On Saturday Oct. 1, Chi Upsilon Sigma, a Latin sorority at the College, hosted the organization's Annual Minority Achievement Conference in Brower Student Center. The conference, which brought alumnae back to the College, was themed "In the Pursuit of Excellence," and dealt with minority achievement in every aspect of life.
"(The conference) has been going on for years," Aidaris Calderon, vice president of the College's chapter of the sorority, said. "There is actually a lot of pressure to make each year better."
According to chapter president Debbie M. Guzman, the College has hosted the conference, which is usually held in the fall, for the past 11 years.
Guzman said the purpose of the conference is to bring knowledge not only to Latinas, but to other minorities as well.
Five workshops were given - "Excellence in Graduate School," "Excellence in Culture," "Excellence in Motivation," "Excellence in Finance" and "Excellence in Relationships."
The conference, which focuses on inspiring college-age students, relied on the sorority's alumnae to provide insight into these topics.
"We come up with our workshops based on our alumni resources," Guzman said. "We ask, 'Who do we know?'"
Yudelkis Hernandez, a recent College graduate, said she came back to help the chapter.
"This is the main event of the year," she said.
Diana Santos, an alumna, was selected to lead the "Excellence in Finance" workshop because she is employed by an insurance agency. Her main message to students was to get rid of credit cards, invest and save.
Silvia L. Mazzula-Roman, a College alumna, spoke to students in the "Excellence in Culture" workshop, and focused on Latinas in White America. Mazzula-Roman is a researcher for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
"We need more information like (what Mazzula-Roman provided)" Ivelucy Ariza, junior elementary and psychology major, said. "It is so helpful."
Members of the College community also had a role in the conference. Ceceilia O' Callaghan, director of Career Services, gave tips on essays, applications and the attitude needed to succeed in the "Excellence in Graduate School" workshop.
Calderon said the conference was a great success. "
With the help of my chapter, and all of the (alumnae), we were able to pull it off once again, and I'm glad that it was a success," she said.
- Signal staff contributed to this report.
