The past couple of weeks of April have been dressed with the ever challenging skill of time management. I found that as the month developed, there was a lot to do for many different people such as my classes, clubs, friend and family. It seemed, for some reason that this month, everyone needed something done every day. However this I find to be a good thing. I have never been one to want much leisure time, consistently having the need to be doing something productive. It is my opinion that being at Linfield I have endless opportunities, I just want to make sure I take full advantage of them. Therefore, for me, busy is best.
One of the biggest endeavors that I took on this month was that of finalizing the establishment of a new club on campus. This was a goal that started last year with two other students but did not find its completion until this year. The club is actually a chapter of a much larger national organization called M.E.Ch.A. This is an acronym that stands for movimiento, estudiantil, Chicano de Aztlan (translated to a Chicano student movement of Aztlan). This movement is one started back in the 1960’s when Chicano students took a stand against the injustice and discrimination they found within the education system.
What began as a movement to retain cultural identity and respect for personal heritage is now an organization that works for the achievement of Latino students all over the nation. Amongst our chapter’s goals are leadership development, education excellence, community service and cultural awareness of the Latino community. Having various chapters in college campuses around the state, it is a great way to build bridges between our different schools. I also feel that having this group on campus will be a benefit to Latino and non Latino students alike because it’s open to anyone allowing for more cultural awareness to spread throughout our college campus.
Aside from the process of forming this club, I have also found a lot of my time this month going towards the mentorship of high school students, particularly seniors. Because it is getting to that point in the year when high school seniors must make a decision of what they will be doing and where they will be going, I have had multiple meeting, phone call and email conversations with various students who are pursuing a higher education. Some students are peers I worked with back in my high school and others are perspective students looking to come to Linfield. Having the opportunity to guide these students gives me a great deal of pride. Knowing you can help pave the path for a student that will lead them towards a higher education, towards their dream, is an empowering feeling.