Cultural Leadership Forum Builds Vision And Connections
Posted
Staff Report-
WINONA LAKE - Juana O. Watson, senior advisor for Latino and Immigrant Affairs to Governor Mitch Daniels, shared her inspirational life story with more than 50 students from Warsaw and Wawasee high schools during the second annual Cultural Leadership Forum April 24.The event was sponsored by Sus Amigos, a service of Cardinal Center Inc., to encourage Latino students to finish school and to pursue career goals. The forum was made possible through a grant from the Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation Inc.
Students listened at the Grace College campus as Watson described being dropped off at a boarding school at 11 years old by her father who mistakenly believed she was enrolled. She was refused admission, but because her family had no telephone, they never knew so she was alone to fend for herself. During the days and weeks following, she peered in the classroom window, but was taunted and teased by the students and told to go away by the teachers. But she had nowhere to go. The employees who worked in the kitchen took pity on her and let her wash dishes so that she could eat the leftovers.
A year of hardship and perseverance paid off, and the following year she was admitted into the school, but she never forgot what it felt like to be on the outside peering in. She carries this message with her, and her goal is to help others who are on the outside looking in, and many are.
According to Watson, "Over 50 percent of all students who come here from foreign countries drop out of high school before they graduate and the rate for Latino students in Indiana is 55 percent. This isn't a Latino problem, this is a community problem."
Watson's message hit its mark with Belen Cervantes from Warsaw Community High School, who said, "I really found Mrs. Watson's story inspirational. She showed me that I am in charge of my life and that I have lots of choices."
Following Watson, Ana Juarez, the forum coordinator, introduced the students to local Latino business leaders who discussed their career paths and challenged students to set goals and work toward them. These area leaders made an impact. Referring to Jose Arrendondo from DePuy, WCHS student Junior Villa said, "Listening to Mr. Arrendondo tell about overcoming his experiences of being raised in a ghetto area of Los Angeles made me very aware that many people have a difficult journey to making the kind of life they want. He stressed education is the ticket out, and the way toward the kind of future I want."
Besides Arrendondo, other area business leaders who met with students included Diana Kent, Kosciusko Community Hospital; Juan Manigualt, president and CEO of the Northern Indiana Workforce Investment Board; Gilberto Perez, bilingual therapist and director of the Bienvenido Program at the Northeastern Center Inc.; Anthony Garza, Miner, Lemon, and Walston LLC attorney at law; Ralph Villalon, assistant vice president and Prospero Program director at Lake City Bank.
The following leaders also spoke: Yolanda Hedington, manager at National City Bank; Susana Bueno, cultural and linguistic manager at Cultural Link in South Bend; Dave Lewis and Susanna Martinez, assistant director of admissions/multi-ethnic outreach at Grace College; Fabiola Meza, realtor at Legacy Realty; Sandra Buitrago Foreman, hair stylist at Cutting Edge; Araceli Bustos, Latino community liaison for Bowen Center; Jose Arredondo, assistant product director marketing trauma and extremities at DePuy; and Marlene Mulero-Betances, program and project solutions manager, also from DePuy.
