The ¡Adelante! Annual Leadership Institute & Recruitment Expo is an extensive three-day workshop full of exciting events such as resume workshops, networking and hands-on activities. The events are led by corporate, educational and motivational Latino speakers to prepare students for the workplace and internships. The primary goal is to motivate college Latinos. Attendants must have a 3.0 GPA and must be a college ungraduated student.

The first criteria were for Hispanic students to have a passion for developed leadership goals to invest into the campus of West Texas A&M.

“Most of the students are first generation to our campus,” Dr. Elsa Diego-Medrano, assistant professor of Education, said. “Students were interviewed to ensure a passion for leadership was important. Then press releases were sent to their communities, and then a letter was sent in Spanish to their families. The press releases were sent to inform the community of their accomplishments and to draw in students to WT. The president was very supportive of developing our leaders.”

Ten WT students traveled to San Antonio on Oct. 30 to participate at the ¡Adelante! 2015 National Leadership Institute.

The conference was geared to challenge students to reach their full potential mentally and physically.

“I came back with a clear vision for myself,” Angie Ascencio, junior Business Administration major, said. “Now I see there is so much more I can do. I’m not going to stop at my bachelor’s degree. Coming back has instilled what I have learned to others. My grandkids are very proud of what I am doing.”

The three-day, leadership event included workshops, networking with other students and many more activities. Students learned about job opportunities and internships. The program gave do’s and don’ts of the workplace, and how to prepare for an internship. All aimed at giving the students an advantage in the job market.

During the leadership event Julian Martinez receive an internship doing research with a pharmaceutical company.

The hope of the event is for students to return to campus with more self-confidence in their leadership roles. Participants gained personal leadership skills through teamwork activities and experience perfecting resumes and interview skills.

“It was an amazing experience and I learned a lot,” Michelle Galdames, junior Nursing major, said. “I came back with an appreciation of my heritage. Latinos have an identification problem. As an international student, my culture can be different. I hope WT continues this program.”

Students that participated in ¡Adelante! are supported through scholarships, internships, and leadership training programs.