LISD students attend the Bert Corona Leadership Institute

Two Laredo ISD students spent their first week of summer traveling to the nation's capitol. Ruben Barron of Nixon High School and Clarissa Cuellar of the Early College High School participated in the Bert Corona Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C., in early June.

Barron is the son of Joanne and Isidro Cornejo and Cuellar is the daughter of Guadalupe Ramos and Jesus Garcia. On their field trips, the students visited historical sites such as the U.S. Capitol, the Holocaust Museum, the White House and Arlington Cemetery. They were also honored with the opportunity to meet Congressman Henry Cuellar at the Capitol. They learned about the legislative process, policy making, writing letters to congress, and leadership skills.

The leadership institute provides participants the opportunity to attend a one-week Civic Leadership Training Program. Participants were able to experience "hands on" civic and public policy and leadership training and were able to gain a full understanding of the internal workings of the United States government at both the local and national levels. Students were also able to participate in experiential learning and meetings with key government officials and Washington insiders.

Bert Corona was a union organizer born in 1918 who worked to provide Mexican Americans with better wages and living conditions. He dedicated his life to fighting economic and social injustices among Hispanics.

Barron and Cuellar were nominated by the LISD Federal Programs Department. The final selections were made by the Region One Education Service Center. Participants must be incoming high school seniors and current migrant students. Nominations were based on the student's grades and performance.

"My favorite part of the trip was meeting new friends, networking, and making important contacts. The experiences we had will stay with me for the rest of my life," Barron said.