Ferris State University alumnus Daniel Rivera was the keynote speaker for the 2023
Alsame Latino Youth Conference, held Friday, May 12 in Ferris’ David L. Eisler Center.
Alsame is a nonprofit that promotes opportunities and involvement in higher education
for Latino students.
Youthful energy washed over Ferris State University’s David L. Eisler Center Friday, May 12, as approximately 500 high school students from around lower Michigan were welcomed for the 2023 Alsame Latino Youth Conference.
Alsame, Advocates for Latino Student Advancement in Michigan Education, is a nonprofit organization established in 1993 that built on previous recruitment and admissions programs for diverse populations. Alsame co-chair Salvador Lopez said their initiatives to encourage excellence in secondary and post-secondary education receive great support from Michigan’s collegiate community.
“We have a long-standing base of support from public and private colleges and universities statewide and are proud to return to Ferris for the first time since 2012,” Lopez said. “More than 600 students, supporters and education professionals will gather in this unique opportunity for high school-age learners and scholarships will be awarded to seniors who are leaders in the classroom, extracurricular activities and promoting cultural awareness.”
2019 Ferris alumnus Daniel Rivera was the Alsame conference’s keynote speaker. Rivera, a first-generation summa cum laude graduate of Ferris’ Spanish for the Professions program, is the Elections Systems Coordinator for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. Daniel said he was proud to offer the Alsame student guests his perspective.
“I grew up in Grand Rapids but never attended this conference before coming to Ferris,” Rivera said. “Bringing these students to the university and Big Rapids is a great way to give them a taste of what a college education or career training can provide them. I hope each one of them aspires to become an engaged representative in a campus community, because their representation matters, and the opportunity is theirs.”
After the introductory program, the students met with recruiters and contacts in a campus and career fair, including technical and vocational training exposure. Lopez said more than a dozen early afternoon workshops led by Ferris faculty and representatives served to broaden the students’ experience and base of information.
“We want them to understand what is next and how they can prepare for success in their educational journey,” Lopez said. “It is important for them to learn about and find inspiration in the opportunities higher education can offer.”
Joselin Garcia is a ninth-grade student at the Hope Academy in Grand Rapids, whose sister is considering Ferris, among other schools, as the first member of her family to enter higher education. Joselin was pleased the Alsame conference provided her a first experience on Ferris’ Big Rapids campus.
“I have been to several other colleges and like what I see here,” Garcia said. “I
am looking into studies in engineering or the business field and feel like I know
more about what is possible after attending the conference.”
The 2023 Alsame Latino Youth Conference was sponsored by Ferris State University,
the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University and
American Axle & Manufacturing, which is headquartered in Detroit.