César E. Chávez Leadership Conference returns to SOU

Southern Oregon University’s Youth Programs department brought local high school students to the university campus recently for the César E. Chávez Leadership Conference, which began at SOU in 2012 to celebrates the late civil rights leader’s heritage and teach young people to carry on his legacy of leadership.

Last month’s 14th annual César E. Chávez Leadership Conference hosted 200 students from nine high schools throughout the southern Oregon region.

Led by SOU Youth Program’s Latino/a/x team – Genesis Beas, Monserrat Alegia and Katie Mena – the one-day gathering was designed to empower students to become more involved in their schools and communities while deepening their understanding of Latino/a/x culture and contemporary issues.

The event consisted of an opening session, with a welcome message from SOU President Rick Bailey and an interactive keynote speech from Julia Garcia. Through a hands-on presentation that involved student participation and a soccer challenge, “Dr. Garcia had a really great way of interacting with us,” a student wrote.

After the keynote, the students were divided into groups and went off to workshop sessions hosted throughout campus. Attendees were exposed to a variety of educational and career opportunities by participating in workshops focused on leadership skills, cultural arts, life skills, and college and career readiness.

Participants chose their language preference (Spanish or English) for workshop sessions, which included the topics “Latinos In Business,” “Presenting Your Authentic Self on Application Essays” and “Getting Started in Forestry: Oportunidades en el Bosque.” Two current students and three SOU professors – Alma Rosa Alvarez, Enrique Chacón and Anne Connor – shared their expertise through session breakouts.

The conference also plays a crucial role in motivating Latina/o/x youth to pursue education beyond high school. Public universities and colleges, along with local business and nonprofits, participated in the College and Career Fair as a portion of the event. Students had a chance to visit the individual tables to ask questions and learn more about their organization.

The afternoon portion of the conference consisted of lunch at The Hawk, additional workshop sessions and an end-of-ceremony DJ dance party in the Stevenson Union Diversions.

“It is always great to see the partnership between SOU Youth Programs and the local high schools,” Genesis Beas said. “It is a yearly reminder that students are actively investing in themselves and exploring their post-graduation options.”

SOU’s Latino/a/x student ambassadors and the Office of Admissions’ student staff were also on-site to lead groups and offer guidance and support to the high school students.

For more information about Youth Programs opportunities, please visit youth.sou.edu.