Hispanic Heritage Month 2023: “What drew you to LAYC?”
Hispanic Heritage Month is a special time of year at Latin American Youth Center. Over 50% of the youth we serve each year are ethnically Latina/o, with representation from throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean (for a detailed breakdown of the populations we serve, see Our Impact). This makes for a unique working environment for Latina/o professionals who wish to support an organization serving populations with whom they identify.
Over recent years, more and more of these such professionals have made their way to LAYC, enriching our already vibrant community with diverse perspectives from around the United States and beyond. For this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to hear what drew them to join our mission of helping youth make a successful transition to adulthood and their thoughts on related themes.
Below you will find unedited answers from four Latina staff members who have all joined our team within the last 18 months. The following team members kindly provided their perspective:
Camila Salvador, Executive Assistant to the President & CEO (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida)
Milena Ovejero, Annual Funds Manager (Florida)
Lorena Bonet Velazquez, Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator (Kentucky)
Isabel María Slonneger, Promotor/Youth Advocate (Logroño, Spain, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio)
Tell us how you came to work at LAYC.
What drew you to the organization/mission?
As a Latina, what has it meant to you to work in an organization
that serves over 2,000 Latina/Latino/Hispanic youth each year?
2023's Hispanic Heritage Month theme is "Prosperity, Power, and Progress."
Pick one of these words and define what you think this looks like for Latina/Latino/Hispanic youth.
