USHLI: Making
a Difference
September 29 Weekly Update
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Upcoming Dates
USHLI Regional Student Leadership
Conferences
Northwest
Doubletree Hotel
Spokane, WA
October 2-3, 2009
Northeast
Holiday Inn - Newark Int'l Airport
Newark, NJ
October 9-10, 2009
Great Plains
Hilton President
Kansas City, MO
October 16-17, 2009
Southeast
Disney's Coronado
Springs Resort
Orlando, FL
November 6-7, 2009
Other USHLI Conferences
Latino Students en Marcha - Career and College Fair
St. Augustine College
Chicago, IL
October 22, 2009
Hacia Metas Mas Altas- Reaching for Higher Ground Conference
Purdue University Calumet
Hammond, IN
November 6, 2009
USHLI National Conference
Sheraton Chicago
Hotel & Towers
Chicago, IL
February 17-20, 2010
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| Video Services Provided By |
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| Latino Astronaut Speaks His Mind |
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Soon after returning to Earth, according to Tracy Wilkinson of the LA Times, U.S. astronaut Jose Hernandez told a Mexican television station that he thought "the U.S. should legalize the millions of undocumented immigrants living there so that they can work openly because they are important to the American economy." He also spoke of "circling the globe in 90 minutes and marveling at a world without borders." Needless to say, NASA flipped and quickly pointed out that the astronaut was speaking for himself.
In a subsequent interview in Mexico, Hernandez said that he "stood by what he had said earlier on the same program, advocating comprehensive immigration reform." He also said "I work for the U.S. government, but as an individual I have a right to my personal opinions. Having 12 million undocumented people here means there's something wrong with the system, and the system needs to be fixed."
With regard to his background, Wilkinson wrote, "Hernandez, whose first language was Spanish, grew up picking cucumbers and tomatoes in the fields of California's San Joaquin Valley. His parents ... migrated from Mexico.... eventually became U.S. citizens and raised four children, including Jose, the youngest.
Wilkinson continued, "As a kid, Hernandez continued to visit his parents' home state of Michoacan .... and lived what he has called the typical life of a migrant worker, moving constantly with his family to follow the crops. It was a second-grade teacher who persuaded Hernandez's parents to set down roots near Stockton to give their children a better education and more stable life. Young Jose excelled in math .... After earning bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, Hernandez applied every year for 12 years to enter the space program, finally being chosen in 2004.
During his interview on Mexican television Hernandez said that the one question most people ask him is "How does a humble son of peasant immigrants manage to become an astronaut? Hernandez, a father of five, cited two crucial factors: a good education and parents who forced him to study, who checked his homework and stayed involved in his schooling.
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| Illinois State Senator Iris Martinez Elected Chair of DNC Hispanic Caucus |
 Illinois State Senator Iris Martinez was elected Chair of the Hispanic Caucus of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Senator Martinez was elected to a four-year term during the Fall meeting of the Caucus, which was held recently in Austin, TX. Following her election, Senator Martinez said, "I am thrilled to lead the DNC Hispanic Caucus. The DNC Hispanic Caucus chairmanship is an opportunity to fight for President Obama's agenda for change while using my voice to fight for what matters to Hispanics."
Senator Martinez was first elected to the Illinois state senate in 1992; the first Latina state senator in Illinois history. She is presently the Assistant Majority Leader. She is Chair of the Pensions and Investment Committee, Vice-Chair of the Housing and Community Affairs Committee, and serves on the Executive, Public Health, and Education Committees. In 2004 she received the Hillary Rodham Clinton Leadership Award.
Mr. Andr�s Ram�rez, a recently appointed at-large DNC member from Nevada, was elected as Vice-Chair of the DNC's Hispanic Caucus.
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| USHLI President Addresses Confederation of Spanish American Families |
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Dr. Juan Andrade addressed the Chicago-based Confederation of Spanish American Families (CSAF) during their recent Staff Development Day. The Confederation is an organization established in 2005 to help Latino youth make responsible choices in life and good decisions as they pertain to staying in school, resolving conflict in their relationships, avoiding unwanted pregnancies, preventing alcohol or drug abuse, building positive relationships, creating healthy marriages, and getting parents more involved in their children's lives.
The Executive Director of CSAF is Dr. Teresa Nieves who is pictured here along with Dr. Andrade and the CSAF staff. | |
| Sponsors Needed for Student Leadership Conference Series |
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| USHLI is seeking sponsors for our 2009 Student Leadership Conference Series, which is expected to attract hundreds of high school and college students. Our sponsors currently include the Verizon Foundation, Walt Disney World, AARP, the University of Phoenix, and Southwest Airlines. Potential sponsors needing additional information are urged to contact Tammy Deavours at 312-371-8683 or [email protected]. | |
| Northwest Student Leadership Conference Kicks Off Friday in Spokane, WA |
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The Northwest Student Leadership Conference in Spokane, WA will kick off this Friday. College students will hear nationally prominent speakers, obtain information on graduate school and the 2010 Census, and attend skills development workshops. College scholarships will be awarded through a grant from the Verizon Foundation.
Students from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Montana are invited to attend. The cost is $35 per student, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch.
Click here to register online and/or to download the agenda for the conference.
Recruiters and students are urged to contact Isabel Reyes or Ricardo Lopez for more information on our regional conferences. Both can be reached at 312-427-8683 or [email protected] and [email protected], respectively. The dates and locations for the remaining four conferences are listed in the column to the left. | |
| Coming Next: Northeast Student Leadership Conference in Newark, NJ |
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Our Northeast Student Leadership Conference will be held October 9-10 in Newark, NJ. On Friday, high school students will attend a Career Day/College Recruitment Fair from 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. High school students from throughout the Newark area will have the opportunity to hear a nationally prominent speaker, obtain information on financial aid, and visit with recruiters from the surrounding area. The Fair is free and students will receive a sack lunch.
The Conference will continue on Friday night and all day Saturday at the Holiday Inn Newark International Airport with an advanced leadership skills development program for college students, who will have the opportunity to also hear nationally prominent speakers and leaders, obtain information on graduate school and the 2010 Census, and attend skills development workshops. College scholarships will be awarded through a grant from the Verizon Foundation.
Students from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia are invited to attend. The cost is $35 per student, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch.
Click here to register online and/or to download the agenda for the two-day conference. | |
| Volunteers Needed for Regional Conferences |
 We are looking for volunteers for all USHLI Regional Student Leadership Conferences. Remaining conferences will be held in Spokane WA, Newark NJ, Kansas City MO, and Orlando FL. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the USHLI office at 312-427-8683 for complete details. |
| Thought for the Week |
"The most important political office is that of the private citizen."
-- Louis Brandeis
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