The second annual Young Educated Latino Leaders (YELL) conference came to Allan Hancock’s Marian Theater on Oct. 18.
The all-day event, which drew several hundred Latino students from the area, featured workshops on getting into college, skits showcasing life experiences, and motivational speakers. The message was simple: You can get ahead in life with an education.
YELL was originally conceived by local members of the community as a way to address the lack of young Latino men pursuing higher education. The first YELL conference was for young men only, a kind of Big Brothers approach. It was so successful that another event was organized last year for young women, and this year’s conference was the first to include both.
“We wanted to show these students what was possible, have professionals talk to them saying, ‘I’m a doctor, a lawyer. It wasn’t easy, but I got here,’” said Adriana Perez, one of the conference organizers.
Perez added that it used to be enough to encourage Latinos to simply finish high school, but in today’s economy, that’s no longer the case.
U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara) spoke at last year’s conference and was one of this year’s speakers as well.
“I was blown away by everyone’s enthusiasm; this is such a timely topic. It says to these students, I hope, that we care about you and we’re invested in your future,” she said.
Echoing the conference’s call for the importance of higher education, Capps noted, “We need bright young minds to push our nation forward.”
Capps also added that one of the big challenges facing the community at the local, state, and federal level is making schools like Hancock affordable. The YELL conference, with its financial aid workshops, is a great way to get the message out that help is available, she explained.
Anna Gomez, a professor at Hancock and one of the YELL conference participants, felt that the conference’s focus on the importance of a college education was inspiring.
“It feels really good, doing something for students. At one point in your life, you were there. It can be difficult, but possible,” she said.
Intern Nicholas Walter compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send items for consideration to mail@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 23-30, 2008.