The 28th Annual Latino Student Retreat, sponsored by the Mendocino College Foundation, will take place on Friday, May 6, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. beginning at the Center for Visual and Performing Arts.  

The purpose of the Latino Student Retreat is to promote social and cultural awareness to the high school students from Mendocino and Lake Counties.  The highlights include motivational speeches, workshops, entertainment and lunch. The event has increased in popularity since its inception 26 years ago, and it continues to draw well-known and excellent Latino role models as presenters from political, legal, business and artistic fields. The theme for this year’s retreat is “Somos los Líderes del Mañana” (We are the Leaders of Tomorrow). We are very fortunate to have two accomplished presenters:  Dr. Juan Carlos Astorga (Keynote and workshop leader) and Erica Fernández-Zamora (workshop leader), who will be sharing their cultural, educational and leadership experiences:

Juan Carlos Astorga has over 20 years of experience in higher education having worked at the public, private, and community college level.  Currently Dr. Astorga is the Dean of Student Engagement at Los Angeles Pierce College.  Previously, he served as Dean of Specially Funded Programs for Los Angeles Southwest College; Director of TRIO Programs at Mt. San Antonio College; and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at U.C. San Diego Sixth College.  He earned his B.A. from U.C. San Diego and his Master’s degree at San Diego State University.  He graduated from the Educational Doctorate Program in Higher Education with a specialization in Community College Leadership from CSU Fullerton.  His research focus is on Leadership, Engagement, and Academic Success of Undocumented Students in the community college system.  His parents immigrated to the United States when he was four years old and he was in Bilingual Education classes while in Elementary School.  He is a son, a father, an uncle, a brother, a husband.  To him, family is what matters.

Erica Fernández-Zamora migrated to the U.S. from a small town in Michoacán, Mexico and came to live in Oxnard, California, where she participated in every migrant education program available.  At the age of 12 she began to learn how to help mobilize her community in a 4-year battle that resulted in the political/legal defeat of a mining company’s desire to build an environmentally hazardous facility off the coast of Oxnard.  Since then, she has completed two B.A. degrees and an M.A. in Policy, Organization and Leadership Studies at Stanford.  She works for the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and investigates unfair labor practices.

We anticipate over 300 students from grades 9-12 will attend and be accompanied by their teachers, counselors and chaperones.  The schools planning to be in attendance are:  Accelerated Achievement Academy, Anderson Valley, Clear Lake, Fort Bragg, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Middletown, Point Arena, Potter Valley, Redwood Academy South Valley, Ukiah and Willits.

For questions about the Latino Student Retreat, please call Monica Flores at 707.468.1008.