By Claudia Martinez
On Thursday January 16, La Casa Student Housing held a Mentor Night entitled Social Trends: Advocacy, Public Policy and Community. The presenters for this workshop were Luis Duarte, Associate Director of LARES at University of Illinois at Chicago, and Veronica Reyes, Policy Research Associate at the Illinois Latino Family Commission. La Casa students were able to ask questions and hear the journeys these two professionals had to share. Among the topics discussed were finding your passion, a DACA student’s struggle in continuing with his studies, and issues trending among Latinos in higher education. Much of the conversation centered around the issues that Latino students face in finding, applying to, and succeeding in college.
Duarte and Reyes began by sharing their life journeys and how, with an education, they were able to get to where they are now. Duarte talked to La Casa students about the importance of obtaining their degrees, assuring them that if he could do it, anybody could. As a young child, he never believed that college was for him, so after high school he opted for work instead of enrolling in college. However, with the help of great mentors, he eventually enrolled and was able to get a degree from DePaul University. He is currently pursuing a Masters at Northeastern Illinois University.
Reyes talked of her journey to the United States after having grown up in Mexico. Like many Latino parents, hers did not know the college process so Veronica had to figure it out herself. After this experience, she knew that she wanted to help other Latinos to be more aware of not just the process of going to college but also of the type of resources, supports, and funding that are available in the community, her school, and from government and private foundations.
The workshop addressed other issues affecting Latinos, especially in regards to the timely completion and attainment of college degrees. According to the Lumina Foundation for Education, degree attainment rates among Illinois adults (ages 25-64) close to 21% of Illinois residents have achieved a bachelor level degree, but among Hispanics only 16% have completed a two- or four-year college degree. Since some of the main obstacles to Latinos include limited financial resources, a lack of a structured support system, academic preparation, and limited social capital, Duarte and Reyes both spoke about the resources available to students to help overcome these obstacles. For participants, workshops such as these are a real opportunity to learn and grow.
“These workshops have helped me become more aware of the opportunities out there and have brought me self-awareness,” says Dulce Hernandez, a La Casa resident and a UIC Urban Education student. “This workshop with Luis and Veronica specifically was a reflection of why I am a Latina in college.”
Duarte and Reyes made me realize the importance of finishing my bachelor’s degree at UIC and the need to consider a graduate degree. This workshop has reminded me to keep present the reasons I am in school—my parents, my homeland Guanajuato, and my family—and to stay motivated. I also want to make an effort to be aware of the issues that are of importance to my community in order to be able to participate in the discussions going on in our country.
This talk is just one of the many Career Skill Builders, College Talks, and Mentor Nights that La Casa Student Housing and Resource Center offers to its students and to members of the Pilsen community. These workshops are a great informational resource and are free.
“Mentor Nights are a significant part of the mission of La Casa to provide students with support services that assist them in making informed academic, career, and personal decisions,” says Maria Bucio, Director of La Casa. “These opportunities to interact with career and peer mentors provides our students with meaningful relationships that facilitate the sharing of ideas, opportunities, information, recommendations and resources.”

All workshops take place at La Casa Resource Center located at 1815 S. Paulina Street, Chicago, IL 60608.

For more information on the workshops or La Casa Student Housing contact María Bucio, Director of La Casa Student Housing, at 312-880-1889 or at [email protected].

Return to Nueva Vida February 2014 here.