The Annandale High School Hispanic Leadership Club members attended the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Ready to Lead Program and Public Policy Conference on Sept. 12 and 13. We met with members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries, national leaders, corporate executives, elected officials and expert panelist on critical issues that affect the Latino community as well as the nation in order to be developed as the next generation of Latino leaders.

With the mind set to be educated and take action, we took initiative to explore and learn the issues about the U.S. economic growth, health care, immigration, international relations and changing demographics within the Public Policy Conference. With speakers such as Fernando Pizarro from Univision, Edgardo Perez from MTV, Raul Magdeleno CHCI Alumnus and many others, we were encouraged to continue to pursue college dreams despite the lack of money or negative stereotypes against us.

As a Hispanic Leadership Club President, I feel that the most inspiring speaker was Raul Magdeleno, a young extraordinary Latino born in Mexico City who, after living in a dysfunctional household with an abusive stepfather, a battered mother and imprisoned brothers, overcame all these obstacles. He continued high school and pursued his dream to go to college even though he lived in a domestic violence shelter with his mom and disabled sister. Magdelano’s high school teachers constantly told him that college was not for him because of his uneducated status and skin color.

However, Magdelano refused to be labeled as another statistic of Latino dropouts in high school and in college so he continued his education. Although Magdelano failed all his community college exams, he continued to work hard and excel in school. He was later accepted to Harvard and Yale University. Magdelano received the United States Congressional Gold Medal for helping victims of domestic violence.

Hispanic Leadership Club member Jordan Baldoceda expressed his satisfaction about the conference. “The Conference speakers inspired me,” he said. “Making me realize that there is no impossible dream.”

I also believe that with the help of Magdelano’s motivational story, I will be able to help Latino students dream bigger in order to exceed their performance in school and in their community. If we encourage students to get involved in the Hispanic Leadership Club, these students will not feel restricted to the goals and opportunities they can achieve because of their Hispanic heritage.