Since the summertime, I’ve been a part of a group of fellows selected by Latinos for Education. Latinos for Education, or L4E, is an organization that seeks to “develop, place and connect essential Latino leaders in the education sector” and “break down barriers to educational opportunity for the next generation of Latino students.” As part of the year-long fellowship, a group of about 20 Latinx individuals currently living in the Boston area meet once a month to engage in (Zoom) discussions and presentations relevant to the organization’s mission.
This month’s meeting focused on advocacy and I was greatly impressed with the facilitators. Manny Cruz, a new addition to Latinos for Education’s team, led or participated in multiple sessions throughout the day. Manny is a school committee member in Salem, Massachusetts and has experience working for two former State Representatives. He is an engaging and inspiring speaker, the kind of person who makes you think, “Should I run for School Committee?” and “How can I be more involved?” and “How can I generally be more like Manny?”
Overall, I’m thrilled to be a part of this group. It’s nice to reconnect with like-minded adults in a professional setting again. Remote teaching and canceled conferences has deprived me of this for many months now.
Meet the 2020 Massachusetts fellows here.
Source of mission, pictures, and stats above: https://www.latinosforeducation.org/.