2021 Texas LDZ, at Austin College, intertwines two great NHI traditions

The National Hispanic Institute’s 2021 edition of the Texas Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session, or Texas LDZ, intertwined two venerable traditions for the organization. 

The first, of course, was the return of NHI’s flagship program following a pause for the pandemic — making 2020 the first year since 1984 that NHI hadn’t convened a Texas LDZ. The second was the return of in-person NHI programming to Austin College. The liberal arts college in Sherman is typically the home of the Texas Great Debate — a rite of passage for new NHIers throughout the Lone Star State. It was able to put a new spin on an event that’s had different host universities in Texas throughout its life, but plenty of other long-established traditions. 

That included the team of George Rodriguez and Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez, who again stepped into their role as educational directors for the program. Rodriguez, looking back on the eight-day program, remarked, “This was an impressive class,” before reflecting on the transition from digital to immersive learning that many of the students were making.” 

“We did see some of the effects of being stuck at home and suddenly having to socialize, but after a couple of days all the participants were fully engaged,” he noted. 

“We had a very impactful moment from Jadrian Rodriguez,” he said of the Cotulla High School student. “When he arrived, he was very shy and was doubting if NHI was even really for him. He ended up making the first successful motion on the floor with the assistance of his friend, then he ran and was elected a Senator, and finally he made the last motion off the floor of the entire session with the entire delegation just going crazy!” 

“Jadrian’s perseverance and constant struggle to prove himself earned him the most important award NHI bestows, the Ricky Miranda Award,” he continued. “I refer to Jadrian’s NHI journey because he really exemplifies what the entire delegation underwent during their week. With their Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House they really did craft this program into their own – their own LDZ.”

In all, more than 130 students made the trek to Sherman, showing the continued popularity of the LDZ with its impressive turnout after a year’s hiatus. 

Top elected officials at the session included: 

• Governor: Jesus Sanmiguel, Hillcrest High School, Dallas, Texas
• Lt. Governor: Elizabeth Martinez, Memorial High School, Houston, Texas
• Speaker of the House: Julieta Garza, La Joya High School, La Joya, Texas
• Chief Justice: Zoe Martin-Arriaga, Juarez-Lincoln High School, Mission, Texas

Not to be outdone by their colleagues at the Colorado LDZ, who passed 10 pieces of legislation during the session, the Texas LDZers passed a phenomenal 14 proposals into law. Those included: 

