My Nonprofit Reviews

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.