Latino students from across the ArkLaTex attend leadership retreat
By: Stephanie Claytor
Updated: November 18, 2012
The students are participating in La Cima (The Summit). It's a bilingual leadership retreat that focuses on encouraging students to finish high school and go to college.
During the retreat, students stay overnight, play games, and listen to speakers from the business community. This year's summit focused on financial literacy.
"We learn new stuff that involves life and stuff that's really going to help us out in the life and how to make good choices," said Alejandro Ruiz, 16, of Karnack, LA.
"We learned how to create a budget and a lot of things we should do to prepare for college," said Robin Trujillo, a senior at C.E. Byrd High School.
The retreat is bilingual so that none of the students is left out in the discussion. Many of the students attending will be first-generation college students.
According to the Pew Research Center, the number of Latinos enrolled in college reached an all time high in 2011, accounting for 16 percent of all college students. Latinos now also make up the largest minority group of students on American college campuses for the first time. Organizers of "La Cima" hope this trend continues.
The retreat is sponsored by Cinco De Mayo Incorporated, LULAC Shreveport Chapter, and a grant from the United Way.
