The Department of Admissions and Outreach welcomed approximately 500 high school students to Stan State for the 14th annual Chicanx Latinx Youth Conference (CLYC).
Students started off the day with pan dulce and hot chocolate donated by MEChA and Nu Alpha Kappa. Later that morning, they saw a dance performed by Aztec dancers, a theatre performance and a motivational speech from keynote speaker Mayte Ramirez.
 Carolina Alfaro, Assistant Director of Admissions and Outreach Services, explained that throughout the day students were empowered by being introduced to the history and significance of cultural traditions such as the Aztec dancers and the unity clap.

“Cultura is not just cultural, it is, but it’s also empowerment. A lot of empowering, so how to organize, how to really know about your history to really be able to make a difference in the community,” Alfaro said.
 After the morning events, students were escorted to workshops put on by both outside organizations and different departments and organizations on campus.
Students were allowed to attend two workshops, with the first being education based and the second being cultural based, explained Rocio Luna, Early Outreach Specialist and CLYC Coordinator.
 “Everything going from financial aid to CSU admissions… all the way [to] understanding the different terms of what is being a Chicano, Hispanic, Latino,” Luna said in regards to the available workshops.
 Despite celebrating 14 years, CLYC has been around since the 1980s and was student-ran. However, due to issues that arose, such as students graduating and leaving no one to organize the event, CLYC was not a consistent annual event until 2004.
MEChA was one of the original hosts before the Admissions and Outreach Department took over, however, they remain heavily involved.
 This year MEChA provided two workshops, the first being on nonviolent communication and how to resolve conflicts without aggression and the second being MEChA 101, an overview as to who MEChA is.
 “MEChA has a long history of community activism and academic excellence. We serve as role models of what students can become to be benevolent members of society by using their academic achievements and diplomas,” said Co-President of MEChA, Antonio Anaya (senior, Business), in regards to the importance of the club’s presence in the conference.  
 With the conclusion of this year’s CLYC, there are hopes that the conference leaves an everlasting impact on the students.
Luna, who had also attended CLYC as a student, credits her success as a Stan State alum to the knowledge she acquired at CLYC.
“It’s been a life transforming experience…not only for me, but for a lot of students. CLYC can take you a long way if you come prepared that day to take in as much as you can and to make connections,” Luna said.
 There is also hope that CLYC can open doors to similar events.
Being that Stan State is a Hispanic serving institution, Alfaro hoped to “continue promoting programs that are tailored towards prospective students who have never been to a college campus and have never been exposed to a workshop that has to do with education and culture all in one.”