Opportunities open to Latino students

Ricardo Moraes, program supervisor for Bradford Woods Outdoor Center, said he felt inspired to lead a discussion on what it means to be labeled "Hispanic" or "Latino."\n"Being from a Latino and Hispanic background, I feel it is really important to cultivate leadership in the Latino community and to connect with the Latino community here," he said. \nMoraes led the discussion "Latinos: Who Are We?" Saturday as part of the third annual Indiana Latino Student Leadership Conference orchestrated by the La Casa Latino Cultural Center. \nTitled Leadership Achievements Through Indiana Networking Organizational Success (LATINOS), the conference took place in Woodburn Hall and focused on Latino culture and career opportunities for Latinos. About 150 college students, high school students and community members from Indiana, Illinois and Michigan attended.\nJose Arredondo, an assistant professor of education at Valparaiso University, who was the first Mexican representative in the Indiana government and also served as sheriff of Lake County, delivered the opening keynote address.\n"What will most influence the way we live in the future is not terrorism or technology, but whether we will live in this country as one," Arredondo said. "One problem is that people think Hispanics are all \nthe same. We're not. Neither are blacks or caucasians."\nParticipants were able to choose any four hour-long workshops they wanted to attend. Only one program was available during the 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. time slot -- a panel discussion entitled "Successful Leadership: Taking Charge of Your Career Path." Sponsored by the IU Latino Alumni Association, the panel featured a variety of Hispanic professionals who emphasized the importance of internships, networking and charting career goals. \nA presentation by Olivia Martinez, associate director of the IU Career Development Center, and Daniel Pascoe, the center's assistant director, preceded the panel discussion.\nThe closing address was given by Mary Jane Gonzalez, president of the Indiana State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.\n"I challenge all of you to apply this information that you learned today in your personal and professional lives now and in the future in order to become an effective leader," Gonzalez said. "Higher education is essential for Hispanics and the U.S. economy, which will need to rely on the Hispanic workforce."\nA dance followed at 8 p.m. in the Leo R. Dowling International Center, 111 S. Jordan Ave. \nSenior Noemy Villalpando said the conference was informative and helpful.\n"It was my first time attending a Latino conference and I learned a lot," she said. "It is great to see that there are a lot of different career opportunities open to us as Latinos."\nLa Casa Director Lillian Casillas also said the event was a valuable educational experience for its participants.\n"Students were given the opportunity to hone in on issues relevant to them," she said. "Not every university has a Latino studies program, and students from other universities got a taste of the Latino studies program at IU."\nMore information about La Casa and the IU Latino Studies Program are available at www.indiana.edu/~lacasa and www.indiana.edu/~latino.