Job Readiness and Leadership Development at School Based Youth Services of Perth Amboy

On Saturday, December 5th, 2015 School Based Youth Services Program brought a group of young ladies to the New Jersey Institute of Technology for the LUPE Fund, Inc. 2015 Young Latina Leadership Conference.  The conference included four workshops centered on three primary objectives “Explore, Expand, Evolve.”  Our students had the opportunity to be empowered to pursue their ambitions as well as learn how to use the social media effectively to boost their professional profile, how to save and manage money to gain financial freedom, and how to network and acquire support groups.  A component of the conference also catered to educating attendees on the importance of health and wellness, which included an interactive workout segment.   However, the culmination of the conference was the luncheon keynote speaker, Ramona Emilia Romero.   

Mrs. Romero, a Dominican immigrant, arrived in the U.S. along with her siblings and her single mother determined to make her success a family legacy.  She successfully completed middle school and high school and went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree from Barnard College at Columbia University and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law.  Her illustrious career included being general counsel for a fortune 500 company and the Unites States Department of Agriculture under the Obama administration.  Mrs. Romero is currently the general counsel at Princeton University.  Her eminent success served as a living testament of the possibility of not only achieving the American Dream, but exceeding expectation and breaking glass ceilings.  

Mrs. Romero’s story, along with the featured panelists, inspired our young women to dream big.  Their goals, regardless of how large, are attainable despite any imminent factors that may challenge them on their journeys.  SBYSP was honored to expose our young ladies to a multitude of knowledgeable and successful Latinas who undoubtedly empowered these young women to understand that they sat in their seat once and are now leaders at the forefront in their respective careers.  All things are possible with hard work and dedication!   

By Eridania Towns
Mental health Specialist

School Based Services is a Project of the JRF  funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families