About This Episode
Season 4. Episode 16.
In this episode of Education Insight, we speak with Matt Cuozzo, Chief of Staff for Excelencia in Education, a national organization focused on advancing equity in higher education. Matt shares insights into Excelencia’s mission, which highlights and supports programs that improve Latino college enrollment, retention, and graduation rates.
We also discuss the significant recognition that UC Riverside and Cal State San Bernardino received this year, earning the Seal of Excelencia. Matt explains what this prestigious award represents and what impressed the reviewers about these local universities. Learn about the criteria Excelencia uses to assess Latino diversity in higher education institutions, the impact of these recognitions, and how communities benefit when colleges excel in supporting Latino students. Additionally, Matt shares how Excelencia is contributing to broader diversity and inclusion efforts across higher education.
Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of Excelencia’s work and how it’s shaping the future of Latino student success nationwide.
Featured Guest
Matt Cuozzo
Biography
Matt Cuozzo serves as chief of staff for Excelencia in Education. In this role, he acts as a core liaison to support strategic implementation across the organization, provides oversight for several strategic partnerships, and intentionally engages with affiliates and partners to meet Excelencia’s mission of accelerating Latino student success in higher education. Matt began his career as a college success program coach serving low-income and first-generation students. This led him to pursue a graduate degree in higher education, where he studied the systemic barriers and opportunities for equity in higher education. During that time, he interned for Excelencia, contributing to the organization’s work on college completion through a Latino lens. Most recently, he worked at a community college implementing models of academic support, peer mentorship, engagement, and personal growth for 650+ students yearly, both dual enrollment high school students and college scholarship recipients.
View our podcast page for more stories like this: https://inlandempiregia.org/gia-podcasts/
Education Insight tells the story of education in the Inland Empire through the diverse voices of those in and around the regional education community. The show is produced by Growing Inland Achievement, a collective impact organization in the Inland Empire with a mission to increase economic prosperity in the region by increasing educational attainment. Hosted by 30-year broadcast veteran Lacey Kendall, monthly shows explore topics ranging from education challenges and shortcomings to innovations and groundbreaking ideas that are driving student success.