About the session:

All too often, we get swept up by the go-go-go mentality, and we need to acknowledge that this is rooted in white supremacy culture. We need to remove this burden of assimilation in order to create our authentic voice and to sustain the fire in our bellies. We need to have grace for ourselves as it takes time to remove patterns; it took many years to establish these routines, and it can take years to unlearn them. So let’s together, in the power of community, set intentions of resting and reflecting. This can happen through various outlets, like journaling, meditation, podcasting, etc. You already do this, maybe not as regularly, but you do have practice, so let’s amplify those so that they become a part of everyday life. A lot of the spaces we are in, can be exhausting, can burn out the fire in us, by resting and reflecting, we are giving ourselves the permission to continue that fight, by first taking care of ourselves.

About the presenter:

Cristina's passion comes directly from working alongside youth in the communities she grew up in and has worked in. She was born and raised in beautiful Southwest Denver, graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School. Her career in education includes four years as a social studies teacher at Denver South High School and over five years at Denver Kids, Inc. as the Future Options Coordinator and Program Director of Enrichment and Community Partnerships. She is also a Moonshot Fellowship alum, a graduate of Regis University, and is proudly bilingual, and working on being trilingual. Cristina is currently the Director of Programs at YEBO (Youth Empowerment Broadcasting Organization) Media, where she is co-creating and designing programming for postsecondary access. Cristina’s passion is guided through the following intentions and hopes for her community: - For youth to feel empowered of their voices to drive social change - Work to create accessibility to opportunities not yet established in our communities - To create spaces for sense of belonging, grounded in love, trust, and healing - To remove the burden of assimilation to amplify authentic leader voice - Responsibility to continue to create better for our communities, move our communities forward Whether in a yoga studio, a board meeting, a district meeting, Cristina has learned that she is a valuable member of the community and her voice is important to that space to disrupt systematic oppression. Alongside her community, she will continue to be present in those spaces to work towards the intentions mentioned above.

About the session:

Discover which “C” from the Seven C’s, Social Change Model you most resonate with. This session will cover what the Social Change Model and each of the Seven C’s are. Leaders will engage in an inclusive and accessible group discussion, sharing the type of leader you identify and the impact you are willing to make a difference.

About the presenter:

My name is Jasmine Villalobos-Valles. I am the Coordinator Scholarship, Leadership and Community Partner for Student Success and Retention (C2Hub). To share a little bit about myself, I am a MSU Denver and DSF Alumni, I graduated in the spring of 2019 with a Business Management degree. Like most of our population here at MSU Denver, I am a first-generation student. Throughout my college career, I worked as a peer mentor for the Denver Scholarship Foundation Leadership Program and the Alternative Break Program. I am very passionate about serving college students from all backgrounds. College was always a personal goal of mine to accomplish in order to find job stability. Luckily, I had a lot of support from my campus DSF advisors and MSU Denver staff that I met here on campus who helped me make it through. They are the reason why I am passionate about non-profits and higher education. I want to support students just like the DSF advisors supported me. I currently serve in the DSF Alumni Advisory Committee as secretary and volunteer as a staff advisor for Pi Lambada Chi Latina Sorority, Incorporated, as well as a mentor to an incoming DSF scholar.

About the session:

Led by the Founder and Co-Founder of Ednium: The Alumni Collective, this session will show participants different levers that can be used to make a difference in the community through advocacy, outreach, politics, and policy. Everyone can be a leader and each leader has a choice of which levers of impact they decide to use. Attendees will learn how to create the change they would like to see in their community while maintaining ownership of their stories and using their pre-existing skill sets.

About the presenter:

Co-Founder & Executive Director TeRay Esquibel is a DPS graduate from Abraham Lincoln High School. He was awarded the Daniels Fund Scholarship that gave him the opportunity to attend the University of Denver. While attending DU, TeRay dedicated himself to breaking down barriers to higher education within his community. After college, TeRay went on to participate and work with the El Pomar Foundation Fellowship program. Eventually, he found himself back at DU as an Admission Counselor serving Denver and Aurora Public Schools. In this role, TeRay engaged with DPS and its community to empower students (and their families) on their journey to furthering their educational horizons. To do this, he acted as a liaison between DU and external organizations dedicated to increasing the enrollment and persistence rates for students who were from underrepresented communities throughout Denver. Most recently, TeRay held the title of Partner of Community Partnerships and Advocacy at the Denver based philanthropic organization RootED. In this role, he led research, strategy, and community grant making. This is where the seed of Ednium: The Alumni Collective was planted and watered. TeRay now acts as the founding Executive Director of Ednium.

Co- Founder & Engagement Manager Perla Bustillos graduated from DSST: Montview and went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Event and Meeting Management at Metropolitan State University of Denver. As a first generation student and DACA recipient at MSU Denver, Perla dedicated her time to advocating for undocumented students and peers who have a similar story as hers through Student Government, New Student Orientation, and off campus organizations. After graduating, she worked around Colorado venues to plan and execute special events. Quickly, she realized the need for community advocacy and DPS alumni voice. Therefore, Perla took on the role of Engagement Manager at Ednium: The Alumni Collective where she has built relationships with DPS alumni and engaged in elevating their stories. As a DPS alum herself, she aspires to ensure all high school students graduate with the resources they need to go after their career and life goals. Currently, Perla serves on the Alumni Advisory Committee for the Denver Scholarship Foundation and the DSF Mentorship Program.

About the session:

This interactive session will include personal examples about how to leverage your personal story and experience in your advocacy. The session will include conversation about how to avoid burnout and ways to sustain yourself and your community on the journey towards equity.

About the presenter:

Daniel Ramos is the Executive Director of the Colorado Democracy Alliance. Before taking on this role last summer, he served as the Executive Director for One Colorado - the state’s leading advocacy organization for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families. Daniel got his start in Colorado politics as a student at CU Boulder, where he was active in student government and served as a Tri-Executive. Daniel is an active member of the Colorado community and has served on the Board of Directors for New Era Colorado and Community Shares, and currently serves as a Commissioner on the Supreme Court Nominating Commission and as a Trustee for Colorado Mesa University. Daniel is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, teaching a course on Public Policy & Advocacy. He received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and his Masters of Public Administration from the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.