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Richmond SLI mentor leaders recognized at Bonner Center ‘Engage for Change Awards’
Pictured: Emilia Hodal of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, left, presents a Collaboration for Change Award to SLI student leaders represented by University of Richmond students Ángel-Xavier Elizondo, Luis Montano, and Denis Velazquez-Mondragon. Photo courtesy of the University of Richmond
Scholars Latino Initiative student leaders at the University of Richmond received the Collaboration for Change Award at the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement’s Engage for Change Awards celebration in September.
The award honors a collaborative community-based partnership between campus and community stakeholders, and is given to an individual or group who recognizes the importance of authentic relationships and genuine collaboration to affect change. Criteria include: a sustained commitment to an evolving and iterative relationship over time; partnerships that exemplify collaboration as a process of co-creation; a respect for the knowledge and expertise of all stakeholders; and a demonstrated outcome that reflects mutually shared goals emerging from the partnership.
Accepting the award for SLI were the university’s student-led SLI mentors group co-presidents Denis Velazquez-Mondragon, a Richmond and Oliver Hill Scholar studying cognitive science, psychology, and linguistics (pre-health), and Luis Montano, a Bonner Scholar studying biochemistry and molecular biology major, and treasurer Ángel-Xavier Elizondo, a Bonner Scholar studying philosophy, politics, economics, and law.
“We are motivated by a desire to contribute, foster connections, and create positive, shared growth,” they shared. “The satisfaction of helping others, especially those in the shoes we once wore, and learning from collective experiences drive meaningful interactions.”
The original SLI was founded by Peter Iver Kaufman and others in 2001 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2008 Kaufman brought SLI to the University of Richmond, Virginia, where he holds the George Matthews & Virginia Brinkley Modlin Chair in Leadership Studies, and later to the Shenandoah Valley, where this organization was incorporated in 2012 and became a 501(c)(3) public charity. With programs in Harrisonburg, Richmond, and Winchester, Virginia, its mission is to support Latino/a/x high school students with college access through rigorous academic challenge, leadership development, scholarships, and supportive mentorships.
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New opportunity: SLI Support Coordinator and Program Specialist
To apply for this position, please email your resume and a cover letter to [email protected] by November 1, 2024.
The primary responsibility of this part-time contractor (non-employee) role is to support program directors at four high school sites by coordinating organization practices and training, identifying college access resources and opportunities, and innovating program curricula specific to first-generation Latinx high school students in pursuit of higher education. Expected workloads are up to 25 hours per month, depending on school year programming needs and quarterly travel to program sites in Harrisonburg, Richmond, and Winchester, Virginia. Opportunities for further program innovations and work hours may be later considered and will be contingent upon funding.
Coordinating Support
- Maintain a current database of student and family contact information (including an alumni database that may be used for soliciting award applications, disbursing awards, and tracking matriculation)
- Conduct quarterly on-site check-ins with site directors (Aug, Nov, Feb, May) to hear support needs, observe program environment, and verify training and compliance
- Submit 2-3 page summary report to the SLI board regarding site support needs and program opportunities (Sept, Dec, March, June)
- Identify and coordinate quality college application and FAFSA training opportunities for site directors that are specific to the needs of first-generation students and the challenges experienced by students of migrant family households
- Develop a succession plan for site directors; assist with recruiting and selecting (new) site directors
- Work with SLI Director of Development to facilitate social media posts regarding HS programs
Program Specialization
- Innovate an organizational onboarding and off-boarding plan for site directors at all sites
- Innovate synchronous online tutorial for college application and FAFSA for site directors, as needed, to fill gaps of identified available training opportunities
- Identify or innovate programming curriculum and support frameworks consistent with SLI’s mission and goals that can be adapted to site programming needs, local stakeholder interests, and policies of host school sites
- Identify (new) partners and funding opportunities for further support programming
Requirements
- Minimal degree of bachelor’s degree with a master’s preferred
- Knowledge of SLI or 501(c)(3) organizations, or other non-profit experience (employment or volunteer)
- Reliable vehicle for on-site visits
- Preferred applicants will possess both English and Spanish language fluency
- Knowledge of working with first generation, aid eligible, and Latino/a/x/e students
Salary and Compensation
- $36/hour up to $10,800 annually (August 1-July 31), hours submitted for compensation at the end of each month
- Reimbursement for costs for site visits, up to $1,500 per year (mileage at IRS rate)
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Vasquez joins SLI program team in Winchester
PHOTO: Educator Lenny Vasquez gives the keynote address during the May 2024 SLI Graduation and Induction Ceremony at John Handley High School.
Scholars Latino Initiative (SLI) has appointed information technology teacher Lenny Vasquez to its program director team at John Handley High School in Winchester.
