Bella Vista High School hosts their first annual Latinx Leadership Summit

The Latinx Student Union at Bella Vista High School made history on Nov. 4 by hosting its first annual Latinx Leadership Summit. 

With support from School Counselor Elyna Cespedes, students had the opportunity to decorate an altar in honor of Día de los Muertos and learn from prominent Latinx voices in the community. Karina Figueroa-Ramírez, educational equity coordinator at Sacramento State University, and Paul Barragan, assistant executive director for the California Teachers Association, shared their journeys through education and their careers. 

Bella Vista students had an opportunity to ask questions and engage in an open discussion about their common experiences while navigating education as people of color. 

“We see you, your experience is important and we support you,” said Elyna Cespedes while addressing the students. “Mentorship can come from each other, it can come from adults, but it's just so important that we lean on each other because we’re doing a lot.”

The Latinx Leadership Summit concluded their panel discussion by asking students to use one word to describe what they were feeling, eliciting responses such as “inspired”, “seen”, “educated” ,“connected” and “empowered.”