NHI and PCI partner on Oral History Project to connect alumni

The National Hispanic Institute has launched a campaign looking forward to 2021 to share the stories of its alumni. NHI is building an Oral History Publication that recounts journeys of alumni throughout the organization’s more than 40 years of history.

This publication will help showcase the unique life experiences of the diverse NHI community, and provide an updated directory of NHI alumni. Sections will include alumni stories on cherished NHI memories, friends forever through NHI, college and career journeys, “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me” NHI leadership values, and cultura y comunidad.

“We’ve all weathered a great deal of adversity in 2020, and we’ve kept connected with NHI alumni who have shown amazing resilience in the face of what this year has challenged us with,” said Nicole Nieto, NHI’s Executive Vice President. “Our founder Ernesto Nieto, and our co-founder Gloria de Leon, as well as the NHI board of directors, feel it’s extremely important for NHI to continue our mission and be present in our members’ lives, in large part to keep this amazing network of Latino leaders growing and energized. We’re excited to launch this Oral History Publication to make sure the leaders we’re training today have a history for both the adversities and victories of NHI alumni before them, and to make our alumni network available to our NHI community.”

The NHI oral history publication and directory is in partnership with Publishing Concepts, Inc., a Dallas-based company that specializes in directory building and oral history projects for educational organizations. In addition to the creation of this NHI directory, which is looking to connect a sizable number of alumni and will be available by December 2021, NHI and PCI are also teaming up to create NHI merchandise available this coming summer.

“This partnership with PCI is exciting because it makes it possible for us to verify alumni data at no cost to NHI and no cost to our alumni. Alumni are under no obligation to purchase the publication or any of the NHI-branded product lines, and can still share their stories and be included in the directory,” stated Nieto. “Our benefit is PCI’s strong search engines, live staff to answer calls, and professionals who can build this kind of publication to help us connect.”

Initial emails went out last week to NHI alumni in its databases, and additional email and phone contact attempts will be made over the next few months to build the directory. Alumni who wish to connect with NHI through the directory project can also call PCI directly at 866-571-7443.

While purchases of directories and merchandise indirectly benefit NHI, direct donations can be made along with the orders. NHI is encouraging individual alumni members to donate $40 each, and is asking alumni who are 21 and under to donate $10.

Individual donations up to $40 will be earmarked for Change a Life scholarship to help students who need tuition assistance to attend NHI programs. Any portion of a donation above $40 will apply to the NHI Legacy Fund, a new endowment recently created through the contribution of an anonymous NHIer.