Along with school counselor and continuing SLI program director Lara Maquera, Vasquez will facilitate SLI’s mission to support Latino/a/x high school students with college access through rigorous academic challenge, leadership development, scholarships, and supportive mentorships.
“I believe that persistence and determination move students forward regardless of circumstances,” said Vasquez, who teaches in the Shihadeh Innovation Center.
During his keynote address during the SLI graduation ceremony last spring, Vasquez described growing up in the Dominican Republic, emigrating to the U.S. as a teenager, and serving in the Marine Corps for 23 years. He completed a bachelor of science in organizational leadership from Columbia Southern University in 2019, and now lives in Augusta, West Virginia.
“Attending university was an important part of my own story, and I look forward to supporting SLI scholars as they pursue higher education,” he said.
Through collaborations with university and high school staff, faculty, and students, SLI provides college access opportunities throughout high school, plus financial support for college success for students in Winchester, Harrisonburg, and Richmond.
“I am delighted to have Lenny join the SLI team,” said Andrea Meador Smith, SLI board member and senior associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and professor of Hispanic Studies at Shenandoah University. “Educators who are SLI program directors have a tremendous impact on the SLI scholars they serve, and Lenny’s personal and professional experiences make him uniquely qualified to be a strong advocate.”
Since 2012 SLI has served 200 scholars (70 current and 130 alumni) and has awarded nearly $700,000 in financial support for students. SLI alumni have attended 25 colleges and universities.
SLI is funded by many individuals, businesses, foundations, and organizations, including in Winchester. In June 2022 SLI announced the establishment of its endowment made possible by a lead gift from Gerald F. “J.J.” Smith, Jr., and the Gerald and Paula McNichols Family Foundation has funded many SLI technology grants to help Handley students begin college with the technology they need for success.
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Richmond SLI Meet & Greet Luncheon brings together SLI community
The Richmond SLI Meet & Greet at the University of Richmond on September 21 brought together SLI scholars and their families as well as SLI mentors, board members, and advocates.
The event, which was planned by SLI mentors at the University of Richmond, took place during a SLI Saturday program and featured highlights such as sharing by SLI alumni Maria (Virginia Commonwealth University ’26) and Ariel (Eastern Mennonite University ’24), plus current SLI scholar Lindsay (Huguenot High School ’26) and SLI summer instructor Gretchen (University of Richmond ’25). They are shown in the top right of the above photo.
The mentors group provides a variety of on-campus college access and social activities for SLI scholars in high school, such as Saturday’s leaf-drawing project, shown in the bottom left of the photo. The university students are led by Denis Velazquez Mondragon, Luis Montano, and Ángel-Xavier Elizondo, shown in the top left photo with SLI founder and program director Peter Iver Kaufman. Photos by Ava Boghosian
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SLI sets new record for college scholarship support
Sentara Health and F&M Bank help support students studying health and business
Shenandoah Valley Scholars Latino Initiative (SLI) has awarded a record level of financial aid to 45 SLI scholars and alumni attending college this fall.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SLI supports Latino/a/x high school students with college access through rigorous academic challenge, leadership development, scholarships, and supportive mentorships. Through collaborations with university and high school staff, faculty, and students, SLI provides college access opportunities to SLI scholars throughout high school.
Awards for the new academic year total $157,500 and include a $6,000 college scholarship and $1,250 technology grant each for 14 high school class of 2024 SLI scholars (vasli.org/grads24) for their first year of college, plus $56,000 in college scholarships for 31 SLI alumni continuing their undergraduate studies.
Of the 45 recipients, 24 are entering health related studies, six are entering business and entrepreneur-related studies, and 15 are studying computer science, education, engineering, foreign affairs, political science, and other fields. A grant from Sentara Health is helping to fund awards for students in health related studies, and a grant from F&M Bank is helping to fund students with interest in business and entrepreneurship.
“The unique support of these local grants helps us to communicate to students the value of reaching out and actively searching for individuals and institutions that will support them in their own academic interests, career aspirations, and life goals,” said Carlos Alemán, Ph.D., professor of communication at James Madison University and one of SLI’s program directors in Harrisonburg.
Since 2012 SLI has served 203 scholars in Harrisonburg, Richmond, and Winchester, including 73 current and 130 alumni. As of this fall its scholars will have attended 25 colleges and universities, and SLI financial support for students now totals nearly $700,000.
“Looking back, my time as a SLI scholar played an extraordinary role in my life by giving me the glimpses of a future that could possibly be mine,” said SLI alumna and 2024 scholarship recipient Ariana Hernandez Perez (Harrisonburg High School ’23).
Now in her second year at the University of Virginia majoring in commerce with a minor in Korean and concentrations in information technology and finance, Hernandez Perez said experiencing imposter syndrome has made her stronger.
“I gradually began to use my insecurities as a means of perseverance rather than hindrance,” she said. “I transformed my mindset from one that made me feel inferior into one that gave me the strength I needed to push forward and excel.”
