[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 181 (Wednesday, November 15, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN RECOGNITION OF THE SECOND SOUTH CENTRAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM 
                          GRADUATION CEREMONY

                                 ______


                       HON. ESTEBAN EDWARD TORRES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 15, 1995

  Mr. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, on November 17, 1995, the Mexican American 
Legal Defense and Educational Fund [MALDEF] will hold its second South 
Central Leadership Program Graduation Ceremony. At the ceremony, 100 
graduates of the program will be honored for their successful 
completion of the program and dedication to community service in the 
South Central Los Angeles area.
  This year were four projects: the Youth and Parent Empowerment 
Conference, the Citizenship Conference, the Economic Development 
Conference, and Alternative Methods for Education. The Youth and Parent 
Empowerment Conference deserves special merit for its collaborative 
effort with the leadership development in inter-ethnic relations 
program. The Citizenship Conference, with assistance from the National 
Association of Appointed and Elected Officials [NALEO], resulted in the 
processing of more than 100 applications for citizenship. The Economic 
Development Conference, working with L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley 
Thomas' district 8, enlisted several organizations, such as Bank of 
America, the Mexican American Opportunities Foundation, and the 
University of Southern California, to name a few, and designed new 
strategies and opportunities for local economic growth. The alternative 
method for education project, using the Montessori School Model, shared 
the successes of the tested and innovative approach to education.
  The South Central Leadership Program is another example of MALDEF's 
efforts to help the Latino community build and strengthen the social, 
economic, and political infrastructure in this neglected area of Los 
Angeles. Through the program's grassroots leadership training and 
support of existing and emerging community based organizations, MALDEF 
plays an important role in opening new doors of access for Latinos.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring this 
distinguished graduates. From the Technical Assistance Program the 
graduates are: Maria Alvarez; Marina Alvarez; Sonia Alvarez; Rosa 
Avelar; Gloria Barragan; Maria Campos; Kwame Cooper; Eduardo Cordero; 
Jeanette Lopez Escobar; Maria Flores; Grace Galindo; Rudy Garavito; 
Maria Gonzales; Vivian Harmon; Ramiro Hernandez; Letisia Mauricio; 
Bertha Melgoza; Gloria Mendez; Dina Moreno; Maria T. Palacios; Faustina 
Palomares; Yolanda Perales; Eduardo Peregrina; Sonia Ramos; Ana Maria 
Rodriguez; Irma Rodriguez; Maria Rubalcava; Gloria Saldana; Reina 
Schmitz; Leticia Vega; Laura Villegas, and Enrique Carrillo.
  Graduating from the Leaders of the Future Program are: Gloria 
Barragan; Maria Campos; Magdalena Cervantes; Maria Dubon; Maria 
Gonzalez; Evelia Landaverde; Margarita Landeros; Rosalia Lucero; Gloria 
Mendez; Ana Alicia Munoz; Sara Olivera; Eduardo Peregrina; Guillermina 
Perez; Alicia Ramirez; Estela Tortoledo; Hermelinda Gonzalez; Sonia 
Alvarez; Maria Alvarez; Wendy Rivera; Laura Villegas; Fermin Rivera; 
Marina Meraz; Ivone Garcia; Maria Palacios; Ana Maria Rodriguez; 
Enrique Carrillo; Marcos Aguilar; Pastel Mireles; Maria Ortiz, and 
Salvador Rios.

                          ____________________