Our mission is to improve health and advance education for the Indiana Latino community through statewide advocacy, research, and culturally responsive programs.
INDIANA LATINO INSTITUTE The Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) is a 501(c)3 statewide non-profit organization committed to serving Latino communities across Indiana. Since 2001, ILI's efforts have focused on education and health programming, and in 2018, launched the Indiana Latino Leadership Circle program to increase the pool of Latino leaders within Indiana represented at the executive level. The Indiana Latino Institute will continue to elevate and empower Latino Hoosiers and work to improve all communities throughout the state.
MARLENE DOTSON
SETH MORALES
ILI President & CEO
ILI Board Chair
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Seth Morales, President & CEO, Morales Group, Board Chair Art Vasquez, President, IU Health West Central Region, Board Vice Chair Matzine Sanchez-Gutierrez, Director of Account Management, Circle Logistics, Board Secretary Mike Merkel, Owner, La Rosa & Co., Board Treasurer Dr. Virginia Caine, Director, Marion County Health Department Moira Carlstedt, President & CEO, INHP Carole Casto, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications, Cummins Inc. Sam Centellas, Executive Director, CDFI Friendly South Bend Marlene Dotson, President & CEO, Indiana Latino Institute Rebecca Espinoza Kubacki, Former State Legislator Ricardo Garcia De Alba, Global Portfolio Leader, Enlist & Core Herbicides, Corteva Agriscience Rosemily Geyer, President & CEO, Geyer Fire Protection Oscar Gutierrez, President, Bondry Consulting Jadira Hoptry, Director, Community Lending and Development, First Merchants Corporation Ryan Marques, Attorney, Lewis & Kappes James McBryant, Hendricks County Rafael Sanchez, President, Private Banking, Old National Bank Alfonso Vidal, President & CEO, Vidal Plastics
INDIANA LATINO INSTITUTE
PATHWAYS TO CAREERS Recognizing socio-economic disparities between the Latino and other communities in Marion County, the Indiana Latino Institute (ILI) and its partner postsecondary institutions (Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IUPUI, and Marian University) are undertaking a five-year initiative that will reduce poverty by significantly increasing postsecondary education attainment and strengthening career pathways and placement in good jobs for Latino students. This $2 million Lilly Endowment grant will help scale down generational cycles of poverty by directly assisting thousands of Latino high school students in enrolling in postsecondary programs, training four cohorts of peer student recruiters and leaders, strengthening professional and academic mentoring resources on campuses, and connecting college graduates to career opportunities.
Marion County Public Schools are comprised of 22.4% Hispanic students
PATHWAYS TO CAREERS
PROGRAM GOALS
At the initiative’s end, the enhanced pathway to good jobs will show: More than a 13 percentage point increase in Latino high school graduates enrolling in college A 70% college completion initiative’s cohorts
rate
among
the
More than 6,250 Marion County Latino high school students to have received college admissions and financial aid information 2,000 parents will be engaged 48 students (four cohorts of 12 students in each) would be trained and serve as peer leaders at the three institutions Up to 24 cohort students will have completed degrees and will be gainfully employed, enrolled in graduate school, or transferred to a four-year institution 3-5 thriving chapters of Latino professional associations with upwards of 2,000 Latino college students engaged, scores of professional mentors connected Framework and lessons learned from the initiative will be published
PATHWAYS TO CAREERS
2021 COHORT
21% Latino Hoosier adults hold degrees or certificates compared to 38% overall
INDIANA LATINO INSTITUTE PATHWAYS TO CAREERS
ROSY CAZARES JUAN
LENNA CUTINO CABRERA
Marian University
IUPUI
ASHLEY FRIAS IUPUI
JASMINE HERMOSILLO
JACOB GEE
ESMERALDA LABRA
IUPUI
Marian University
Ivy Tech
VANESSA MEDINA
JOSE OCANA
CHRIS RODRIGUEZ
Marian University
Ivy Tech
Ivy Tech
NOT PICTURED
MIRIAM SANTOS LEON CLARISSA VAZQUEZ HERNANDEZ Marian University IUPUI
Rosy Cazares Juan Studio Art, Education
Marian University Rosy Cazares Juan’s hope for the future is to teach art to any age group and help people voice themselves through their work. She people attributes her success to her loved ones who motivate her to be a better version of herself, specifically her parents. Rosy’s experience as a first-generation student is also a source of motivation to reach her goals. To her, being first generation means being the first one to take the lead in her family to guide them on the path to reach their own career goals. The P2C program is helping Rosy reach her goal of becoming an educator by giving her the opportunity to improve her interpersonal skills through her internship. The program has also connected her to many contacts and potential mentors in her professional field.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Upon graduating from IUPUI, Lenna Cutino Cabrera aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hopes to gain the skills and confidence to keep aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa exploring her career in marketing and communications. She plans to travel the world and use her degree in different industries to learn more about many different career possibilities. Lenna’s motivation comes from her family and the desire to one day be able to say, "I made it." Thanks to the program and her mentors, Lenna has learned how to develop skills that will help her be successful in her career. She loves being a part of the program because she is able to help with tasks for important projects which motivates her to continue helping the community in the future.
Lenna Cutino Cabrera
Marketing, International Business
IUPUI
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Ashley Frias hopes to use her degree from IUPUI in aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa energy engineering to contribute to creating a aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa sustainable future. Specifically, she wants to travel to many places around our beautiful world and provide new renewable energy technologies and help install them in the areas that need them most. Even in setbacks and challenges, Ashley sees the next step forward as the only option. Ashley sees her experience as a first-generation student as an opportunity to give back to her parents for all their sacrifices and hard work to ensure she has an education. She cherishes the support systems and mentorship she has received as a P2C Scholar.
