A New Generation of Hispanic Leaders is Born in St. Louis

(ST. LOUIS, MO) “This is one of the best experiences of my life,” says Matthias Neumann, a sophomore at Lafayette High School, as he receives his graduation certificate. “We are so grateful for everything we’ve learned.”
 
Although Neumann is still a couple years away from graduating high school, he was one of twenty students who, on Saturday, June 17, graduated from the first class of the HCC STL Foundation’s High School Hispanic Leadership Institute.
 
The High School HLI program, sponsored by Centene Corporation, is a six-day training program that was created for high school students to develop leadership skills and give back to the St. Louis community. The focus of this training is to identify young Hispanic students and develop their personal and professional skills, creating a network of future Hispanic leaders interested in community engagement, and connecting them with other professionals and mentors.
 
Through the High School Hispanic Leadership Institute, the HCC STL Foundation is able to pave the way for the future Hispanic CEO’s, board members, civic, community and economic leaders of the region. This is particularly important because nearly six in ten Hispanics in America are millennials or younger, according to the Pew Research Center and the Census.
 
“This is an incredibly talented group of students who are already making such an impact in their communities,” explains Vanessa Garcia, Program Manager for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “It was powerful to see how much each of them grew personally and professionally in just six days.”
 
Universities from across the area supported this initiative, including Fontbonne University, Maryville University, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, St. Louis Community College and UMSL.
 
“Supporting the High School HLI program gives us the opportunity to bring exceptional student leaders to campus and fulfill our University’s mission to empower individuals to achieve their full potential and become leaders who shape a changing world,” said Scott Belobrajdic, Associate Vice-Chancellor for Enrollment Management at SIUE.
 
Students said the High School HLI program allowed them to take pride in their culture and connect with participants all across the metro area who have shared cultural experiences and backgrounds.

“My favorite part of the program has definitely been learning about other students’ backgrounds, other Latino students around St. Louis and getting to know them and myself,” says Mónica Jara, senior at Ritenour High School.
 
(Click here to see full list of graduates).
 
The next session of the Hispanic Leadership Institute will begin June 2018. In the meantime, applications for the adult Hispanic Leadership Institute are available now. For more information, contact Vanessa Garcia at vgarcia@hccstl.com or call 314-664-4432.
 
About The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce:
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit corporation with a 501(c)(6) IRS designation. The Chamber was founded in 1982 by a group of Hispanic businesspersons interested in increasing opportunities for Hispanic business owners.
 
With a growing membership of nearly 400 businesses, organizations and individuals, our mission is to improve business opportunities for Hispanic firms and professionals thereby improving the economic development of the St. Louis region. The HCC STL Foundation was formed in 2009 to accomplish charitable purposes, focusing on the Hispanic community of the metro St. Louis area.
 
Click here for High School HLI photos