• Incorporate Latino Literature in School Curriculum; Author: Ansalma Rodriguez, Incarnate Word High School, San Antonio, Texas; Co-author: Antonio Musgrove, Johnson High School, Buda, Texas
• Create a Latino/a Mural; Author: Kristnee Romero, Cotulla High School, Cotulla, Texas; Co-author: Jadrian Rodriguez, Cotulla High School, Cotulla, Texas
• Mandate Annual Sex Education/Safe Sex Assemblies at Schools; Author: Mauricio
• Gonzalez, Tompkins High School, Katy, Texas; Co-Author: Joshua Raya, Americas High School, El Paso, Texas
• Finance the Low-Income Population; Author: Salvador Guadarrama, International Leadership of Texas, Katy-Westpark High School, Richmond, Texas; Co-author: Alexander Cruz, YES Prep West Secondary, Houston, Texas
• Expand and Educate the Latino Youth to S.T.E.M.: Author: Andrew Lopes, Hanna Early College High School, Brownsville, Texas; Co-author: Joshua Raya, Americas High School, El Paso, Texas
• ELAI (Encouraging Latino Arts and Intellect); Author: Samuel De La Cruz, Central Catholic High School, San Antonio, Texas; Co-authors: Luke Morgan, Round Rock High School, Round Rock, Texas and Marco Rodriguez, IDEA Pharr, Pharr, Texas
• Incorporate Basic Spanish into Healthcare Education; Author: Regina Seidel, Cotulla High School, Cotulla, Texas; Co-author: Ansalma Rodriguez, Incarnate Word High School, San Antonio, Texas
• Create work experience for Latinx medical grads through pre-established Hispanic Clinics; Authors: Jesús Sanmiguel, Hillcrest High School, Dallas, Texas; Gabby Flores, Westlake High School, Austin, Texas; Grant Estes, Central Catholic High School, San Antonio, Texas; Sebastian Trevino, Keystone School, San Antonio, Texas; Carlos Pina, Central High School, San Angelo; Marchesa Cook, W.B. Ray High School, Corpus Christi, Texas; Jailynn Garcia, Mathis High School, Mathis, Texas; Co-author: Antonio Musgrove, Johnson High School, Buda, Texas
• Build a School to Embrace our Culture and Expand the Forms of Leadership;
• Author: Jesús Sanmiguel, Hillcrest High School, Dallas, Texas; Co-Author: Marco Rodriguez, IDEA Pharr, Pharr, Texas and Joshua Raya, Americas High School, El Paso, Texas
• Establish a youth mentor program to further post-graduation opportunities and encourage sustainable lifestyles; Author: Carolina Noyola, Memorial High School, Houston, Texas; Co-author: Gaby Aguirre, Liberal Arts and Science Academy, San Antonio, Texas
• The Crystal; Author: Marco Rodriguez, IDEA Pharr, Pharr, Texas; Co-Author: Jo Erin Guzman, Mathis High School, Mathis, Texas
• Create a cooking class for the youth to teach them how to create authentic traditional Latinx dishes; Author: Viviana Rodriguez, IDEA South Flores, San Antonio, Texas; Co-author: Ansalma Rodriguez, Incarnate Word High School, San Antonio, Texas
• Create a school summer program that exposes students to different interests and careers; Author: Franchesca Untalan, Central High School, San Angelo, Texas; Co-author: Natalia Diaz, Memorial High School, Houston, Texas
• Build my vecindad and connect my familia; Author: Josephine Gonzalez, The School for the Talented and Gifted at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center, Dallas, Texas; Co-author: Alexander Cruz, YES Prep West Secondary, Houston, Texas

Awards earned by students at the program included:

• Most Distinguished Representative: Sidney Jimenez, La Joya High School, La Joya, Texas
• Most Persuasive Representative: Vivianna Rodriguez, IDEA South Flores, San Antonio, Texas
• Outstanding Legislator, House of Representatives: Mia Carreon, Central High School, San Angelo, Texas
• Best Debater, House of Representatives: Antonio Musgrove, Johnson High School, Buda, Texas
• Best Author of a Resolution, House of Representatives: Joshua Raya, Americas High School, El Paso, Texas
• Most Distinguished Senator: Ansalma Rodriguez, Incarnate Word High School, San Antonio, Texas
• Most Persuasive Senator: Jocelyn Garcia, Cotulla High School, Cotulla, Texas
• Outstanding Legislator, Senate: Melissa Cantu, La Joya High School, La Joya, Texas
• Best Debater, Senate: Amanda Chapa, La Joya High School, La Joya, Texas
• Best Author of a Resolution, Senate: Natalia Diaz, Memorial High School, Houston, Texas
• Most Distinguished Attorney: Cruz Lopez III, IDEA Weslaco Pike, Weslaco, Texas
• Most Outstanding Member, Supreme Court: Alexander Torres, Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet Center, Dallas, Texas
• Best Orator: Elise Bostian, TMI Episcopal, San Antonio, Texas
• Top Attorney Teams: Sofia Acosta, Antonian High School, San Antonio, Texas and Isaballa Zapata, Palmview High School, Mission, Texas; Kenneth Escobar, International Leadership of Texas, Katy-Westpark High School, Richmond, Texas and Jesus Veliz, South Texas ISD World Scholars, Edinburg, Texas
• Most Promising Leaders: Marco Rodriguez, IDEA Pharr, Pharr, Texas and Lizeth Neri, Heights High School, Houston, Texas