Beyond Dreaming: Scholarship List for Undocumented Students in Washington State 2014 edition

A special thanks to the planners of the Beyond HB1079 Conference!

During the 3rd annual Beyond HB 1079 Conference on April 5, 2014 all high school students were provided a USB with a scholarship packet. The scholarship handbook has three sections: Washington State scholarships, nationwide scholarships, and Washington higher education institution scholarship information. We also included information about HB 1079 and SB 6523, the REAL Hope Act/WA DREAM Act.

The staff of Beyond HB1079 Conference and La Cima wanted to help spread the word about this 88 page document! 

¡La Chispa! Video: 2013 High School Mentor Preparation

¡La Chispa! Video: 2013 High School Mentor Preparation

Watch this High School Mentors and get ready for ¡La Chispa! Bilingual Workshops.

Students serving as High School Mentors at ¡La Chispa! Bilingual Workshops can prepare for their service day by watching this video.

You can also watch the video on our website: http://lacima.org/lachispa

Staff Profile: Rodolfo Fierro

Rodolfo Fierro

Rodolfo Fierro: La Cima SC

A short biography:

Naci el 13 de agosto de 1982 en la ciudad de Toluca ,edo de Mexico ,mi familia se movio a la ciudad de San Luis Potosi pocos anos despues , y en esta misma ciudad recibi mi primera educacion ,somos tres hermanos , yo soy el menor de ellos , mis dos hermanos son doctores y aun continuan con sus proyectos de investigacion en el area de Ciencias Quimicas en Mexico. Por otro lado yo continue con mis estudios en la ciudad de Mazatlan Sinaloa , graduandome como Instructor musical, me apasiona la musica ,guitarra flamenta y musica popular de cuba , me gusta la ensenanza,y el trabajar con ninos . Me mude a la ciudad de seattle en mayo del 2012 me case ese mismo ano , descubri la organizacion Cima , por medio de algunos buenos amigos de mi esposa , desde el primer momento me envolvio la idea y estoy listo para comenzar y aprender de la gente que tiene mas experiancia en este campo y claro apoyar en cuaquier actividad que sea posible para mejorar la experiencia de los estudiantes.

What is your favorite musician or band? Silvio Rodriguez , Damien Rice , Fernando Delgadillo.

What book do you suggest every young person read? El alquimista por el escritor brasileño Paulo Coelho

What do you think you do best? Buscar talento. Todos tenemos talentos para diferentes actividades, algo que aprendi con mi exeriencia en escuela y como maestro, fue a canalizar y potenciar las cualidades que tienen cada uno de los integrantes de un grupo de gente.

What past decision do you cherish the most?  Cuando tome la desicion de seguir mi suenos aunque estos estuvieran lejos de mi familia, me hizo sentir miedo y duda, pero a la vez un sentido de libertad.

What is it like to work with La Cima? Conocer gente que esta interesada en ayudar, escuchar, y dar consejos a gente que lo necesita no es facil, me siento con suerte detener oportunidad de colaborar en grupo como La Cima.

¡La Chispa! Regional Workshops 2013 →

Regional One-Day Workshops

¡La Chispa! Regional Workshop sites are settling in as school begins. Washington Student Leadership will sponsor twelve ¡La Chispa! sites across Washington State.  See more!

Have you participated in a ¡La Chispa! workshop? What was this experience like for you? Share your thoughts here:

Mark Morris High School, November 2012

Staff Profile: Karen Fierro

Karen Fierro

Please provide a short biography: 

I was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1995. My family lived in poverty for a few years before my parents decided to come to the US and raise money in order to build a house for us in Mexico. They left my brother and I behind with our grandparents and worked hard for two years to raise money.  

Before I turned 5 they came back and decided to take us with them back to the US in order to secure our education. My family and I immigrated illegally to the US when I was barley 5 years old and I started kindergarten at Daffodil Valley soon after we had settled down in Sumner. 

I have lived in the Sumner School District ever since and Sumner is now what I call home. I was placed in the ESL classes from the beginning which created a separation between my classmates and I until second grade when I successfully tested out of the program. Ever since, I have had to strive in order to meet my academic needs. I have been in honor classes since seventh grade and in my Junior year of high school I decided to take on the full IB diploma program which is one of the most rigorous high school courses around the world. I've now graduated in Sumner High School's Class of 2013 having successfully completed the full IB program. 

My roots in leadership were inspired by my week at La Cima as a delegate the summer before my Junior year. Before that summer I was not sure whether I was going to follow through with the full IB program because I was doubting my capabilities to keep up. After camp I was inspired to take on the challenge and be someone to be proud of. I was also inspired to start a latino club at my school in order to bring together the very small Hispanic community at Sumner High. I learned that community is important and so is becoming close to your roots. The club was a great success.