In addition to financially supporting its scholars with college scholarships and technology grants, SLI provides its scholars with tuition assistance for college dual enrollment and AP courses while in high school.
“It is an honor to be part of the SLI community standing with students who are pursuing life-changing opportunities in higher education,” said Fawn-Amber Montoya, Ph.D., SLI board chair and professor of history at James Madison University. “Many individuals, businesses, foundations, and organizations, and certainly partners such as Sentara and F&M Bank, are cheering on these students as they overcome barriers.”
Twenty-four of the scholarships awarded for the 2024-25 academic year are supported in part by the Sentara grant to support students pursuing health related studies and careers (vasli.org/sentara). These recipients include:
- Adriana Jimenez (Harrisonburg ’20) is studying communication sciences and disorders and Spanish at JMU
- Amy (John Handley High School ’21), biology/physician assistant track and Spanish, Shenandoah University (vasli.org/amyja)
- Ana Pereira (Harrisonburg High School ’24), nursing, Eastern Mennonite University
- Aylen Matamoros Ramìrez (Harrisonburg ’24), nursing, EMU
- Daniela Owens (J.R. Tucker High School ’24), biology and environmental science/physician assistant track, Randolph-Macon College
- Edgar Martinez Villeda (Harrisonburg ’24), nursing, EMU
- Everth Hernandez-Ventura (John Handley High School ’21), nursing, SU (vasli.org/everth)
- Galilea Gallardo-Mena (Huguenot High School ’21), psychology and Latin American Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University (vasli.org/galilea)
- Gedalia Garcia (John Handley ’22), nursing and psychology, Old Dominion University (vasli.org/gedalia)
- Heidy Garcia-Granados (Harrisonburg ’24), nursing, JMU
- Helen Duarte Guerrero (Harrisonburg ’23), biological sciences with the goal of biomedical engineering, Virginia Tech
- Helen Rivera Rivas (Harrisonburg ’21), health sciences/pre-occupational therapy and Spanish, JMU
- Hillary Estrada Alvarado (Harrisonburg ’23), biology/pre-physician assistant, University of Virginia
- Janefer Lobo Funez (Harrisonburg ’22), health science, JMU (vasli.org/janefer)
- Johana Alvarenga (Harrisonburg ’22), nursing, EMU (vasli.org/johana)
- Kristy Rios Ramos (Harrisonburg ’23), nursing, UVA
- Mairene Laureano Cruz (John Handley ’24), biology/physician assistant track (cardiology), SU
- Marvin Rivera Martinez (Harrisonburg ’22), computer engineering and data science, UVA (vasli.org/alex)
- Nataly Almendarez Funez (Harrisonburg ’24), nursing, EMU
- Rozana Aleman Pineda (Harrisonburg ’24), nursing and medical Spanish, JMU
- Savannah Figueroa (Harrisonburg ’21), kinetic imaging, Spanish, and immersive reality, VCU
- Tatiana Sanchez-Aguilar (Harrisonburg ’20), nursing and chronic illness, JMU
- Yeyhlin Velasquez-Zavala (John Handley ’23), public health and Spanish, Hollins University (vasli.org/yeyhlin)
- Yoselin Bermudes-Olivares (Huguenot High School ’24), nursing, VCU
Six scholarships are supported in part by F&M Bank SLI Scholar College Awards for students pursuing business and entrepreneur-related studies and careers (vasli.org/fmbank). These recipients include:
- Amy (John Handley ’21), accounting and philosophy, University of Pittsburgh (vasli.org/amy)
- Ariana Hernandez Perez (Harrisonburg ’23), commerce, Korean, information technology, and finance, UVA
- Eiby Galindo-Hernandez (Harrisonburg ’24), accounting and music, UVA
- Guadalupe Tenorio Ramirez (Hopewell High School ’22), accounting and business administration, EMU (vasli.org/guadalupe)
- Jennifer Carcamo Bonilla (Harrisonburg ’21), business administration, Bridgewater College
- Lisbet (Harrisonburg ’21), liberal arts and business, EMU
Additional scholarships were awarded to:
- Abygail Henriquez Diaz (Harrisonburg ’24), education, Blue Ridge Community College
- Axel Vega-Mancinas (John Handley ’23), electrical engineering, Harvard University (vasli.org/axel)
- Cristian Romo Bermejo (John Handley ’21), ocean engineering, VT
- Dariana Martinez Bautista (John Handley ’24), political philosophy, policy, and law, UVA
- Heidy Gonzalez-Amaya (John Handley ’24), history and social science, Longwood University
- Irais Barrera Pinzon (George Wythe High School ’21), political science/pre-law, Spanish, and Hispanic studies, EMU (vasli.org/irais)
- Israel (Huguenot ’21), homeland security and emergency preparedness, criminal justice, justice and political science, VCU (vasli.org/israel)
- Jimena Marquez-Marquez (John Handley ’23), American Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Spanish, Dickinson College (vasli.org/jimena)
- Keiry Lazo (Harrisonburg ’23), foreign affairs, global studies, and global development, UVA (vasli.org/keiry)
- Lindsey Ruvalcaba (Harrisonburg ’23), college transfer degree, BRCC
- Ma Guadalupe Ruiz Cortes (Huguenot ’24), political science/pre-law, University of Richmond
- Maria (Mills E. Godwin High School ’22), English and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, VCU
- Noel Ayala-Gallo (Harrisonburg ’21), leadership, public policy and foreign affairs, and astronomy, UVA (vasli.org/noel)
- Raquel Perez Torrico (John Handley ’21), computer science and web development, Washington Adventist University
- Rosely Alvarado Villegas (John Handley ’22), computer science, George Mason University (vasli.org/roselyav)
SLI is a community-based, 501(c)(3) public charity built on partnerships with high schools, universities, communities, students, and parents, and dedicated to advancing Latinx students’ post-high school educational opportunities. SLI advocates for Latinx opportunities and strives for social justice and equity. Scholars are mentored to be leaders that positively contribute to their communities.
