The stated purpose of DALA is to improve the Dartmouth Latino experience for both alumni and students.
"Group members provide one another with networking, socializing and volunteer opportunities," said Diana Lawrence, director of communications for the Office of Alumni Relations. "These groups also benefit our students, because they provide important mentoring, events, scholarship funding and other benefits that enhance today's Dartmouth experience."
The current goals of DALA are to construct this network of Latino alumni, in part as a career network for DALA members and Latino students; to attract Latino students to Dartmouth in conjunction with the Admissions Office; to provide DALA mentors to current Latino students and to create a scholarship program for Latino students at Dartmouth College.
DALA has plans for regional events across the United States, in cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Washington, D.C. The association will also provide support for the New England Latino Leadership Conference which will take place at Dartmouth in April.
DALA is the fifth affiliated group to be officially recognized by the college. The others are the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association, Dartmouth Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Alumni/ae Association, Dartmouth Asian-Pacific American Alumni Association and the Native American Alumni Association of Dartmouth.
Affiliated groups are sub-divisions within the Dartmouth Association of Alumni, each comprised of 100 or more members who have identified themselves as part of the specific underrepresented alumni group.
Lawrence believes that affiliated groups have strong benefits for alumni.
"They help alumni feel a stronger connection to Dartmouth, even if they did not feel connected when they were students," she said. She also sees the College benefiting from these affiliated groups.
"Affiliated groups cultivate community leaders and volunteers, raise funds and create information networks," Lawrence said. "For example, the D-GALA reunion two years ago included a very successful fundraiser for the College fund in support of student scholarships."
