By Megan McGregor
Editor-in-Chief
Over the summer, I attended the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Youth Leadership Institute, a four-day program for high achieving Latinx seniors. YLI is a free, application-based program that accepts 200 students annually and takes place at the University of Chicago. Through the YLI, I had the opportunity to attend an incredibly empowering and inspiring experience.
Before attending the program, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t know of anyone else who applied nor was I given an itinerary. I’ll even admit that I felt reluctant boarding the plane to Chicago because I wasn’t sure if the program would be a legitimate learning experience. It wasn’t until I was in a lecture hall with 199 other Latinx seniors that I realized how valuable the next four days would be.
The first thing that impressed me was the diversity the program represented. Besides the traditional Hispanic-American archetype, there were Hispanic Nigerians, Hispanic Russians, and Hispanic Indians, to name but a few. As someone who’s been told her entire life that she doesn’t fit the “Hispanic stereotype,” I found solace in knowing that I wasn’t an exception. It intrigued and comforted me to hear other people’s identity struggles and how they overcame them. I felt empowered when sharing my story and relieved when people acknowledged the part of my heritage that very few people understand.
After the initial welcome, the first thing we did was to divide into small groups of six. Each group was assigned a mentor (someone who had just completed the first year of college) and given a number. In my group, there were two Mexican-Americans, a Cuban-American, a Columbian-American, a Salvadoran-American, and me, the only Nicaraguan-American in the program. We bonded quickly and easily opened up about the struggles we faced concerning our identity. Each person had experienced at least one moment of confusion or bigotry regarding their ethnicity, and no one judged me when I described my complicated relationship with my heritage.
During the program, we spent ten hours each day learning about the college process, the types of scholarships solely for minority students, and the resources available to us as we navigate this stressful time. When the lectures were over, we had opportunities to meet with admissions representatives and other students in the program. We also had an entire day dedicated to meeting successful Latinx professionals who shared their journeys of reaching the height of their fields. It was eye-opening to see how much they were able to achieve despite their adversity.
Listening to my fellow Hispanic peers share their stories and successes was the most inspiring part of the program. I was impressed to hear how much they had accomplished during their high school careers and everything they aspired to afterward. I met seventeen-year-olds who had already started their own non-profit organizations, conducted aerospace research, and provided most of their family’s income while maintaining a perfect GPA. I befriended several peers who wanted to go into academia, investment banking, or medicine. I had never been in a room with that many over-achievers in my life.
My main takeaway from the YLI is that the narrative which the media relies upon to portray Hispanics is completely inaccurate. It’s unfortunate that so much of the positive information about the achievements of the group is withheld from the general public, so people have an incomplete depiction of Hispanics. I’m embarrassed to admit how oblivious I was to all the Latinx success there is, and I am forever grateful for the enlightening experience. I am excited to see what my peers will accomplish in the future and how the Latinx narrative will change for the better.