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Si Se Puede
“Beware for I am fearless and therefore I am powerful.”
- Mary Shelley
Below is an article written by an attendee of G.L.O.W. (Growing Latinas into Outstanding Women), an event held annually by the Alpha Zeta chapter at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas that works towards encouraging and establishing a direct link to high school age Latinas in th Las Vegas area towards college.
By Erica Bonilla, Rancho High School News Editor
In Las Vegas alone, the highest graduation rate is 77 percent; the Hispanic graduation rate of graduation is only 65 percent.
One group looking to change that is Kappa Delta Chi, Inc., a Latina founded sorority with a strong focus on inspiring young Latina women.
“G.L.O.W. [(Growing Latinas into Outstanding Women)] was created to establish a direct connection with young Latinas in high school to college,” stated G.L.O.W. coordinator Brittney Montreal. “We wanted there to be a link for these students to get to post high school education.”
G.L.O.W. was created back in 2009 when graduation rates where just under 42 percent, their focus being to inspire Latina girls to consider post
secondary education. “We give students [a lot] of resources and information on applying to colleges
and for financial aid [while offering] workshops on women empowerment,” said Montreal.
It is important for girls to be aware of the resources available for them. “We are here to uplift the younger generation so they know their are Latinas in the community working to improve our futures,” Montreal stated.
This year’s G.L.O.W. conference will be held on November 5th, 2016, providing a new learning experience mainly to upcoming high school juniors and seniors.
To become a part of G.L.O.W., applications can be found online on their Facebook page. “Latinas have beautiful souls, and we are capable of doing so much, just like other women. We haven’t had a pathway clear for us to achieve great things, and we will have to overcome obstacles to be successful, but that is what makes the journey so beautiful,” expressed Montreal.
About Erica Bonilla: Being a first generation Latina in my family has always kept me motivated. At a young age I understood the privilege I had compared to my parents because they would always tell me about the Salvadoran Civil war they grew up in and how they had to work for their families instead of getting a decent education. My sophomore year at Rancho high school influenced me to pursue journalism and secondary education as a career. Having teachers that went beyond the lesson plan to introduce new perspectives inspired me. Also, being a news editor for the school newspaper made me realize how much I enjoyed seeing other peoples hard work out there. Being a first generation Latina in my family means a lot to me. It means putting in more effort to make my parents proud, and to see growth in myself over the years.
On November 21, 2015 Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc. Alpha Zeta chapter had their 7th annual GLOW conference. "Attending this unforgettable event allowed me to reflect on my life and the life I want to achieve through the power of education. GLOW inspired me to take risks and follow my dreams. Not only did I leave the event with multiple friends, but I left with the confidence all Latinas should have," states Junior and 2015 GLOW attendee Cynthia Salgado.