2025 Colorado LDZ continues long partnership between Colorado State University and NHI

For 35 years now, NHI’s Lorenzo de Zavala (LDZ) Youth Legislative Program has had a home in the Rocky Mountains thanks to Colorado State University. That incredible partnership continued June 21 through 28, as nearly 200 students from the United States and Mexico converged on Fort Collins for NHI’s immersive eight-day leadership program focused on public policy.

“Colorado was as special as it always is,” said Caitlin Berry, resuming her role from last year as co-education director. “As they say, there is magic in the mountains,’ and we certainly felt that again this year, the 35th that NHI has been hosted by CSU. The participants from the start were outspoken, sharing their values and their desires for equity. As always, we all grew so much throughout the week, not just the participants, but also the staff, who spoke about the transformation and hope that we all had after spending time together.”

As with past LDZ programs, students form political parties shortly after arriving, run for executive, legislative, and judicial posts, and while focused on their individual leadership journeys (which are shaped by elections and proposing legislation to better their communities), they also come together for a collective transformative experience.

Lucia Delgado, Director of the Access Center at Colorado State University, welcomed students on the host institution’s behalf as part of the opening ceremony event, and at the awards ceremony, NHI gave out its inaugural Mary Ontiveros Ram’s Heart Award, named for the longtime CSU vice president key to forging one of NHI’s longest partnerships.

“Mary believed deeply in students like you,” said co-education director Paul Martinez told the assembly. “She believed in what it would mean for you to not just visit, but belong on this campus. She championed the partnership between NHI and Colorado State University — both in front of and behind the scenes. And she remained steadfast in that support for over three decades. She saw this space as a place where you could grow, stretch, and imagine what’s possible — not someday, but now. And she fought to make sure that would happen — for you, and for every generation to come.”

Berry was especially inspired by Maxx Ruiz Gonzalez, of Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, Texas, who won this year’s Ricky Miranda Award for his hope and perseverance.

“He was so eager to learn from the beginning,” she recalled. “He would run for positions, and although he never won, he kept fighting. He regularly came up to me to share his proposal idea based off of things he was seeing in his community in San Antonio. He saw the beauty in opportunities from challenging moments and based his proposal on it. He would not pass first reading and would come to tell me about it.

“Using inquiry-based learning techniques, his eyes would light up as he figured out the next steps he wanted to take. He never gave up, and he always had a smile on his face. I had the honor to meet his parents, and they said that is how he always is. These are the moments that give us hope: the eyes lighting up, using real-life examples from the communities we come from, and the persistent, never-give-up attitudes. This is what it’s all about.”

‘It pushes you to be better’

Students experienced a rigorous and positive learning experience throughout the eight days.

“It has a really good vibe,” said Juliet Brandon Ocampo of Poudre High School in the host city, who was drawn to the program to become more comfortable in public speaking and around other students, but found the program tested her abilities in ways she didn’t expect. “It is challenging, but it’s to the point where it’s also very engaging. It makes you think; it pushes you to just be better. And I really like that.”

“It’s a highly competitive environment, and I feel like an environment in which a lot of leaders can clash, but it also is well organized, so it works well enough to give everyone an opportunity to lead,” said Lilliana Barfield Mata, of Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas.

Her classmate at LASA, Maya Barnhart, had a slightly different perspective, but valued the program as well.

“At times, it can be a little messy, she observed. “But I really appreciate that, because it allows the students to really figure out how to congregate and how to talk and how to problem solve and grow with each other.”

Top honors

Award winners at the program included:

House of Representatives

Most Distinguished Representative

Maggie Li, Coronado HS, El Paso, Texas

Best Debater

Aisha Ali, Young Women’s Leadership Academy, San Antonio, Texas

Outstanding Legislator

María José Garcia, Academia María Reina, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Best Author of a Resolution

Diego Gallegos Ceja, Fossil Ridge HS, Fort Collins, Colorado

Most Persuasive Representative

Osman Yanes Rodriguez, Lamar HS, Lamar, Colorado

Senate

Most Distinguished Senator

Abby Anderson, Coronado HS, El Paso, Texas

Best Debater

Norah Suhail, Brandeis HS, San Antonio, Texas

Outstanding Legislator

Miranda Garcia, Antonian College Preparatory HS, San Antonio, Texas

Best Author of a Resolution

Santi Gonzalez, Colegio Americano de Torreón, Torreón, Mexico

Most Persuasive

Alex Estrada, Incarnate Word HS, San Antonio, Texas

Supreme Court and Attorneys

Chief Justice

Bryan Page Arrendondo, Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Austin, Texas