I received the ActSix scholarship to Whitworth University in Spokane, which is a full ride scholarship for leadership. In August I will be attending Whitworth as an intended political science major and spanish minor. My future goal is to give back to the people and bring the face of the people to the people by working with youth in urban settings possibly as a high school teacher.

What is your website or a website you recommend?  actsix.org

What is your favorite musician or band? Justin Timberlake

What book do you suggest every young person read? The Goose Girl

What do you think you do best? I'm good at speaking in front of people when it is something that I believe should be heard. Public speaking has not always been my strong point but its become easier as I take on more leadership positions.

What past decision do you cherish the most? I'm glad that I decided to speak up about being placed in a class that was not for me just because I had taken ESL before. I was placed in a class that was too slow for me so I went to the teacher and then to the principal in order to get placed in accelerated classes. I just wished I had done it sooner.

What is it like to work with La Cima? I love working with the La Cima staff because I can tell that they are passionate about helping out the delegates. During my experience as a delegate I felt that I could relate with everybody that had taken a leadership role especially the JC's. One is more interested in what is being said to them when they know that it is coming from someone who has felt the same before.

Special Thanks to Allegra Marketing, Print & Mail

Please celebrate with us!

Thursday, April 18
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Presentation of all awards will begin at 2:15 p.m. Refreshments provided.

509 Market Street, Suite 100, Shreveport, LA71101

La Cima Ark-La-Tex

Armando and Norma Garza submitted a grant to Allegra Marketing, Print and Mail in Shreveport, LA. We received an award of $1,000 in printing from the Allegra 2013 Jim Elliott Memorial FootPRINT Fund. 

La Cima Ark-La-Tex would like to thank Allegra for the award. It will go a long way in supporting our students. We are grateful for your generosity and service.​

Beyond Dreaming: Scholarship List for Undocumented Students in Washington State

​DREAMing the American Dream

Photo by Vincent Perez

Alejandra Perez, a freshman at the University of Washington Bothell and Assistant Director of the Beyond HB 1079 Conference, sent out a scholarship list as a followup to the 2nd annual Beyond HB 1079 Conference held on March 30th, 2013. Alejandra writes, "We want this list to reach everyone in Washington! Please forward it to every student, educator, parent, community member, etc. that you know! If you have any comments or questions, or if you have a scholarship that could be added to the packet please email me to mprzale@uw.edu."

The scholarship handbook has three sections: Washington State scholarships, nationwide scholarships, and Washington higher education institution scholarship information.​

New Website Launch for HB1079 Students

I am happy to announce www.hb1079.org went live Friday, March 29 at 3:40 pm.
 
As most of  you know, HB 1079 is the law approved in our state which allows certain undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Washington state public colleges and universities. This website is still a work in progress but we did not want to wait any longer to get this much needed information out. We want to make sure a student who has the desire to continue his or her education beyond high school does not fall through the cracks because they were misinformed or uninformed.
 
A survey we completed last summer showed that most colleges and universities in the state have little to no information, or easily accessible information, that can help 1079 students understand how to access and afford college. Since then, we have talked to several university and college presidents who welcomed a dedicated 1079 website, and said they would provide direct links to it.  
 
We are grateful to have a link to an important resource guide, developed by the Washington State Educational Access Coalition for HB 1079 Students. This resource guide provides information for HB 1079 students and their advocates to facilitate the pathway to college. See Preparing for College.
 
Please share this important resource with your networks.
 
Thank you,
 
Bárbara Guzmán
Latino/a Educational Achievement Project (LEAP)
Education & Communications Coordinator | Sea Mar Community Health Centers

Deaf Teen Leadership Camp Releases Spanish Flyer

Auspiciado por Washington State Association of the Deaf y Washington Student Leadership

Resolver problemas
Trabajar con un equipo
Abogar por si mismo

Campamento de Liderazgo Para Jóvenes Sordos (PDF Flyer)

Quien: Estudiantes de High School sordos, grados 9-12
Cuando: Junio 27 –Julio 2, 2013
Donde: Cispus Learning Center, Randle, WA
Costo: $230 a cada persona. Asistencia financiera limitada. Hay transportación por costo adicional.
Directora: Maria Christian, dtcamp@gmail.com
Descarga la registración, www.awsp.org/leadershi

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Over ten years ago, the Washington Student Leadership program expanded its service to include nontraditional student leaders and student leadership development. Deaf Teen Leadership sprouted from the same inclusive growth that created La Cima. Our content, philosophies and experiential approach work for many students. Washington Student Leadership is currently working on Native and juvenile justice outreach.

Identity development and character education are important to all students. Years ago, I informally renamed leadership camp to “personship” camp. The work we do helps students find answers to the timeless questions concerning our own identities: Who am I? Who and how do I want to be with others? What is my place in this world? Actively reflecting on our beliefs and behaviors among a safe community is a key component of leadership development.

