Latinas Leading Tomorrow

Serving on this board of this organization on a volunteer capacity has opened my eyes to the work that goes on in the background to make these programs happen. We have a great group of women with the same mission. We hope to continue growing this organization and make a bigger impact.

I see first-hand how Latinas Leading Tomorrow is creating a strong community for students in high school and beyond. LLT is truly a strong and thriving nonprofit with considerable impact!

I have always regarded Latinas Leading Tomorrow (LLT) as a great source of hope, inspiration, and pride in the community. I had the privilege of helping fundraise for the organization and as an advocate, learning about the work of its volunteers and affiliate partners has left an impact on not only myself, but my loved ones surrounding me.

My company has collaborated with Latinas Leading Tomorrow for over 3 years. This nonprofit works so hard to reach Latina youth across the DMV (DC/MD/VA) and create programming to help these young women gain a competitive advantage. From NASA astronaut speakers during Latina Labs Stem camp, or onsite corporate days with KPMG, Amazon, and Salesforce. This is a fantastic nonprofit to get involved with!

LLT helped me gain the skills and confidence needed to excel not only in high school and college, but even today as a young professional. I’m so grateful to be a part of community that encouraged me to embrace being Latina and has inspired me to the best version of myself.

I was a member of LLT when I was in high school back in 2007 to 2011. I remember feeling seen and heard. This organization helped me with resources, connection and fun activities. I learned that I able to accomplish my goals with good planning and determination. I also learned that my heritage is a strength and I need to be proud! We need more organizations like LLT so every Young Latina can feel part of something bigger and can succeed.

LLT supported me through middle and high school in ways that continue to impact me to this day. They were exactly what I needed at those young years to find and feel confident in my identity, value and strength.

Latinas Leading Tomorrow has been a constant source of encouragement and empowerment throughout my high school, college, and professional years. I first learned about LLT in 2005 as a Wakefield High School student. It started as an invitation to attend LLT’s inaugural after-school program (now called CORE). Nearly twenty years later, the impact Latinas Leading Tomorrow has on me is profound.

As a first-generation immigrant, I had to learn to navigate a new language, culture, and education system. From a very young age I knew I had to pursue a higher education because my parents sacrificed everything when we immigrated from El Salvador to the United States. As the firstborn in my family, attending college was always one of my goals; however, I did not know how. Through LLT, I gained exposure, mentorship, and connections to Madrinas—professional Latina mentors—who shared their lived experiences about life, college, and careers. I found a community that embraced our similarities and differences. I developed my leadership, intrapersonal and decision-making skills as a high school student. LLT challenged me to think critically and made me realize the importance of learning and seeking to understand. Being the first in my family to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree are milestones that I most proud of. It was these experiences that allowed me to reflect on the aphorism - you cannot be it if you do not see it. This speaks to me every day and gives my line of work purpose because of the abundance of support I received along the way.

Latinas Leading Tomorrow equipped me with the confidence, skills, and experiences to navigate spaces that have historically been underrepresented by women and Latinas. Over the past ten years, I have purposely worked with organizations that address opportunity gaps for underrepresented groups— such as low-income, first-generation, immigrant, LGBTQIA+, African American, Latina/o, Asian and Pacific Islander populations. I attribute my personal and professional successes to LLT for paving the way for young Latinas who aspire to make a difference in their communities. LLT’s ability to cultivate Latina leaders is what continues to draw me to be a part of the movement it started two decades ago. As an alumna, I have been a part of LLT’s executive board of directors, participated in numerous committees and shared my story to current participants. Most recently in the wake of the pandemic, I launched LLT’s Exemplifying Leadership in a Team Environment (E.L.I.T.E), a personal branding and leadership development program for high school programs to a virtual platform, allowing LLT to broaden its reach and innovate programming. This call to action and desire to impact future generations is what continues to draw me to LLT as an alumna.

LLT made me realize the importance of my gifts and talents. As I continue in my professional career, I am constantly reminded of an important lesson LLT taught me: my voice has power.

My experience with Latinas Leading Tomorrow (LLT) shaped me into the professional I am today. I was part of the first LLT ELITE Academy my freshman year and it was my first time coming into contact with professional development. Throughout the years, I had been a part of many enrichment programs available to young adults but this was the first one where I saw other people who looked like me. It was also the first one that gave me structured responses and tools to answer questions like “How do you write a resume?” “What kinds of things should I say about myself in an interview?” and even “How do I enter these white and male dominated spaces while preserving my culture and identity?” In addition to answering these important questions and providing me with tools to approach shaping my personality as a professional, it also taught me about community. We shared our thoughts and feelings with one another. We also gave each other the space to constructively reflect on who we really want to be and what kind of impact we want to make in this world.

Programs like LLT are crucial to help other young Latinas create communities where they can network and learn skills in a nonjudgmental space. I attended the University of Maryland for both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and am currently in the process of applying to law school. Currently, I am a Research Associate at the Center for American Progress. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for LLT’s teachings and support.

Recently, I had the opportunity to go back to LLT, this time as a young professional, and speak to the LLT graduating class. To know that these young women were potentially seeing themselves in me and taking my words to heart was so incredibly emotional for me. I was filling a role that other women who came before me, who had greatly impacted my life, had filled. LLT is all about paying it forward and continuing positive cycles in our communities to foster a generational wealth of knowledge and support.

This program has had such an immense impact on my life and the lives of many other young Latinas. To know this all started with the idea of one Latina with a dream to pave the way, to me, speaks to the sheer power of investing in our communities. That investment will always be returned threefold.

Latinas Leading Tomorrow has been pivotal to my professional development in the legal workspace and personal life. I have been able to experience Latinas Leading Tomorrow’s growth from 2006 to the present. I can’t thank enough how L.L.T. has change my life and provided so many opportunities. The Board members and L.L.T. young ladies are prime examples of strong leadership. We constantly push through all the labels and barriers as minorities with poise and confidence. Together we can reach the stars! ⭐️ ⭐️

Latinas Leading Tomorrow provided me with my first real-world exposure to the career world at the Latina Power Conference. We got to see Latinas thriving in every field: technology, business, healthcare, non-profits, and beyond. I was in awe of the high-powered Latina professionals as well as my high-achieving Latina peers. I felt empowered and motivated to become like the brilliant, motivating women that shared their time and wisdom with us that day. I am infinitely grateful to LLT's supportive programming and mentorship for providing me with the foundations that set me up for success academically and professionally. Now, I have my clinical doctorate in occupational therapy and hope to provide the same mentorship that I was so fortunate to receive to the upcoming Latina leaders of this generation. When I saw an opportunity to give back to LLT by interviewing to become a board member, I jumped at the chance to give back to this organization that fueled my passion, drive, and self-confidence from a very young age. Juntas alcanzaremos las estrellas!