Nearly 200 National LDZ students from U.S. and Mexico congregate at Elmhurst College

Nearly 200 students from across the U.S. and Mexico came to Elmhurst College, in the Chicago metro area, from June 28-July 5 for the National LDZ program. This staple of NHI’s LDZ programs is a tradition for a great number of NHI students living in the Midwest, but this year, drew a significant contingent of Texas students and brought participants from as far away as Queratero and Central California.

“There was a sense of urgency in crafting a vision for the Latino Community and a competitive spirit towards challenging the status quo,” said Tino Villarreal, who helped oversee this year’s National LDZ. “This group was exceptional in utilizing the structure of government to learn how to navigate through social systems as a means of achieving their desired vision.”

The top office holders at this year’s National LDZ all hailed from Texas — with the President and Speaker of the House coming from the same school:

President
Luis Gutierrez
St. Joseph Academy
Brownsville, Texas

Vice President
Mariel Salinas
Sharyland High School
McAllen, Texas

Speaker of the House
Jorge Humberto Lee
St. Joseph Academy
Brownsville, Texas

Chief Justice
Brandon Piel
El Paso High School
El Paso, Texas

The Dr. Michael Gibbs Memorial Award, a new memorial award created specifically for the National LDZ, was won by Irving Delgado, from Creighton Preparatory High School in Papillion, Nebraska.