Exterior of the LRC building

Higher Education Resource Office (HERO)

The Higher Education Resource Office exists primarily to familiarize prospective students, their families, and other community members with the educational opportunities and services available through Barton Community College.  

The Higher Education Resource Office (HERO) is here to help students get started here at Barton Community College.

HERO existe principalmente para familiarizar a los futuros estudiantes, sus familias y otros miembros de la comunidad con las oportunidades educativas y los servicios disponibles a través de Barton Community College.

English

About HERO

HERO was established in response to the growing number of Hispanic students in our service area, and the identified need for specialized assistance for any student needing intensive support to navigate Barton's admission processes. Many of these students are first-generation college students, so there is often little understanding within the student's family related to the processes involved with post-secondary education. HERO is here to fill that need and as a resource to assist in all the processes involved with post-secondary education.

With HERO staff, students may ask questions in confidence and receive guidance and advice in Spanish, if that is what they prefer. HERO engages with prospective students who are in high school, or who are adults exploring an initial or a returning college experience. HERO staff assist students through the Barton admissions, financial aid, scholarship and other onboarding processes, with the aim of a successful start at Barton. Students are also connected with other support programs on campus that can help them as well. Once enrolled, students continue to have a support system with HERO, assisting them through their Barton experience and beyond, including transfer assistance when they have completed Barton.

About H.A.L.O.

H.A.L.O. is a student organization at Barton Community College. We are dedicated to promoting the Hispanic culture on campus and throughout the Great Bend community. We also seek to develop leadership skills and encourage academic excellence. H.A.L.O. stands for Hispanic American Leadership Organization. On the Barton County campus, HALO functions as a unifying social network for students interested in fostering and perpetuating the traditions and customs of Latin and Hispanic people, through college and civic events.

History of HALO

The Hispanic American Leadership Organization was founded in the fall of 1971 and has had a rich history in the past 40 years in colleges and universities nationwide. Originally formed as the Association of Mexican Students (AMAS), the organization later adopted the national name of MECHA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan), and it was not until the mid-1980s that the organization became what we know today as HALO. Since its establishment, HALO has increased its presence on campuses around the nation while still following through with its original mission and has grown to establish chapters at several universities and colleges, truly unifying students across Kansas and the rest of the nation.