The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the biggest Latino nonprofit organization in the country, and the LULAC Youth group is always welcoming new members. The LULAC Youth of San Benito County currently has 40 members.
New members are required to fill out an application, their acceptance is voted on, and then they are sworn in. Through this club, higher education is promoted in the Latino community. The members are also encouraged to get involved in the community and participate in community service activities.
Recently, the LULAC Youth elected new officers. The president remains San Benito High School junior Bernadette Hernandez and the other three members are new to office. The vice president is junior Natalie Delgado, the secretary is sophomore Steve Leal, and the treasurer is sophomore Santana Rodriguez. The members were sworn in at the LULAC adult meeting on March 14.
Hernandez said LULAC has helped her to become more productive, professional, and to develop her speaking ability. She has been an active member for nearly four years. She said, “It has also helped me be more involved in my community and it gave me more motivation to go unto a higher education.” Hernandez said that her job as president includes, “getting the youth together for our meetings, fundraising events, or community events. I also have to do the agendas for our meetings and communicate with my board to make our council the best it can be.”
She said that LULAC helped her “meet many professional people” and do things such as “traveling out of state for the first time.”
Member Rebekah Mojica, a sophomore at GECA, attends meetings every other Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in Room 233 at San Benito High School. She said, “As a member I have grown as a person, and my leadership skills and qualities have developed.” Mojica, who has been a member since her freshman year says that LULAC has made a great impact in her life and benefitted the community. LULAC offers a way to get involved in the community, develop leadership skills, meet new people, and help make an impact.
Vice President Delgado decided to join her sophomore year after she “heard many good things,” and she “wanted to break out of her shell.” This association gave her “something to look forward to that was outside of school.” LULAC has helped her realize that there is more out there than then she had thought. Delgado said that “LULAC has gone out of its way to help the community.” She said it has gone out and cleaned public places to promote a better environment. Delgado added, “Above all, LULAC tries its hardest to help shape our community into a better place, and LULAC is more than an organization it is a group of teens who come together with minds and hearts full of potential and the desire to mark our voice and make a positive change around us. What makes LULAC special is that we are one big, loving family.”