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All Call scheduled for VOICE concerts to benefit SLI
SLI will be the beneficiary of the VOICE concerts this winter, and community members are invited to participate! Learn more at the All Call information session on Sunday, July 28 at Vision of Hope UMC in Harrisonburg, and online here: https://www.voiceensemble.org
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PBMares grant to support financial stability, economic success for SLI scholars
PBMares Cares Philanthropic has awarded SLI a grant to support college access as a pathway to financial stability and economic success. The $5,000 grant will help fund SLI’s mission to support Latino/a/x high school students with college access through rigorous academic challenge, leadership development, scholarships, and supportive mentorships.
“College access changes lives for the better,” said SLI board chair Fawn-Amber Montoya. “I am grateful to PBMares for their generous grant, which will support students who are pursuing careers that will lead to greater economic success and financial stability for them, their families, and our communities.”
Through collaborations with university and high school staff, faculty, and students, SLI provides college access opportunities to students throughout high school, such as “Early College” seminars, leadership development and community service activities, college access events for students and families, and assistance with applying to college. SLI also provides financial support for college success.
Since 2012 SLI has offered programming and financial support for 203 SLI scholars in Harrisonburg, Richmond, and Winchester, including more than $542,000 in college scholarships, technology grants, and financial assistance for dual enrollment and Advanced Placement coursework.
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Richmond SLI scholars among top ten graduating from Huguenot
At the Huguenot High School graduation ceremony on May 30, 2024, Richmond SLI scholars Guadalupe and Yoselin were recognized as among the top 10 of their graduating class of 206 students.
Guadalupe was ranked 4th, with a GPA of 4.60. She will attend the University of Richmond to study political science and pre-law to become an attorney, an interest that was already developing early in her high school career.
“Something that I’ll miss about SLI is the friendships that I made along the way, as well as all the mentorship and all of the support that I received through Dr. Kaufman and various people within the program,” she said in a recent video.
Yoselin, who was ranked 9th, had a GPA of 4.31. She will attend Virginia Commonwealth University to study biology and pre-medicine, to become a nurse.
As a high school sophomore, she called SLI “a life changer,” and this spring she shared this advice for students following in her footsteps: “I would recommend actually trying on your essays [in SLI Early College] because as time goes by you can look back at your old essays and then you can see how much you’ve improved.”
SLI in Richmond is generously funded by the Herndon Foundation, the SLI Founder’s Fund, and many others in the SLI Community of Support. Programming is led by SLI founder Peter Iver Kaufman, Ph.D., a professor at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, and Huguenot High School LIEP teacher & department chair Ester Orellana, pictured below with SLI’s 2024 cohort including (from left) Daniela, Guadalupe, Yoselin, Bryan, and Jason:
The Richmond SLI 2024 cohort included SLI scholars (from left) Daniela, Guadalupe, Yoselin, Bryan, and Jason, pictured here with SLI program directors Ester Orellana (right) and Peter Iver Kaufman (center), SLI founder, at the Carole M. Weinstein International Center, University of Richmond. -
Meet the SLI grads of 2024
At their SLI graduation celebrations this spring, SLI scholars took a moment to share about their college plans, what they’ll miss about SLI, advice for other SLI scholars, and more. Meet all 17 in these three videos:
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SLI alumna Mary Tolentino Baez a Fulbright recipient
Congrats to SLI alumna Mary Tolentino Baez (Harrisonburg ’19, JMU ’23), who has received a Fulbright award! She will work next year as an English teaching assistant, and then return to JMU to pursue a dual master’s in education in Spanish language and culture.
The complete Instagram post from @jmufellowships:
