Over a thousand ninth graders will attend the Puente Student Leadership Conference at Cal State L.A. on Saturday. (Feb. 3)
The Puente Project, a national program designed to improve the college-going rate of underrepresented students in California, is sponsoring the event. Former Puente participants have gone on to become elected leaders, legislative staff members, school administrators, teachers, and counselors.
The Keynote speaker will be Rafael Agustin, author of Illegally Yours, a writer for Jane the Virgin, and CEO of the Latino Film Institute.
Twenty-five workshops are planned for students during the day.
All participating students will receive a copy of 'The Brightening,' a newly published book by 14-year-old author Leila Sahabi of Glendale.
The book describes a world in which a young girl's determination and desire to create a positive change overcomes her fears of powerlessness and insignificance.
We reached out to Leila and asked her what she thought about her book going home with over a thousand students this weekend…
LEILA :11 “It’s kind of unbelievable to think about, but I really hope that it will inspire at least, at least one person to follow their dreams. If I can make a difference in even one person’s life, that’s important to me.”
In our region, Puente runs 10 programs in middle and high schools in Riverside County, four community colleges in Riverside County, and four community colleges in San Bernardino County.