2019

July 25, 2019 - Latin American Youth Center in Washington, DC

Our third workshop, took place at the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, DC on July 25, 2019. The program started with a team building activity where each group had to find a way to get over an “electric fence” while ensuring everyone maintained contact. The exercise encouraged communication and collaboration within each team. FGFM was fortunate for the first time to have one mentor for each mentee. Huge thanks to David Offman (Auditor), Carlos Neves (Program Facilitator), Christian Campos (IT Professional), Jose Contreras (IT Professional), Jorge Campos (Accountant), Ignacio Sandoval (Attorney) and Edwin Gonzalez (Teacher). Each mentor took time out of their busy work schedules to attend our first program held on a weekday afternoon. All seven students, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years old, engaged in honest discussions with their mentors about the challenges they encounter on a daily basis at home and in school. The mentors shared with their mentees how they each overcame many of those same obstacles in order to attend and graduate from college.

September 26, 2019 - Boys Club of New York in New York City

On September 26, 2019, the Maria Sempertegui FirstGen Future Men Leadership Program was honored to host a workshop for more than 15 young men at the Boys Club of New York! We were fortunate to have the support of 6 attorneys that made time out of their busy schedules to mentor the young men: Mauricio Videla (Financial Regulatory Attorney), Raymond Sanchez (Public Policy Attorney), Francisco Guzman (Labor and Employment Attorney), Jonny Pena Nunez (Manhattan Assistant District Attorney), Xavier Martinez (NY County Assistant District Attorney) and Michael Perez (NY County Assistant District Attorney). After figuring out how to build a standing pasta tower for a marshmallow as an ice breaker, the team of mentors and mentees discussed possessing the right mentality and grit to make it as a FirstGen college student. The mentees then learned how to tie a suit tie from the mentor (some of whom were experts at tying but needed some work on teaching how to do it). At one point, we were running out of ties and the mentors started giving the mentees the ties they wore that day. The mentees were excited to keep their ties for future use such as a job interview. Attendees concluded the program by discussing the financial benefits of a college education and how to overcome challenges young men encounter at home and school that impacts their ability to attend college. Huge thank you to Mauricio Videla who helped coordinate (literally) last minute details for the leadership program and to Carlos Velazquez, Clubhouse Director for Boys Club of New York, for allowing us the opportunity to work with the young men in his program. During the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, FirstGen tutors shared their experiences with Casa de Maryland’s Mi Espacio participants.