Ashley Frias
Energy Engineering
IUPUI
Jacob Gee
Mechanical Engineering
IUPUI
Jacob Gee hopes to use his degree from IUPUI in engineering to own patents engineering and become a mechanical designer. He is motivated by seeing how his hard work and dedication in college is setting him up for success in his career after graduation. Thanks to the P2C program, Jacob has been able to network and meet incredible people as well as make connections with mentors and professional contacts. He enjoys that the Pathways to Careers Program keeps him engaged socially while being in a working setting. He also enjoys the new opportunities that come with getting out of his comfort zone.
Jasmine Hermosillo Nursing
Marian University
Jasmine Hermosillo plans to take the pre-med route through Marian University and become an assistant anesthesiologist. Jasmine finds motivation in her family and the thrill of succeeding in a challenge, especially when playing soccer for Marian University. Jasmine sees her experience as a first-generation student as a responsibility to succeed because she has two younger siblings who look up to her and rely on her guidance. One of the most important things she has gained from the program is confidence in her own ability. Despite describing herself as timid, with all the social skills she has developed through calls and chats with employees, she has improved her communication skills. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Jasmine loves being a part of the P2C program because aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa she enjoys that all her work revolves around helping aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the Latino community.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Esmeralda Labra hopes is to graduate from Ivy Tech aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Community College in the business field leading her to aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa secure a good job and support her family. She is motivated by her family and stories of others who have gained stability through hard work and education. Esmeralda sees her experience as a first-generation student as an opportunity to make her family proud. She has gained valuable work experience in an office environment at her internship and now has a strong support network thanks to the Indiana Latino Institute. She enjoys being a part of the Pathways to Career program because she gets to see other students from similar backgrounds working hard to succeed in college and to make their families proud.
Esmeralda Labra Business Administration
Ivy Tech Community College
Vanessa Medina Nursing
Marian University Vanessa Medina is a nursing student attending Marian University. Her career goal is to become a nurse practitioner based on her interest in a field that requires constant learning and abilities to assist people in need. Vanessa’s motivation stems from the thought of having a career once she completes her degree. As a first-generation college student, she feels she has more to work for, and strives to achieve something others in her family were not able to attain. Through her time in the Pathways to Careers program, Vanessa feels that she has gained time management skills and a better understanding of the higher education aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa environment, especially pertaining to Latino students. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa The P2C program has also offered her better insight on aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa subjects regarding the Latino community in Indiana.
Jose Ocano is currently attending Ivy Tech aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Community College studying mechanical aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa engineering technology with the goal to develop cars aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa or robotics. He finds motivation in his family and hopes to lead as an example for his younger siblings and make his mother proud as a first-generation college student. Jose has enjoyed strengthening his professionalism skills through his internship experience and learning how to engage with people through the Pathways to Careers program. He excited to see what opportunities might be presented through this program and has benefited from the support system built around the scholars.
Jose Ocana
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Ivy Tech Community College
Chris Rodriguez Business Administration
Ivy Tech Community College
Chris Rodriguez is working towards a degree in business administration at Ivy Tech Community College. With With that degree, he hopes to own his own business and build a career that helps his community and boosts his culture. Being a first-generation college student, Chris has gained support from the Pathways to Careers program that he was not able to find, as no one in his family has the experience of going to college. Through this he hopes to return the support given to him by his family by setting an example for others and encouraging them to attend college. Chris has enjoyed working on his interpersonal skills through this program and believes it will continue to be a great learning experience.
Clarissa Vazquez Hernandez attends Indiana aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa University Purdue University Indianapolis studying aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa biology. Upon graduation, she hopes to attend aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa medical school where she plans on becoming an OBGYN and completing a PHD. Clarissa is passionate about becoming an advocate for the Latino community through her work. She recognizes being a first-generation college student as a big accomplishment. Clarissa's family has always been supportive of her academic and career goals and wishes her success. She believes that through her involvement in clubs and volunteering, she had a chance to push herself to talk to other students. Seeing the people who have stood with her, Clarissa is motivated to keep going when she is experiencing tough times.
Clarissa Vazquez Hernandez Biology
IUPUI
Thank you to Lilly Endowment, Inc. for funding the ILI Pathways to Careers program
Thank you to our partnering higher education institutions
ILI PATHWAYS TO CAREERS ADVISORY COUNCIL Beech Grove City Schools Decatur Township School Corporation Franklin Township Community School Corporation Indiana Commission for Higher Education Indiana Department of Education Indiana Latino Institute Indiana Talent Network Indianapolis Public School Corporation Indy Chamber IUPUI Ivy Tech Community College Lawrence Township School Corporation Marian University Perry Township School Corporation Pike Township School Corporation Prospanica School Town of Speedway SHPE Warren Township Corporation Washington Township Corporation Wayne Township Corporation
Our mission is to improve health and advance education for the Indiana Latino community through statewide advocacy, research, and culturally responsive programs.
www.indianalatinoinstitute.org Indiana Latino Institute @IndianaLatinoInstitute @IndianaLatino Indiana Latino Institute
Indiana Latino Institute 2126 N Meridian St. #100 Indianapolis, IN 46202 P 317.472.1055 F 317.472.1056