1,300 Youth to Participate in Latinos in Action at WSU
OGDEN, Utah — Astronaut José Hernandez will speak to 1,300+ high school and junior high school students during the Latinos in Action (LIA) Youth Leadership Conference at Weber State University on March 8.
The conference will bring students from 33 high schools and junior high schools in northern Utah together for a day of workshops, cultural activities and leadership training.
LIA is a leadership course offered at more than 140 schools throughout Utah, Idaho, Washington, Arizona, Florida and Texas. Its goal is to ensure all participating students are ready for careers when they graduate from high school or college. LIA serves almost 6,000 students each year. Of those students, 98 percent go on to graduate from high school and 85 percent enroll in college.
“We are so pleased that Weber State University will once again host Latinos in Action for our 2017 Annual Youth Leadership Conference,” said Burton Rojas, LIA’s director of development. “This is a time for us to focus on the fantastic work our students have done throughout the year. We can’t wait to feel the enthusiasm these students bring to conference!”
While at Weber State for the conference, students will receive an introduction to university life, including information about admissions, financial aid and academic programs.
“This event is significant because it provides Latino students with the necessary tools to be successful in the classroom,” said Enrique Romo, WSU’s Access & Diversity executive director. “It also provides students with leadership and advocacy skills to make a change in their communities.”
José Hernandez, a former NASA astronaut, will provide the keynote speech at 1 p.m. in the Val A. Browning Center Austad Auditorium. As the son of Mexican migrant farm workers, Hernandez spent his childhood traveling from one state to another chasing the harvest.
At age 10, he began dreaming of becoming an astronaut, while watching the Apollo 17 moon landing. Eventually he went from picking fruit and vegetables to earning his master’s degree in engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. NASA’s astronaut program rejected Hernandez 11 times before he was finally selected to live out his dream. He began astronaut training in 2004.
"True leadership comes not from those who seek that position but from those who position themselves to serve those who seek,” said José Enriquez, CEO and founder of LIA. “The conference gives us a chance to showcase the talents of our strong Latino youth.”
Detailed Schedule:
9-10 a.m. – Opening session, José Enriquez, LIA founder, Austad Auditorium
10:10 a.m.-12:50 p.m. – Workshops and rotating lunch sessions, Shepherd Union and Browning Center
1-2 p.m. – Keynote session, astronaut José Hernandez, Austad Auditorium
For more information about LIA, visit latinosinaction.org.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
For a high-resolution photo, visit the following link:
wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2017-photos/March-2017/i-bZs8Kk7/A
Rachel Badali, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7295 • rachelbadali@weber.edu- Contact:
Burton Rojas, Latinos In Action director of development
310-383-2723 • burton@latinosinaction.orgAmy Huntington, Office of Access & Diversity
801-626-8543 • amyhuntington@weber.edu