By Marisol Galvan on March 23, 2011

Last Wednesday evening, three confident, empowered, and educated women got together to discuss and educate not just Latina women but all women on how to be confident and how to start and run a business. The event was hosted by Daisy De La Cruz, from De La Croix Media Group, who led a discussion with three representatives of the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

LULAC, an 82-year-old organization and the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy group, has focused heavily on education and employment for Latinos. LULAC councils provide more than one million dollars in scholarships to Latino students each year, conducts citizenship and and voter registration drives, develops low-income housing units, and manages youth leadership programs.

Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias, Illinois state director for LULAC, has been involved in politics since the age of 14. Bombela-Tobias stressed that every Latina woman should be involved in politics.

Panel participant Arabel Alva Rosales, president and CEO of AAR and Associates, asked the crowd, “How many of you out there want to start up your own business”? She waited for the audience’s response and then asked them, “What are you waiting for?” Arabel encouraged the audience to be confident, empowered, and unafraid to venture into business. “Every woman deserves to create the life she wants,” she told the  audience.”

Maggie Rivera, National Vice President for the Midwest of LULAC, spoke about the importance of education and participation of women in business. She said to never stop striving to accomplish your goals and to always receive higher education. Maggie’s advice to all women is “education is the key to liberation, to success.” Education, in fact, is the most important issue to the three LULAC representatives. They believe that in order to be successful in life we need to “start working with our children at an early age so that we can see them as successful people.”

The three leaders of LULAC introduced their National Women’s Conference to the audience. Taking place in Chicago,  the theme of this year’s conference is “Agents of Change… Making a world of difference.” The conference provides professional development workshops and seminars targeted to the needs of Latinas, and also highlights the contributions that Latinas have made to this country. This year’s conference will feature workshops on education, health, human trafficking, women in Business, women in the military, and the modern man.

LULAC National Women’s Conference April 8-9, 2011
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
2233 South Martin L King Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60616
Register at: www.lulac.net/events/women2011.html