Written by Kati Mayfield
Maria Sandoval, 12, and Briana Larios, 11, prove that great
ambition comes in small and soft-spoken packages.
With great poise the girls, or chicas in Spanish, describe
their stories of finding self confidence and social grace through a local youth
development program called Adelante Chicas.
Through the Adelante Chicas program, part of local non-profit
Adelante Mujeres, Maria and Briana participate in after-school groups with
other girls their age and learn about topics ranging from self-esteem to
financial literacy to college prep.
With a staff of three and a legion of committed volunteers, Adelante
Chicas runs in six sites in the Forest Grove school district and one in
Hillsboro, serving over 250 girls, ages 8 to 18, each year.
During the school year, Adelante Chicas holds one after
school group at every school site per week and takes the girls on educational
excursions on the weekends. During the summer Adelante Chicas runs a six-week
soccer academy and three week-long summer camps where the girls learn about
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); healthy lifestyles; and
cultural arts.
Maria, who is going into seventh grade at Neil
Armstrong Middle School ,
and Briana, who is going into sixth grade at Tom
McCall Upper Elementary
School , both joined Adelante Chicas as quiet
third graders.
Maria was the pioneering third-grader who joined Adelante
Chicas when it was only offered to girls in fourth grade and up. The summer
before her third grade year Maria tagged along to Chicas summer camps with her
older sister, Monica. Fascinated by a unit on community health and wellness, Maria
didn’t want the experience to end with the summer, so she persuaded the
Adelante Chicas staff to let her join the program. Staff members conceded
because they were impressed by Maria’s dedication to the activities and to her
peers.
Briana, one year younger, benefitted from Maria’s legacy the
next year when Adelante Chicas staff decided to open the program to all third
graders. Briana says that, though she was very studious, she was too shy to
raise her hand in class or participate in extra-curricular activities. But when
she heard that Adelante Chicas was just “for Latina
girls like me,” she joined the group at Echo
Shaw Elementary School .
What she found was an all-Latina group of girls her age and program
facilitators who created a safe and supportive environment for her to explore
her ideas and identity.
The foundation of the group is the “girls circle,” where the
girls discuss their ups and downs and address a different theme each week. Each
girl gets a chance to speak in the circle, which helps them gain confidence
about expressing themselves and addressing an audience.
Briana says, and her mother confirms, that whereas before
she was reluctant to say anything in a group or at home, she now can articulate
her opinions on everything from her favorite pop star to her greatest ambitions.
Maria has taken from Adelante Chicas the desire to help
others and take care of the environment. Participating in annual camping trips
and volunteer excursions to local wetlands, she has gotten exposure to the
region’s incredible natural resources and become determined to protect them.
Maria and Briana have made the most out of every Adelante
Chicas activity. Through the Adelante Chicas Journey to College initiative, Maria
and Briana have toured local colleges and universities and learned about career
tracks and how to get scholarships. And, they have committed to giving back to
the community, thanks to the great role models they have in Adelante Chicas
staff and volunteers.
In 10 years, both girls say they envision themselves
attending college and volunteering with a program like Adelante Chicas, helping
other Latina girls become more
social and break out of their shells.
Leticia Aguilar, the Adelante Chicas elementary school
facilitator, beams with pride over all her chicas, particularly when they
express their dreams about what they want to be when they grow up.
Maria aspires to be an immigration lawyer, and Briana says
with determination that she plans to be a doctor — a pediatrician, to be exact.
Meet Maria Sandoval, J.D., and Briana Larios, M.D. They may
not have earned those credentials quite yet, but they are certainly on their
way.
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