

Proclamation 9018 of September 13, 2013

National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, 2013

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

There is no better investment than a great education--
both for young people individually, and for our Nation
as a whole. In an increasingly competitive, knowledge-
based economy, higher education helps build a skilled
workforce and provides clear pathways to success.
Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) impart essential
knowledge while broadening horizons and giving students
the tools to pursue their own measure of happiness.
During National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, we
celebrate these institutions, renew our support for
their mission, and recommit to helping tomorrow's
leaders reach their fullest potential.

Preparing to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow
requires our Nation to share in the responsibility of
making college more accessible, affordable, and
attainable for all Americans. As more than 20 percent
of our Nation's elementary and high school students are
Hispanic, HSIs play an integral role in helping fulfill
this commitment. That is why the Federal Government
will invest more than $1 billion in these vital
institutions over the course of this decade. At the
same time, we are tackling rising college costs,
expanding Pell Grants, promoting innovation and value
in higher education, and improving student loan
repayment options. If we continue to support and
challenge our students, I am confident that America can
have the world's highest share of college graduates by
2020.

Hispanic-Serving Institutions enable young people and
adults to explore their intellectual passions. From the
arts and humanities to education to science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics, HSIs help
students hone their talents, launch their careers, and
eventually become leaders in their fields. As we honor
America's Hispanic-Serving Institutions, let us fight
to remain a country that rewards hard work,
responsibility, and the pursuit of education. Let us
advance a principle at the heart of the American
dream--that no matter who you are or where you come
from, in the United States of America, you can make it
if you try.

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 15 through
September 21, 2013, 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 many
ways these institutions and their graduates contribute
to our country.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.