Our team was super excited to see this message about the online community we are creating at MyLatinitas.com….

To be honest, I think I feel a bigger community feel to Latinitas than I ever had with Facebook.

True, I try to create networking happen on Facebook, but I still feel so disconnected from everyone. Latinitas is a mini-community. I often feel very encouraged to let my fears known. Like its okay to make mistakes almost as though you all were family.

I want to be honest, as old as I am I often feel like that nerdy 13 year old girl from 7th grade, but hearing everyone’s story always encourages me to be okay with that.

It reminds me to post on behalf of younger girls who may read this and feel that they are alone. If you are one of them, I want you to know that you are not alone.

I wish I could give you all a big hug and thank you for the support I feel.

This is one of the reasons I am proud to be Latina.

Being Latina means you always haved family, friends or someone to trust in. This community is always encouraging each and everyone and I hope to do the same.

Remember, there is always tomorrow.

Love you gals!

April

My name is Teresa Rodriguez and I was a club leader for Fall 2012 at the Esperanza Acosta Moreno library. This was the first time this library location had the Latinita’s afterschool club. It turned out to be a memorable experience. I also had help from Dayna, an amazing volunteer who served as a great mentor. My favorite thing about being the leader of the club was watching the girls interacting with each other. They came in as strangers but the last few weeks of the club, they all acted like best friends. It was great to see them learn and have fun together as a group. This semester we did different activities in club which dealt with technology, media, and our culture. Every week we had a theme and the activities followed the themes. Throughout the semester, we did photography, arts and crafts, journals, and learned about the presidential campaign, red ribbon week, and college. My favorite activity was shooting our presidential debate video. I’ve never seen the girls have that much fun, but at the same time be very creative and ask thought provoking questions. My favorite memory was the girls coming in every week and asking each other how their day was, and how school was going. The girls learned many things in club, including friendship, body image, the importance of college, important events in our culture and in our world, and how to take photographs. In many ways the club impacts and benefits them. One way is for the girls to have mentors who are older who can give them advice and help them succeed. The club is great for the girls to create new friendships where they have something in common with the girl next to them. Also the club shows the girls new interests and makes the girls realize what potential they have. As a club leader, I learned many valuable skills like how to work and talk with these girls, and I learned the responsibilities one has. Even though at times it was hard and could get frustrating, it was a great experience and nothing made me happier than the girls having fun.

By Courtney Riddlebarger

If I had to describe the Sandoval girls in one word I would say charismatic. As their club leader, I was lucky and loved listening to their ideas and responses because of their wild creativity but I also had my hands full! I always knew I would be tired after my Thursday nights. My club mentor Bianca was also a great help and while we were always tired it was because we had so much fun and that’s usually tiring! The time always flew by and when it was time to leave, the girls were always wanting more time with us and the activities.

During this semester, we did workshops about Loving yourself, Domestic Violence Awareness, College, the Presidential Campaign, and a Photography Scavenger hunt. I would say that my favorite lesson with them was the presidential campaign because they really got into the videos and their ideas about being leaders to what they are passionate about. Their Charisma and excitement can really be used for incredible things some day. My favorite part was at the end of the campaign commercial they made, the girls yelled “Four more years!” very loud! I loved it because they came up with it on their own experience and it was very cute to see even the youngest of girls be so involved in something going on in our country.

As a club leader for Sandoval, I have learned that although people might not have the best of life handed to them, it is important to stay happy and not to lose yourself in the troubles going on in your life. The girls shared with me some of their experiences and to be so young they know so much about the harsh reality of life already. I think that they are really capable of channeling that knowledge to lead and to go very far in life. It seems that being part of Latinitas is helping them to do that!

