The Men Leaders Paving Paths for Young Men conference gave young Latino men insights on how college is key to succeeding professionally and personally and helping their families and communities.
According to Sandra Castro, PhD, associate dean of the Adelphi University College of Professional and Continuing Studies, Hispanic boys generally have lower rates of graduation from high school and attending and graduating from college than both non-Latino students and Latinas. On Long Island, half of these Latino students are English Language Learners or recently arrived immigrants.
That’s why the Long Island Latino Teachers Association (LILTA) holds a conference every year at which male Hispanic high school students learn how getting a college education can help them succeed professionally and personally and enable them to help their families and communities. This year’s Men Leaders Paving Paths for Young Men conference was held on October 25 in the Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom in Adelphi’s Ruth S. Harley University Center.
Dr. Castro explained that Adelphi’s last incoming class was 23 percent Hispanic and that the University is focusing on serving these students and “making Adelphi Latino-student-ready by becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution, not just a Hispanic enrolling institution,” she said. “LILTA is a powerful organization representing Latino teachers and students and advocates who are working toward ensuring Latino students have access to postsecondary opportunities. The Men Leaders Paving Paths for Young Men conference is an effort to better serve Latino male students even before they come to Adelphi.”
Consejos para futuros líderes
The conference was attended by 110 students, as well as faculty, from six Long Island high schools. Hispanic male professionals in law, education, law enforcement, business, academia, philanthropy and the arts came to share their experiences growing up with very similar backgrounds—such as being the first in their families to attend college, being immigrants or separated from their families, and/or having limited legal status—with the high school students.
The conference was fully bilingual, with workshops, panels and campus tours offered in English and Spanish.
The panelists from Adelphi were:
- Giovani Burgos, PhD, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice and director of the Latin American and Latinx Studies program at Adelphi
- Wilson Anaya, PhD, visiting assistant professor, Adelphi University Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
- Steve Quizhpilema, Adelphi senior, exercise science major, track and field athlete
- Diego Llanos, Adelphi senior, exercise science major, track and field athlete
- Victor Perez, parent of an Adelphi student
- Carlos Ventura ’22, PhD student in chemistry at Stony Brook University
- Cristino Chavez, MSW ’19
The Importance of Networking and Pursuing Education
To open the event, moderators Sergio Argueta, assistant principal of Freeport High School, an adjunct professor in the College of Professional and Continuing Studies and former director of the Bachelor of Social Work program, and Ray Ruiz, principal of Canaan Elementary in the Patchogue-Medford Union School District, visited each table to fire up the students with humor, inspiration and words of encouragement. All were treated to a performance by a jazz band from the Uniondale Union Free School District.
Speakers emphasized the importance of taking advantage of the opportunity to network with the community and business leaders at the conference, including Adelphi’s faculty, staff and students.
Argueta and Ruiz also gave the closing remarks, including a pledge in Spanish and English about continuing one’s education and reaching out to others for advice.
At the end of the program, a raffle winner was chosen and given a gift card to the Adelphi University Bookstore. Attendees went home with an Adelphi pennant and bilingual literature about applying to the University and its programs.
The Motivation Behind the Organization
Kelly Ureña, MSW ’16, is vice president of LILTA, chair of the organization’s Youth Programs Committee and a social worker in a Suffolk County school district. She earned her Master of Social Work at Adelphi, where she met Argueta. She said, “Many students in high school don’t know what they want to be, so giving them the space to wonder and see someone of a profession and that the trajectory is not always linear is important. Part of this mission is to support and engage in education, and showcase what you can achieve. There’s a way, and you just have to see it. You can’t see what you don’t think is there.”
Dafny Irizarry founded LILTA in 2006 and has been a teacher for 30 years, currently teaching English as a New Language at the high school level. She echoed Ureña’s concerns, which have continued to drive the organization’s objectives.
“When I taught primary grades, I observed that students didn’t have certain opportunities that I thought were crucial for the end goal, which was graduation,” she said. “I realized that we needed to expose students—especially those in high school, who are closer to that finish line—as early as we can to the experience of college: to visit, to talk to people, to share difficulties and how they’ve overcome them, and hopefully be inspired by others.”
Easing Students Into the Future
During the conference, Sentwali Bakari, PhD, Adelphi University vice president for student affairs and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, gave words of encouragement to the young men in the ballroom.
Speaking to the students in the crowd, Dr. Bakari said, “Your presence is not just appreciated, it is crucial. You are our future leaders and I applaud your vigilance, self-determination, leadership development and pursuit of higher education.
“At Adelphi University, we are unwavering in our commitment to sustaining a welcoming and inclusive campus environment where students from all backgrounds and lived experiences can succeed,” he continued. “We empower students like you to reach your full potential and achieve your academic and career aspirations. We are deeply grateful for your participation in this conference and hope this event will be memorable for you as well.”