Justices

• Kai Claiborne, Central Catholic HS, San Antonio, Texas
• Xochi Contreras, St. Mary’s Academy, Englewood, Colorado
• Lily Martillo, Southlake Carroll HS, Southlake, Texas
• Paloma Massieu, Sierra Nevada Interlomas, Jesús del Monte, Mexico
• Mia McGrath, Coronado HS, El Paso, Texas
• Eduardo Montaño, Escuela Carlos Pereyra, Torreón, Mexico
• Benicio Vatterott, Venice HS, Venice, California
• Maria Paola Villarreal, Antonian College Preparatory HS, San Antonio, Texas

Outstanding Member

Xochi Contreras, St. Mary’s Academy, Englewood, Colorado

Best Orator (Attorney)

Mia McGrath, Coronado HS, El Paso, Texas

Top Attorney Team:

• Camila Guiterrez, El Paso HS, El Paso, Texas
• Jorge Rodriguez, TMI Episcopal, San Antonio, Texas

Top Elected and Appointed Officials

Speaker of the House

Emiliano Carrillo, El Paso HS, El Paso, Texas

Lieutenant Governor

Lucila Hernandez Ruiz, Tec de Monterrey, Mexico City, Mexico

Governor

Mateo Ghlaleb, Cathedral HS, El Paso, Texas

Cabinet Members:

• Roberto Coronado, Coronado HS, El Paso, Texas
• Julian Escalante, Cathedral HS, El Paso, Texas
• María José Garcia, Academia María Reina, San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Addison Garcia Humphreys, McAllen HS, McAllen, Texas
• Lorenzo Marquez, Jasper High School, Plano, Texas
• Alfonso Nambo, Instituto de Ciencias, Zapopan, Mexico
• Ava Pedraza, Antonian College Preparatory HS, San Antonio, Texas
• Tara Ruiz, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin, Texas

Authors of Passed Resolutions

• Abby Anderson, Coronado HS, El Paso, Texas (Latino Empowerment through Community Skill Enrichment)
• Xochi Contreras, St. Mary’s Academy, Englewood, Colorado (Weekly Meetings to Raise Money through Latin Artwork)
• Miranda Garcia, Antonian College Preparatory HS, San Antonio, Texas (Arte Unido – United Through Art)
• Santi Gonzalez, Colegio Americano de Torreón, Torreón, Mexico (From Barrio to Big Leagues: Latino Youth Sports)
• Scarlett Guerrero Castro, Poudre High School, Fort Collins, Colorado (Empowering Immigrant Workers: A Website for Safety and Support)
• Maggie Li, Coronado HS, El Paso, Texas (Passing on the Latino Musical Legacy)
• Osman Yanes Rodriguez, Lamar HS, Lamar, Colorado (Hispanic Futbol Friendship Games)
• Tara Ruiz, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin, Texas (A Bill to Strengthen Latino Youth Drug Abuse Prevention)

Special Awards

Most Promising Leaders

• Samira Miller, Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins, Colorado
• Tara Ruiz, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin, Texas

Rich Castro Award

named for an outstanding, talented and gifted leader — the youngest ever elected to the Colorado State Legislature as age 28, who long after his death remains a beacon in the state’s political and legislative history; awarded to a student exhibiting Castro’s kindness, caring, courage, and sense of humor

Miah Ortecho, Loveland HS, Loveland, Colorado

Ricky Miranda Memorial Award

named for an early NHIer who tragically died in a car accident while in college; awarded to a student who, in the face of adversity, stays hopeful, stays grounded, and never stops believing in their ability to grow

Maxx Ruiz Gonzalez, Central Catholic HS, San Antonio, Texas

Mary Ontiveros Ram’s Heart Award

named for the first Vice President for Diversity and the first Latina vice president in Colorado State University’s history, instrumental in first forging the partnership between CSU and NHI 35 years ago; awarded a student who exhibits empathetic leadership

Elsa Lozano Tello, Avalos P-TECH School, Houston, Texas

The 2025 Colorado LDZ was made possible in part by support from the Bezos Foundation and Sands.

Max Mendez contributed to reporting on this story.