By Courtney Riddlebarger

The Tays housing team was a very special group. My name is Courtney Francisco and I got the chance to be with them for this fall 2012 semester. I will start with their personality. This group was definitely the most experienced in the Latinitas clubs. They had completed semesters before and so they were very attentive and always gave feedback on the discussions. These girls were close to my heart and I always looked forward to Tuesdays for that reason. The housing employees were also very helpful and very nice. They were organized and seemed to make an effort to get to know me.

My strongest memory of this group was actually the last meeting with them at the showcase of their work.It was nice to meet their parents and have some food and talk about the past activities. I also remember going to the Aim High Conference with some of the girls because it seemed like they had so much fun and it gave me time outside of the club to get to know a couple of them individually.

Overall, I think that I learned from them that being dependable is very important. They were always there and their dependability helped me to realize that when making a commitment to something for them, following through with it means a lot to them. There were times when I was so tired or when I had so much other work to do, but I always went and I was never thinking of all of the other things once I got there. I think of how much a club leader could miss out on if they don’t take the time to really invest into their groups and get to know them. It made me feel good at the end because the Housing Authority actually invited me to their Christmas dinner and gave thanks to me for being there for Latinitas. They even made the effort to give me their information and I feel that in this club I really made lasting relationships with the volunteers and with the girls.

I had no idea that this organization would make such a huge impact on my life. Latinitas has transformed my college experience into something I never imagined it could become. I feel a sense of community and purpose as an intern and club leader.  It is a privilege to have the opportunity to be a part of an organization that stands for something so dear to my own heart: the advancement and empowerment of young Latinas. A lot of people talk about change, or wanting to make a difference, Latinitas is that chance to do both. When you are a club leader, you are introducing these girls to concepts they’ve never heard of before, teaching them how to use their voice, you change the way they see themselves and the world around them. I see many girls who are truly a reflection of myself, they dream like I once dreamed. I hope that seeing my success as a Latina pursuing her dreams, keeps theirs alive.

“As a father of two LATINITAS, I know fully the challenges that our young ladies deal with daily. I love the fact that LATINITAS has made it their mission to support and generate positive self awareness for our young ladies. Its important work; its loving work and it truly makes an impact!”

Benito Martinez appeared in season 8 of the hit show “24″ starring Kiefer Sutherland. Martinez current appears as “Luis Torres”, a member of a Mexican drug cartel, in season 4 of FX Network’s hit show “Sons of Anarchy” as well as one of the main host bodies of the entity Leviathan on the popular CW series Supernatural.  In 2011 he had a small role in “The Blood Line” the finale of Torchwood’s fourth series, known as Torchwood: Miracle Day.  He has also appeared in Million Dollar Baby and had a long-running role as police chief on the acclaimed show, “The Shield.”

Amanda Armendariz
Major: Education
Class of 2013

I am Amanda Armendariz and currently a club leader intern with Latinitas. This is my first semester with the program for fall 2011. I attend El Paso Community College and plan to transfer to UTEP to complete my education. I love working with children and teaching them something new every day. I plan to graduate from UTEP with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies. My dream is to become an inspiring teacher, teaching children new things every day and watching their astonished faces. I have always said that I want to make a difference in someone’s life for just one day and I know when I become a teacher, I will. College is important to me, having an education opens up more opportunities that will allow me in becoming a successful citizen and role model to my younger sisters. An education rewards you with a good a career, great benefits and able to make life time investments. The opportunities that Latinitas has given me, has only made me a better person by teaching what I have learned in my classes and sharing it with the members, is unbelievable for me. Not only am I gaining the experience to compliment my field of study, but I am also getting rewarded with an educational stipend to help me fulfill my goal in becoming a teacher. It’s not always about the stipend but what I gained from the experience. Many thanks to all of the Latinitas staff for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful program. It takes a lot of work and dedication for a program to run smoothly, and Latinitas does. I really enjoy working with the friendly staff. I would also like to say thank you to our sponsors for supporting this educational club, Latinitas. Our community needs sponsors that will make future leaders successful. Once again, Thank You, you made it happen. Sincerely, Amanda Armendariz