This Saturday, our LARES Leaders Academy students braved the cold weather to attend the first session of the Spring semester. As 47 prepared to take office and begin implementing his divisive agenda, the students were not only encouraged to attend Know Your Rights workshops, but they were also presented with a brief discussion on their rights in order to protect themselves and their loved ones during these trying times. As someone with a Ph.D. in Political Science, this type of discussion is of the essence as many may not understand the full rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution.
To help students elevate their voices and sharpen their full potential as advocates, participants then engaged in an activity designed to help them identify and enhance their leadership styles. Students were then challenged to apply the knowledge gained in developing recommendations for a "LARES Leaders Academy Student Session" for the LARES 50th Anniversary Summit taking place next year. It was impressive to hear the number of outstanding ideas put forth by our student leaders!
To conclude the session, we were joined by Maya Rodriguez, Chief of Staff for IL State Senator Robert Peterson and fellow Chicago Latino Caucus Foundation cohort member. In discussing her academic and professional journey, Maya underscored two very important lessons for future leaders. First, Latinos are not homogeneous and, as such, are not always united when it comes to pressing issues and concerns. While it may be disappointing and frustrating to discover that Latinos are not as united as the panethnic label tends to imply, this is a reality many seasoned leaders encounter on a daily basis and one that emerging leaders must also recognize. Secondly, Maya stressed the importance of building coalitions and networks outside the Latino community as political attacks are impacting all oppressed groups. This lesson was timely as the students were joined by Gabriela Avila, Urban Public Policy Fellowship Coordinator (UPPF) during the lunch hour. UPPF is a leadership development program created by LARES, the African American Academic Network (AAAN), and the Institute for Policy & Civic Engagement (IPCE) to not only expose historically underrepresented minority undergraduate students to key public policy issues, but to underscore the importance of public policymaking, advocacy, community development, and service.
In all, the session proved to be a day of deep learning, inspiration, and growth. The LARES Leaders Academy is fostering a new generation of leaders ready to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.
