Welcoming the 2022-23 Cohort of Latinx on the Rise

BENTONVILLE, Ark., (November 8, 2022) – The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council (NWA HLC) launched the Latinx on the Rise Mentoring Program for the 2022-23 academic year. The event, hosted at Exchange Bentonville, focused on introducing the new cohort of mentors and mentees and sharing best practices in mentoring relationships.  The event counted with the participation of current and previous mentors and mentees, representation from the University of Arkansas (U of A) and the Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC), as well as leaders in education and community advocacy. The mentoring program and the related pre-graduation internships are sponsored by a three-year grant awarded by the Walton Family Foundation in 2021, and by the contribution of Synchrony Financial.  

According to the Northwest Arkansas Council Diversity report the Hispanic/Latino population saw the largest gains in population, accounting for over 17% of the population in 2021 and forecasted to grow to 19% by 2026.  As the NWA Latinx college population increases, currently at 21% at NWACC and 9.7% at the U of A, it is paramount that these young professionals have the skills and social capital to successfully enter the workforce and become caring and productive citizens. “Developing the next generation of community leaders will be the catalyst to have an equitable and robust Northwest Arkansas region.  Our mentoring program provides tools for our up-and-coming leaders to continue this growth journey” said Pepe Estrada, President of the NWA Hispanic Leadership Council Board of Directors. 


The Latinx on the Rise Mentoring program pairs college students with professional leaders to provide them with experiences that complement their academic formation, such as relationship building and networking, as well as the opportunity of learning by coaching on leadership topics. The program encourages civic engagement and provides the opportunity to meet key community leaders, become familiar with the existing community development organizations and learn about the challenges and opportunities of the NWA region.  The success of the program is due to the generosity and commitment of the Mentors, who give their time, effort and expertise to students, many of which are first generation college students, who otherwise will not be able to benefit from valuable interactions outside of their academic programs. “It is very empowering and inspiring to be surrounded by so many accomplished people in our community; I hope to be a part of many more of these moments in the future” said Yullyana Laguna, Mentorship program participant. 

The Latinx on the Rise Mentoring Program supports a new cohort each academic year.  Enrollment of mentors and mentees is completed between August and September. The program runs through the Summer. The pre-graduation internship program will begin in the Spring of 2023.



Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for your message. Come back soon!

Popular posts from this blog

NWA Hispanic Leadership Council Launches New Academic Year of Mentoring Program

BENTONVILLE, Ark. , (October 12, 2021) – The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council (NWA HLC) launched the Latinx on the Rise Mentoring Program for the 2021-22 academic year. The event, hostedby the University of Arkansas Latino Alumni Society, focused on introducing the new cohort of mentors and mentees and the expansion of the mentoring program to enable leadership and professional enrichment opportunities for the students. The event counted with the participation of current and previous mentors and mentees, representation from the University of Arkansas (U of A) and the Northwest Arkansas Community College (NWACC), as well as leaders in education and community advocacy. The new opportunities available to the program participants and a new line of pre-graduation internships will be possible thanks to a three-year grant awarded by the Walton Family Foundation. Developing the next generation of community leaders will be the catalyst to have an equitable and robust Northwest Arkansas region.
Read more

Opportunity to Join our Board

After completing three years supporting the NWA Hispanic Leadership Council, Lucero Martinez, Ana Aguayo, and Greg Fess are retiring from the Board of Directors.  The NWA HLC appreciates all the contributions these three outstanding leaders have made over the past years and look forward to their involvement in other projects with the NWA HLC and the NWA community.   With their departure the group is looking for leaders interested to continue growing the NWA HLC and serving the organization by joining the Board of Directors.  Overall, board members have a duty of loyalty to the organization, its staff and other board members.  Board members perform their responsibilities through regular meetings and a committee structure that is appropriate for the size of the board and organization. The board is ultimately responsible for the performance of the organization in all areas of its work and should ensure that the organization is in compliance with state and federal law. The NWA HLC Board of
Read more

Accepting Applications for the 2021 Grant Awards

 The NWA Hispanic Leadership Council and its Giving Circle calls local community organizations to apply for the 2021 Grants, to be awarded later this year.  We are excited to announce we will be increasing the gifts we will give.  The goal for this year is to select three programs addressing either education or entrepreneurship goals in the local communities of Benton and Washington Counties.  The gifts will be $1,000 for the third place; $2,000 for the second place and $4,000 for the first place. The recipients of the awards will be selected by the voting Giving Circle, who contributed to the NWA Hispanic Leadership Council during the year.  To be considered for the awards, non-profit organizations must complete the  application  found on  nwahispanic.org  by September 30, 2021.  The top candidates may be interviewed by the Giving Circle and awards will be announced in December, 2021.   Last year, the NWA Hispanic Leadership Council and its Giving Circle awarded  gifts to support the
Read more