Safety often comes with the familiar. I have found that affinity groups or groups made up with a common link or culture often provides safe spaces when seeking answers to deep questions. Shared struggles, common mistakes and resembled resiliency are often found among affinity groups. Whether the common bond is teaching, participating in the same sports team, being a veteran, a woman, Latino, gay or deaf, the benefits of affinity groups are the same; affirmation and solidarity.

Loneliness is felt by the outcast and the popular, the poor and the rich, the gay and the straight. Courage is a trait of the soldier and the pacifist, the leader and the follower, the confident and the fearful. Sharing our stories among common, safe people often transcends our particular similarity and provides a window into our greater humanity and our ability to relate to one another.

PEMCO Camp Scholarship Applications Due March 22, 2013

La Cima Retreat, October 2012

Reach for the Stars! PEMCO and the School Employees Credit Union of Washington present:

25 Emerging Leader Scholarships
For Our 2013 High School Leadership Camps!

Washington Student Leadership is blessed once again by a generous gift from PEMCO and the School Employees Credit Union. The intent of this scholarship is to provide leadership training to students from under-represented populations within the school. Nominees should be selected from under-represented populations, which could include socio-economic, ethnicity, bilingual, or strong informal leadership within the school. Applications are due March 22, 2013.​

Apply Here

New Video Page at LaCima.org

We have added a new video page to our website. If you would like to send us your videos or photos please upload them to our facebook page or send us a link. Enjoy!

Latino Student Voice

We are conducting a bit of research using the 40 developmental assets. Please help us by taking the survey now. You will also find a link on our homepage at www.lacima.org. Click on "Student Survey." Let your voice be heard!

“En asociación con Pacific Mountain Regional Alliance for Youth, estamos llevando a cabo una encuesta sobre la voz de los estudiantes Latinos. | In partnership with the Pacific Mountain Regional Alliance for Youth, we are conducting a survey on Latino Student Voice.”

MALDEF Scholarship List

This is an informative resource guide for students, parents, and educators. The MALDEF Scholarship Resource Guide is an extensive list of scholarships that may not inquire about immigration status or require a valid social security number to redeem the award. It is suggested that you look through the scholarship list and select scholarships that are applicable to you.

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Esta lista es una fuente informativa para estudiantes, padres, maestros y consejeros. El MALDEF Scholarship Resource Guide es una lista extensive de becas que tal vez no pregunten sobre sue status migratorio o requieran un número de seguro social valido para redimir la beca. Les sugerimos que busque entre la lista y seleccione las becas que son aplicables a usted.

What can happen in a day?

"Because I can. Because I can!" Alejandra explained after a day-long workshop with 100 middle school students. She was referring to her ability to speak English. Alejandra confessed that this was the first time she spoke English at school since she arrived three years ago. When I met her the morning of the ¡La Chispa! workshop at Kennewick High, I had no idea speaking English was a step out of her comfort zone.

At ¡La Chispa¡ we deliver our message in both English and Spanish. Our intention is to illuminate the gift of bilingualism. We encourage students to take a risk in the language they find most challenging. Often, one of my first statements goes something like this, "Cuando yo hablo en español yo tengo miedo." Or, "When I speak Spanish I feel afraid." The group culture we create in a day among one hundred students from regional middle schools is often the first time the language and culture of Latino students is honored in a school setting.

As a high school role model Alejandra's responsibility was to facilitate a small group of middle school students and serve as a positive example for them. Students rise to responsibility. Alejandra lived out the expectations ¡La Chispa! placed on her and grew confidence as a result. When educators co-create safe learning spaces and expect students to challenge their own ideas of what is possible, they rise to the occasion. Let's create more occasions.

Alejandra affirmed her English proficiency by volunteering to translate for me. As I spoke in English, she was able to deliver the message in Spanish to a large group. This was her first practice at large group facilitation and public speaking. She realized a skill she didn't know the value of. She discovered her own power. This happened in one school day.

-by Vincent Perez

Student organization provides “familia”

Today, I was inspired by a story with the same headline as this blog post. I immediately thought about the last ten years of La Cima and La Chispa. Most of the staff refers to the team as the La Cima family and I hear the same comment from many students.

I did not intend to create a family. I only wanted time and space where Latino students could explore their own self worth and dream big. However, the longer I do this work the more I realize that familia is the best thing we have going for us. Latino culture instills a great deal of pride, belonging and purpose among family members. In fact, I myself would not be who and where I am if it were not for the tremendous support of mi familia. My family is my life.

I once learned that the best way to determine what a person values is to answer two questions: How do you spend your time? How do you spend your money? The answers for me are simple. I spend my time at work and at home. Not much else happens except for a little self care running or playing guitar. And, I spend my money on my family. All of it.

At La Cima students have time to share with their peers and learn along side supportive mentors. I guess that's all it comes down to-spending time with the ones that care for you and want the best for you. Thank you La Cima. Thank you for making us family.

-Vincent Perez, La Cima Founder